The Brookhaven leader., 1883-08-09
Changes in Agriculture.

more than a half century. 1t is but a
few years more than fifty years since
| the first agricultural paper was estab-
lished and circulated among the farmers
of New England. Fifty years ago but
| little attention had been given in this
| country to the improvement of stock;
the breeds of animals then kept were a
mixture of such as had been brought to-
| gether from different countries, and
| with little, if any, effort to make selec-
| tions. The result was q constant un-
| certainty as TO what would be tho value
of colt, calf, lamb or pig, until it had
arrived to the age of maturity. Now,
with pure blood animals we are reason
ably sure what the progeny will be. If
the class of animals we desire to breed
be cows, we know what strain of blood
to secure if we want quantity of milk,
and also what will produce richness of
milk; if we desire beef we are not at
! loss what breed to secure for that pur-
pose. If the class of animals be sheep
we are able to select breeds that will
produce wool, either coarse or fine,
long or short; or if we want NUT
ton we have breeds that are par
ticularly adapted for this purpose. If
the class of animals be swine, we
can select a breed that will give mature
hogs at an early age, and of small size,
or those who will continue TO grow sew
cral years, and attain very large size;
and if we fancy any particular color we
find breeds that will be sure TO produce
it. The advantages to be derived from
thus being able to produce animals that
possess the particular qualities we de-
sire can hardly be overestimated. Now
each farmer can keep herd of cows
that possess the particular qualities that
are most valuable for him, but fifty
years ago he could not. If hewas seek
ing for dairy cows that would make
yellow butter of uniform quality, he
could not find them. If he chance to
have one in his heard that possessed
the qualities he desired, there was hard
ly probability that her progeny would
be much above an average in quality,
and perhaps possess few if any of the
particular points desired. What was
true of the COW was true of all animals.
If we had to 90 back to such condition
of things there would be an uncertainty
which would create among intelligent
farmers constant dissatisfaction, as
well as continual loss by the production
of inferior animals. 1t is true, we have
not yet reached perfection, but we have
advanced to a position far beyond that
occupied by our grandfathers.
The orchards of our grandfathers
were composed principally of trees that
produced natural fruit; the process of
grating was known and practiced by
only few; in fact the varieties of fruit
at that time were so few, that the most
improved orchards, especially pear or
chards, contained but few varieties of
really good fruit.
The progress which we have made in
the vegetable world is no less wonder
full. Compare the number of kinds
which our grandfathcrS were able to put
on their tables with the number we are
able to put on ours, and we are sur
prised at the rapid progress we have
made. We have made it very quietly;
one new vegetable after another has
been gathered from distant parts of the
world and added to our collection, and
as each new species has found its way to
our tables we welcome it with but little
thought or praise; we do not stop to con-
slider long enough to realize the fact
that to-day the poor man of America is
able to put on his table fruits and vcge-
tables, as luscious and as succulent, as
could the monatchs of Europe a hun
dred years ago. Thus by constant
progress the poor man has been lifted
to position on IA level with the mon
arch, at least in one particular
While great changes have been made
in the breeds of animals, the varieties
OF fruits and vegetables, there has also
been great change in the methods of
producing the various crops. 1t is but
little more than fifty years since the
farmers relied almost entirely on the
natural grasses to feed their stock; it
being very rare thing for him to lay
piece of land to grass, and when he did
he relied on the sweepings of the hay
NOW for seed. After crop of Indian
corn came crop of winter rye, sown in
the corn the last time hoeing The land
was then left to come up to briers,
twitch grass, etc, and then used az
pasture. Thousands of acres of old
pastures in New England show the
marks of the corn hills made by our
ancestors. Now, if we pillow and plant
piece OF land, when we cease to plant
it we make it as level as possible, and
then SOW it down with the best varieties
of grass seed: in this way we have very
much impressed The quality of our hay,
and thus indirectly improved our cattle.
Great changes have also been made
in agricultural implements; fifty years
ago most of farmers were using the
old wooden pillow, with its strips of iron
to protect it; the old heavy hoe that
was almost always loose on the handle
was in universal use; the scythe with
three times the necessary amount of
metal was the only Implement in use to
cut grass. The horse mower, tedder
and rake We're unthought of, and so
were the improved harrows and Gull
tivators; in fact, fifty years ago farm
ing was business that exercised prin-
cipally the muscular power. Every
operation on the farm, from the break
ing up of the land to the threshing of
the grain, was one continual strain on
the physical powers of the farmer. If
we 90 back a little farther, we shall
reach tha0period when the farmers
wives had to spin the yarn and weave
the cloth with which to clOthe and
keep warm the whole family
When we feel inclined to find fault
with our condition, it is well to look
back to the days of our ancestors, and
compare their condition with ours
Massachusetts, PtOugtn1an.