The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-10-30
Farm Industry.


The subject Of farming correctly
and successfully in this, our ascend
ant state, is one of paramount inn
portance to every intelligent man,
who has chosen for his avocation, the
enviable life of the husbandman.
Industry and methodical manage
ment, are inseparable concomitants
to the polite farmer. Labor has
charm. and if well directed is al
WAYS crowned with satisfactory
reward. To make and produce
something is a consideration we all
enlov. The man who tolls through
long summers day, experiences
an enjoyment, when he but knows
that for his labor a reward will sure
" be given him. 1t is the writer's
unbiased opinion, well fortified by
the comments of others, that there
are great many men engaged in
the farming enterprise IN our State,
who are unconcerned, negligent, and
extremely regardless of the prelimi-
nary steps to the preparation of the
soil for each cereal, many OF this
class wish to raise crops, with as
little labor attendant, as possible.
Crops do not spring up spontane-
ouslv, and were we not required to
enrich, break up and cultivate the
soil, and put in our seed, existence
in this direction would lose half OF
its pleasure, for the reason if we
would have bountiful crops, we
must necessarily labor for them.
Who can estimate the aggregate
amount ofgrain that could be raised
in the State of Indiana if our farm
ers would follow the mandates of
science, viz, when we undertake to
grow cereals, as we are unable to
! exterminate the insects that would
feed upon them, we must cultivate
and enrich the soil so as to make the
plants grow faster than the insects
can eat. Why, it is the proper prep
aration and continued management
of the soil from year to year that
brings forth large crops. You may
sew the hest and most prolific yarie-
ties of seed the world ever knew,
and fail to raise satisfactory crop,
if the soil is not Just as it should be.
Shallow blowing is the universal
custom in this State; science teaches
us that this is great mistake; on the
contrary. it teaches us that no mat
ter what kind of soil we have to
contend with, pillow deep, and if
practicable follow up with subsoil
plow. The roots of the plants must
necessarily strike deep before they
can reach the necessary substance.
| It is eminently important that farm
ers should understand that this way
of preparing land for the cultivation
of all crops is elected from science.
sitter the pulveration of land in this
way, by the addition of certain sub
stances to it the most barren earth
and unproductive soil can be rem
dered exceedingly fertile. and capa
bic of producing copious and boun-
tiful crops. AS it is, on many of our
farms. the growing plants send their
numerous rootlets into the earth for
food, but the untold number of hun
cry mouths find no nutrition there,
simply because there has been no
nutritive element placed there to
promote the luxuriaut growth.
WHAT'S the result? In all probabili-
ty those plants may famish, droop
and die, or else, Perchance, they may
retain little life, but feeble and
frail will be the growth. To you,
| brother farmers, such reflections
should be interesting for in your
hands the keys are held that shall
unlock the treasures of the earth.
On what does the success of the far
mer depend? The obvious answer
is, that it depends mainly upon the
getting from his land the largest
amount of products at the lowest
rate of expense. To do this, requires
not only industry, but Intelligence
not merely the faculty of working
but the faculty of thinking.