The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-03-11

Frank Butler, before the senior class
in agriculture:
AIANGEMENT OF TREATISE,
I. General Importance as below:
a. economy OF labor,
b. valuable return,
c. permanent improvement. OF
land,
d. small expense,
e. superiority ofpermane Mt over
annual grasses.
II. Tie seeds necessary:
a. varieties well known,
b. succession of flowefing times
and perfection Of growth,
C. purity of seed and trueness to
name,
a. selection of seed to suit the
land and purpose, hay or graz
ing.
III. Preparation of soil:
a. few trees and no brush advis-
able
". Time aud method ofsowing the
seed.
n.-quanty per acre.
V. After treatment of grass land.
q. lst mown,
b. fed TO stock and not sheep,
c. manure top dressings.
I believe the true object of the far
mer should be to obtain from The
soil he cultivatcs the largest return
he can for the outlay he makes. I
would explain that this return in the
present must not be obtained at a
sacrifice OF future returns, but that
such a system of cropping be adopt
ed, which shall, while nlaintainin or
even increasing the normal fertility
OF the soil, secure large profits on. the
sums invested and. the labor and
thought applied to the business.
Land exhausted or diminished iii
fertility by an unbroker succession Of
cereal crops, after some years cries
out for rest and change to, renew its
condition. BY the feeding OF cattle
and sheep with produce of the soil
this can be effected and yet all the
while bear a profit to The intelligent
adapter Of suitable means for the pur-
pose, by the use of grass seeds and
clovers of a perennial nature which
shall supply to the animals grazing
them wholesome food and at the same
time fertilize with their manure the
land selected Tor the purpose.
a. Economy Of labor is the first
point | would draw your attention to
as very great advantage OF perma-
nent pasture over arabic land. 1t is
almost nothing on an establised pas
ture annually, the supervision OF cat
tie and sheep can be done over a very
large area by the farmer himself and
this with no outlay in wages, seed,
teams, threshers and cutters or haul
ing to market.
b. T he outlay being small it is nee
essary. however, to show return
which shall form profit. Take one
acre of pasture, as an example; OIL
fair land this will maintain one beast
or four sheep during the whole year;
the improvement in value on either
can be reckoned in money here at SO,
ard this is a low estimate; but as this
is all profit it will compare tayorablys
with a general average OF profits from
land occupied by cereals for many
years. Yon being practical men can
correct or supply any calculations on
this lead.
c. All the while that this business
is going on at a fair profit another
source of wealth is being gradually
stored up for the farmer in the grad
nal but permanent Improvement Of
the land under grass; thus he is in-
vesting in the shank, 50 to speak,
of his land sums each year which
will soon double its value. You
kpow the difference petween worn
ont land and good land in good state
offertility, whether to buy or to rent.
d. Perhaps vou will allow the re-
suits have sketched out as worthy
of an effort to attain and will then
put the crucial test question. what
will it cost? If the cost is to great for
profit should not prapose to adyo-l
cate it for q moment. But by the
method shall suggest. further on, to
Law down land you will see that the
expenses will fall very far below the
cost of single crop Of wheat; the
labor, both teams and manual, which
RI shall ask for, you can 6x your own
value upon better than can, and the
y