Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-08-26

BY WILLIAM II. YEoNANs-
From the Practical Farmer.

From the Practical Farmer.
Every well-regulated farm upon which
more or less stock is kept, as should always
be the case, requires a certain quantity Of
pasturage, depending entirely upon its quail
i,y. unless soiling is practiced. in which case
pasturage is supposed to be supplan'ed by
cultivated crops. Blessed indeed are those
sections of country IN which, from the gen
eral character of the land. the pasturage is
such tina, j, can be brought under cultiva-
ton, and so come IN common course Of ro-
tation of cultivated fields.
Unfortunately all sections Of country are
not Of that class there are sections in which
there is such q profasion of boulders tina,
soil is an exception rather than the rule so
thick are the boulders, in fact. tina; an at
tempt to remove them will frequently wholly
cover the ground. The farmer located upon
such a farm. when visited BY his more fortu-
nate brother Of the West, where the soil 10
all capable Of cultivation. is no, frequentl,
looked upon with pity. And there ocrtainl,
j. a marked contrast between the smooth
even surface in the one case. aad the I'M
even, rocky. bush-covered surface in the
other and vet many . rough farm will
furnish for market it. gilt-edxed butter. IL
juicy mutton and rich beef In the Ere,
mentioned case. where cultivation Of all the
fields Of the farm tina, are employed for
crops or feed IL prac,iccd. and pasturins fol-
| lows from one field 90 another. such q thing
as deterioration Of pastures is hardly known
bu, in the other case. although the pastures.
when frat denuded Of the prime,al forests
and brought TO grass. were exceedingly fer
tile and produced most excellent pasiurAge,
their original roughness. however, prevented
any use in the line Of general guilty alton.
and the inevitable result Of a marked de-
,eriors,ion has followed. MANY field, tha,
once were rich in the production Of heritage
are now abandoned. as it were TO an i'm
mensc growth Of bushes. A. q natural CON
sequence in such cases. while the pAsiurage
has been growing poorer in pom; Of pro-
daciion. it, extent has been gradually con
| tracing. tina; farmers are hroGgh, to an
earnest consideration Of whs; il 10 be done.
1t is an inevitable la~ OF nature tina, the
carving AWAY OF elements Of fertility from
. soil will cause its steriliiy, and this apple.
as well to pastures a. TO other cropped
fields. But in the case Of meadow lands OF
moving fields. fertility NAV be restored BY
means Of 4 surface Appliostion-a top-dre..-
ing; 80. too. the same apple. to psstarage
tina; is productive Of onl, grass bu, When.
as Is often the case, the surface j, no, only
dotted with bushes. bu; pretty thoroughly
covered with them. !, become. an en;irsly
different matter the conditions ar. changed .
and an application Of fertiliIing material.
instead Of only aiding the growth Of the
grass, goes to nourl.h an obstruction TO the
growth Of the grass.
This state Of Affairs ha. ooeasioned a ne-
departure in farm econom, which will prob
ably work an ultimate good 10 general agri-
culture, because it ha. rendered cultivation
necessary, and this has in turn demanded
suitable preparation for cultivation. consist
ing in the removal Of all obs;ruc;ion..
4 good many farmers who in wear. pas,
have been giving then attention more large
~ TO making money from the farm b, all
possible means, nov that the ume. arc
growing hard, are turning their attention to
the improvement Of their pastures. boulder.
are being removed and laid into durable
| fences. bushes are being cut and burned TO
MAKE room for the plo~, and an era Of i'm
prosement has commenced. Fields upon
which bushes aourished al hcigh; Of from
seyen TO twelve feet. and vi here stones ~er,
so thick that. 20 use the owners expression,
"he had plowed four times. and in places
the only impression he had made va.
scratch over and across the stones. have been
cleared of obstacles and Guilty. aied ~i,h corn,
Of which full average crop was obtained.
MANY such cases are occurring. and after a
cultivation Of two or three years are seeded
down with approved grasses The result Is
that while the whole number Of acres OF
pasiurage NAV not be as large as originally,
i, will be improved in quality, and -ha; 10
Of far more importance. be made susceptible
Of general cultivation. PAs,urage requires
attention As well a. other portions Of the
farm, for there is nothing tina, occupie.
more important posi,ion. and successful
farming depend. as much upon It's Pas,ur-
age as upon any other direction Of labor.