Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-12-10
farm aud Annsellnld.
Sensible Views on Farming.


part of last month, the highest prize Of
fered for an essay on the subject OF "How
Farming can be Made to pay in Great
Britain" Mr.. Bruce was better equipped
for discussion of this subject from the
fact that he had Just returned from visit
to the United States, where he had made
himself acquainted with our great re-
sources and go-ahead farmers" As the
result of his Investigations he is mot
at all Respondent" he says, ''as to the
future of British farming" if the anti.
quated land laws and the restrictions i'm
posed upon tenant farmers are done away
with. But to be successful the system
of farming at present in vogue must be
radically changed. The course laid down
by him for the British farmer to pursue,
as q means of deriving profit from his
soil, notwithstanding he has to compete
with the great West in the manner of
breadstuffs and provisions is SO entirely
applicable to our farmers in the older
Atlantic States, who also suffer from
Western competition, that it is well worth
noting. Without going into the reasons
he presents for the advice he gives, we
reproduce the four rules he lays down
for making the occupation Of farming
profitable These are:
Firstly, by greater attention to the
cultivation of the soil, working moro as
the gardeners do, in thorough manner.
Greater attention must also be given to
the quality of the different seeds sown,
making sure that the best obtainable are
put in the soil, and that the kind sown
suits the soil and climate.
Secondly, by greater attention to the
live stock kept, making determined eff
forts to keep only stock of good quality,
and breeding more from good sires; keep
ing them better and more comfortable,
and getting them ready for the butcher
at an early age.
Thirdly, by paying greater attention
to dairy produce, making sure that the
most is made of it, and that what is
made is of the best quality.
"Fourthly, by greater attention to So
called little things, such as fruit, poultry
and bees"
Every one of these rules are as de-
serving to be followed by our farmers Of
the seaboard States as by those of Great
Britain. Putting roughly the cost Of
transporting grain from the far West to
Baltimore at so cents per 100 pounds
the present rates from Kansas city being
AZ cents per 100 pounds for corn and So
cents for wheat they start with mar
gin Il 80 cents per bushel in their favor.
With such tillage as Mr.. Bruce recon-
mends it would not be difficult to raise
at least 30 bushels Of wheat to the acre,
while the largest product of the great
Dakota farms does not exceed IS bush
els to the acre The difference, there
fore, under such cultivation to the East
ern farmer would be saving OF 80 cents
per bushel in transportation, and an in
crease of 5 bushels in the yield per acre,
with other crops in proportion, He has
also in his favor monopoly of the mar
ket for hay and wheat, rye and oat straw,
which will not bear transportation for
long distances The soil that will bring
80 bushels of wheat TO the acre will pro-
duce, in fair season, at least two tons
of timothy, with the promise of similar
crop from the same field for several years
10 succession IL doubtful whether il
will pay, with us, to raise live stock for
market; but there is always a ready sale
for dairy produce, and at high prices il
it is of the best quality
Finally, as Mr.. Bruce points out, the
profits of farm may be considerably in
creased 'by greater attention to little
things and be cites as among these,
fruit. poultry aud bees" On these
heads he remarks: "If we consider the
immense amount of money annually paid
toforeigncrs" -outsiders, we might more
properly say, as far as we are concerned
''for butter, cheese, eggs and fowls, and
then reflect that our own farmers could
easily supply all the peoples wants, we
at once see there is profit to farmers
here which slips, yea: by year, through
their hands unnoticed."
All this lie so true that We commend il
to the thoughtful attention of those farm
ers who complain of Western COMPETE
ton, and who have failed to discover that
they have many sources of profit with
which the West cannot compete, and
that even in respect to Western grain
they have. under any CIRCUMSTANCES, a
difference of 30 cents per bushel in their
favor.