The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-12-22

Does Farming Paw 3


The following paper was read at the last
meeting Of the Woodawn Farmers Club..he
at the residence of the President, r. +. Rob
erts, Esq:
To the WoodlaDn Farmers Club
GENTLEMEN-It would be a work OF super
erogation for your committee to inform YOU
that we have assembled to-day upon farm
where the often asked and very important
question, Does farming 'pay?" is most EN-
phatlcally answered in the affirmative. But
as this report may NEE. the eyes of some who
are strangers to the premises, we tleeu, it an
imperative duty to that portion Of the com
munity to preface our remarks by that asser-
ton
Now for the proof This farm contains 1870
acres, and is chiefly devoted to mix dairying
although not exclusively so, as YOU will see by
the large wheat crop which the proprietor re-
ports for the past year, amounting to $50 bush
els, or 81 bushels per acre, which is largely in
excess of the average yield in the most favored
localities
Fer dairy purposes we find at this time near
by sixty cows, most of them in fine condition
many Of which would do credit to farm de-
voted exclusively to stock breeding major
! lty OF the COWS are quite advanced in years.
but probably not beyond their prime We had
ona pointed out 10 - whose record is seven
gallons per day OR entertainer reports the
sale OF milk for the past year at So 600 from
his herd
He was, we believe, the first in this section
to construct a silo Tor the purpose Of testing
the relative value of enslage with other stock
food, whose merits had been long established
He was 80 well satisfied with his first expert
ment that he has enlarged his silo to the ca
pacity Of nearly two hundred TONS He has
commenced feeding 1t again with the same
satisfactory result as at first.
We think not only this club, but the whole
surrounding community owe him debt of
gratitude for the enterprise he has shown in
this matter which they will find extremely
difficult to adequately repay.
Everything connected with his dairy is in
systematic order. His stables are of the most
improved style. On cold days his cows receive
their food and drink without going out of
their stalls His ice houses, two in number
furnish abundant ice for the season, and his
arrangement for cooling milk could hardly be
excelled.
In addition to his dairy stock, we find seven
teen horses, all, of course, in fine condition;
for although our friend is one who never
loiters on the road, and, they are generously
fed and cared for
We are sorry to find that the cholera has in
vaded his stock Of hogs, of which he has lost
six in few days. He thinks it was intro
dnced by a couple of pigs he recently pur
chased
This should teach us a lesson to be cautious
where we purchase stock of any kind
We saw large flock of turkeys, which has
Thanksgiving, and are probably pre-
pairing themselves for Christmas
We doubt if another farm of this size can be
found in Virginia where such an array offarm-
ing implements can be found Mowers, reapers
manure spreader, tedder, the newest and most
approved patterns of plows, harrows, and in
fact almost every labor-saying machine that
has devised lie found in good order
and quite an imposing array of debris most
conclusively proves those now in use are not
the first that have done their duty here In
addition to the hay fed to this large stock he
sold the past year $500 worth He showed us
one field that he keeps for a permanent pas
ture that has not been plowed in twenty
seven years. and appears to be improving each
wear. He has underdrained it and by that
course has redeemed much of it from what
was once frog pond. He is also engaged at
present in draining and retaining several
acres of swamp, which, when completed, will
be fine additiont his model farm.
In passing along his farm road we found
one spot that would bear improving, but our
friend said he had commenced repairing it,
and wished us to consider it finished, which
we are verY happy to do. In conclusion We
must say that the management of this farm
taken as hole. completely diEagns eritlesssss
OF its most effective weapons, and excites not
only our warmest approval but our highest
admiration.