American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-01-10
AGRICULTURAL.

they have been in the past, and new
methods and new systems must be de-
vised and employed to meet them. The
yield of the land now Under cultivation
mist he Increased, and new fields pre-
pared for new wants. To compete with
other nations who, like ourselves, have
learned how great thc dependence is up
on the soil, our farmers must employ
greater skill and exercissi greater Far:
In their work. tha requirements upon
them will continue to increase. Then,
too, the drudgery of the farm should be
lesSened, and the farmer relieved from
many of his hardships, his toll light
ened, and his comforts increased through
the rfoiilulg:ition of new ideas and the
employment of labor-saving machinery.
All classes are interested in the aeubfii-
plishment OF these ends, for upon them
depends the prosperity of all, and it is,
therefore, the duty and interest of all to
promote the growth of agriculture and
the comfort of its followers.-Ter Vermont
Farmer. 80 lFIT s.z
How TO MAKE HARNESS LAST Fok
YEARs. -The great point to be observed
In the care of harness. is keeping the
leather soft and piiable. This can be
done only by, charging it thoroughly
with oil and grease, says the Harness
journal, which further adds: ''Water
is a destroyer of these, but mud and the
saline moisture from the animal are
even more destructive, Mud, ip drying,
absorbs the grease and opens the pores
of the leather, making 1t ready prey
to water, while the salty character of
the perspiration from the animal in
jures the leather, stitching and mount
ings. 1t therefore follows that to pre-
serve harness the straps should be
washed and oiled whenever they have
been moistened by sweat or soiled by
mud. To do this effectually the straps
should all be unbuckled and detached.
then washed with little water and
brown soap, then coated with mixture
of neatsfoot oil and be allowed to re-
main undisturbed until the water is
dried out. then thoroughly rubbed with
a WOODEN rag; the rubbing is important,
as it, in addition to removing the sur
plus oil and grease, tends to close the
pores and give finish to the leather. In
hanging harness care should be taken
to allow all straps to hang their full
length brides, pads, gig saddles and
collars should be hung upon forms of
the shape of each. Light is essential to
the care of leather, and when the har-
ness closet is dark the door should be
left open at least half of the time dur
ing each day. All closets should be ven
tilated, and when possible they should
be well lighted. To clean plated mount
ings use a chamois with little trip oil
or rotten stone, but they should be
secured as little as possible. Rubber
covered goods should be cleansed in the
same way. Leather covered needs to
be well brushed and rubbed with
wooden rag. If a harness is thoroughly
cleaned twice a year, and when unduly
exposed, treated as we have recon-
mended, the leather will retain its soft
ness and strength for many years.
COMMENCING WITH New CRoPs.-It
is wise and well to occasionally substi-
tute new crops for those that have long
been grown on farms. A change Of
crops is favorable to keeping up the fer
tility of soils. Farmers who are poor,
especially those who occupy new farms,
are obliged to raise those crops that can
be produced without a large expendi-
ture Of money. They have not the
means to plant vineyards or hop vines,
or to engage in the culture of those
plants that require expensive machinery
to raise or costly buildings to protect
after they are harvested. They must
generally be content to produce corn,
potatoes and small grains for several
years after, they open up new farms.
These produce crops the same year after
they are planted or sown, SO that i'm
mediate return is realized from them.
They may also be produced most adj
vantageously and generally, the most
from new land. =. III
After land has been in standard crops |
several years. the yieldiof them becomes
smaller unless extra pains are taken to |
supply manures. A change of crops,
becomes necessary, as the |
soil is robbed of certain elements of fer
tility. As farmers become fOrehanded,
they naturally wish to produce crops
that will yield larger return than corn,
grain, and potatoes. They know that
4 field planted to grapevines or hops will
produce succession of crops with
little labor. With capital
o purchase machinery, they may find
he raising of broom-corn very profita-
de. With means to erect curing houses,
hey can make money by engaging in
he culture of tobacco Observation
hows that the production of certain
,rops is confined almost entirely to the
'lder sections of the country, where the
oil has been long cultivated, and the
armers are generally wealthy. Many
armers err in commencing to raise a
lew crop with very little knowledge on
he subject. They read a glowing &c
cunt of the success Of one iaFnaer and
lasten to Make a small fortune htthe
way hsdid. Perhaps the only informa>
lor they have on the subject was de-
we'd from a short newspaper article.
hey find at the end of the season that
icy planted the crop at the wrong time5,
4