The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-09-03
wise Farming.

Wise Farming.
I. G. Steele, in recent address before
the Pescadero Grange, said:
We all know that the products of the
farm are greatly reduced in quantity and
quality by the system, or rather want of
system, generally practiced here. We
have seen crops of oats and barley that
yielded seventy and hundred bushels
to the acre all along the coast in this
country. How is it now? The quantity
is reduced one-half, and the quality is
Like the the quantity, minus. The time
was when the farmers in this section had
time for recreation and money to spend.
How is it now? How much of the
present embarrassment of the farmers
shall we consider justly attributable to
the deterioration of the soil? It seems
to me as matter of self-interest mot to
mention patriotism) we are called upon
to not only maintain the fertility re-
naming in the soil but to restore its
original productive power. How can we
do it..
The compost heap, rightly made and
its material properly applied in the pro-
duction of farm crops, is q never failing
every farmer can and should have
place to prepare plant food, and there
deposit stable and yard manure, straw,
weeds, night-soii, ashes, SCOT, soap suds,
beef and pork brine, old boots and shoes,
old clothes, dead animals, bones (pound-
ed fne), hair, blood-in short all waste
matter at hand, and to these should be
added swamp muck or peat from time to
time, If they can be had without too
much expense. Dead leaves of trees
should also be added where they are to
had The compost should be sheltered,
and sufficient water used on it to aid de-
composition and prevent burning.
Suppose we cultivate half the quantity
of land and devote the same amount Of
labor and expense on it that we now do
on the whole and get the same amount
Of produce? We would gain the use of
the other half for pasturage or meadow,
| securing greater diversity in our farming
and larger amount of plant food to
maintain the fertility of our land.
Next to manuring comes rotation in
| crops. There are but few crops that
should ever be planted two years in sue
| cession on the same land, for the reason
| that constant rotation will secure better
! crops and is less exhausting to the soil.
Flax does nicely in this section now, but
| it will soon fail if continually planted on
| the same land. In the rotation of crops
the grasses or some forage plants must
occupy prominent place. 1t is doubt
full whether permanent prosperity in ag-
r1culture can be attained without the
| cultivation of grass. To carelessly allow
| weeds to take the place of grass is a per-
| nicious practice. Weeds are of little
value for any purpose, and their increase
| in this country, if continued, will destroy
| crops entirely. Grass can be made to
| take the place of weeds, and is valuable
| feed for stock, and a good fertilizer when
turned under. Here in our coast eli
mate we have perennial grasses that form
a good sod when allowed to do so, and
some of the best foreign grasses thrive
when sown. Mesquit, orchard grass and
New England rye grass I have tested,
| and am satisfied they can be grown sue
cessfully here. obtained few roots of
the Pa,aicuns Specialize and of the Mil,1na
| Ma1ltet1orum of Professor Hilgard last
spring, both of which are growing we'll,
and will, I think, be valuable acquisi-
| sition to our forage plants. believe we
| can greatly improve our pastures, and
have permanent meadows of grass in
stead of depending upon grain for hay.
I intended to try red clover next year.
Its great value as fertilizer makes it
very desirable. The most natural feed
Tor cattle, horses and sheep is grass, and
with its fertilizing qualities it is one of
the most important farm crops. Sand
wich Island pumpkins is q profitable
crop to raise for cattle and hog feed, and
leaves land in fine condition for a grain
crop. Peas is also good crop for feed
and to mellow land.
e H. <,xs
growing crops suitable for rotation, with
odd times devoted to the collection of
material for the compost heap, would di-
vide fam labor evenly through the year
and relieve it of the heavy strain at har-
vest. With this system generally prac-
| ticed land believe we shall have to
adopt something like it whether we will
it or not some time) the labor problem,
so far as the farmers are concerned,
would soon solve itself. The efficient
laborer would gain home, and the farm
would be relieved Of the ruinous ex-
pense of high priced. inferior help.
A Russian Despot 200 Years Ago.
But the commands of this slightly
vexatious despot (Ivan) seemed at times
to have puzzled his most faithful COM
missioners, for on one occasion, having
sent for nobleman of Casan, called
Piesheave (which is, being interpreted,
Bald) the Vayod, mistaking the name of
the word, sent for $50 bald-pated old
men, More than eighty or ninety, how
ever, he could not get together; so he
sent them up speedily to the palace with
an apology that he regretted he could
find no more in his province, and de-
sired pardon for the short measure,
The Emperor, astonished at the sight of
SO many old bald-headed pates, devoutly
crossed himself. At last one of the
chief men delivered the letter, and the
Diack showed His Majesty the copy of
the letter he had sent to the Vayod, and
the mistake being found out, the bald
pates were made drunk for three days
and sent home again.
On one occasion Ivan Vasiloidg nailed
French Ambassadors hat to his head
for presuming not to uncover in the I'm
perial presence Sir jerome Boze, the
English Ambassador, coming shortly
afterward, nothing daunted by the tale of
his unfortunate friend, put on his hat
and cooked it right jauntily before the
Emperor, who sternly demanded how he
dared SO to insult him, having heard how
he had chastised the Frenchman. Sir