Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-21
Successful Farming

The feeding of our fields resembles i'm
results the feeding of farm stock. i'm
that the amount and quality of the feed
supplied regulates in large degree the
product or object sought. Liberal
manuring is as important TO success in
securing profitable yields of some crops
as liberal feeding Is to success in fatten-
Ing swine or bullocks. 1t NAV be a
difficult thing to determine upon the
exact amount of manure that an acre
of land should receive to yield the best
crop, yet 1t must be generally acknowl-
edged that higher manuring would
usually give better results. Those who
recognize that they are held back by
not having more land to farm can oft
en- consider this question of high farm
ing with advantage. A small farm
heavily fed, so as to cause every acre
to yield TO its full capacity, may be-
come larger farm, so far as the
amount and value of its products are
concerned, than one of double the acres
and cost that is loosely managed. II
all farmers would intensity the man.
agement of the acres already at hand.
there would be less demand for large
farms.
But the pith of this question lies in
the source of this manure so necessary
to high farming. The subject has re-
ceived as much attention from eminent
agriculturists as any other relating TO
farm economy. vet there appears to be
much room for research still. The HIGH
prices and disputed qualities Of COM
mercial fertilizers, and their inefficiency
on some soils, prevent them from en-
tirely filling the general want. The use
oil green manures, including clover, is
more generally popular, yet they are an
unsatisfactory substitute for good barn.
yard or stable manure. If, then, the
best system of farming demands large
amount of stable or yard manure, it is
evident that the keeping of some kind
OF farm stock is necessary. Very near
large towns stable manure can usually
be purchased, and thus the manure
problem is easily solved; but farther
away farmers can best depend upon a
homemade article.
Farmers are slow to adopt stock
feeding when they realize that the bust
ness gives them no direct profits, or
when the cost of feeding and labor is
not more than covered by the income
from the stock. But suppose dozen
cows can easily be made TO pay for all
feed and labor employed. and in addi-
ton manufacture a supply of manure
worth to the farm $3.50. Is not this a
desirable profit? Others would gladly
pay the same amount in cash for a
poorer article of fertilizer. Without
practical experience with the soiling
system, 1t appears to me to have the
great advantage Of being an excellent
method of manufacturing a large amount
of valuable manure. My experience in
farming on fertile. high-priced land con-
vinces me that farming on such land
can be made most remunerative by
adopting system of high farming, by
which / mean the raising of special
crops for local demand which require
good land in a high condition of fertil-
ity. and much labor. Such farming re-
quires large quantity of stable ma
nure, which can best be obtained, be-
lieve, by stock-feeding, and by the soil
ing system, practiced in whole or part.
With ordinary farm or garden crops
thorough system of manuring aud Gull
tivation not only gives larger Yields,
but better quality in the product, and
hence greater profits.
If the farm labor question could be
answered satisfac torily, feel confident
that the keynote to successful farming
lies in system of stock-feeding, fol-
lowed in connection with the production
Of costly, special crops. The stock
feeding must be made to pay direct
profit if possible, but the chief aim must
be the manufacture of large supply of
the best fertilizer for general purposes
known to agriculture. The best kind
of stock to keep, the best method of
making and saving manure, the best
crops to grow for profit, and the farm
labor question, are important subjects
connected with this topic, which will
need much research and improvement.
Cor. Country Gentleman.