Daily Republican., 1883-10-29
AG GRICU LTUR AL
yUDICIoUs FARMING-wHAT IS IT?

Some years ago We heard farmer
who had become rich at the business, re.
mark, in . conversation ON what might
be called good or judiciOus farming, that
the test of good farming Is that every
successive crop IL better than the one
which preceded it," To obtain such an
evidence Of skillful tillage, however, for
a large series Of years, would ba an
impossibility but to keep the soil in
such state of fertility as to insure a
full and remunerative yield when favor
ed by the sea son, ia an evidence Of intel
ligent farming of by no means uncom-
mon occurrence
Wenave no fear of the ultimate pros
perity Of the agriculturist who secures
this encouraging result of his lab0rs.
VS. have seen extensive and highly-Cul-
tivated farms by subsequent injudidous
cultivation degenerate into barrenness
and We have rot many miles to go to
STE the once sterile sand-plains OF Jer-
sey, by systematic tillage, literally re-
warding the proper labors Of the hus-
bandman Land there that was former
ly covered with rank grasses, huckelber-
ry bushes and stunted pines, now yield
in an abundance Of the choicest varieties
of grapes, pears, cherries and apples, and
all the field crops that can be proftably
grown in the adjacent States.
Good tillage having developed the
true character of this once comparative
ly unproductive soil has In many locali :
ties enhanced its pecuniary value, and
there are plenty of instances where q
quarter of q century ago land that could
not be sold for i've dollars and acre,
would not now be disposed Of for 500
an acre. Thus, as the value of the soil
of New Jersey for agricultural purposes
becomes disclosed the quantity and
worth of her grain, fruit and vegetable
products, steadily increases, and will
continne to do 30.
And all this Is the result OF what we
simply call judicious farming, and 1t
answers the question which is asked at
the start.
INCREASING LEAN MEAT IN PIGS.
We may well suppose that the habit
of the pig in laying on an excessive
quantity Of fat has been caused by long
and excessive feeding of fat-produc ing
food, and 1t is not likely that any sud
den transformation could be brought
about, but it Is well known that the
pigs Of different countries differ In re.
spect to fat.
We have only to contrast fattened
pigs of this country with those In Cana
da. There pork is fattened partly upon
barley, but largely upon peas, q highly
nitrogeDOus food, yielding large pro-
portion of muscle, and our pigs are fat
tened almost wholly upon corn, an ex.
cessively starchy and tattening food.
Canadian pork has larger proportion
of lean meat and less hard.
The difference Is very marked, 40 much
10, that in market supplied with both
kinds, purchasers easily select the one
or the other az desired. Wild hogs dc
not have much excess of fat, and the
Southern hog, which Is grown much
slower than those In the Northern and
| Western States and fed much less corn,
Is comparatively lean. :,
There can, therefore, be little doub'
that the habit of depositing this excess
of fat is caused by lOng-continued feed
ing adapted to that end. The hog is
naturally a grass and root-eating ami.
NAL, and in its domestication is fed
almost wholly upon concentrated food
Hogs fed upon skinned milk have
less proportion of fat than those fec
upon corn. II young pigs are KEEP
upon food that will grow the muscleI
and bones and develop a rangy frame
they will possess so much muscle wheI
half grown, that moderate length o
time in fattening, even on corn, will
not pile on an excessive amount of tat
| GROWING GRASS.
l A western paper truly says that th
adage (and II is older than the Chris
tian era), no grass no cattle no cattle NJ
manure, no manure no crops, is rs tru'
to-day az when first spoken. Gras
takes care of him who sOws it. Th'
meadow is the master mine OF wealth
, Strong meadows fill big barns. Fat
pastures make fat pockets. The acre
that will carry steer carries wealth
Flush pastures make fat stock.
Heavy meadows make happy far
mers. Up to my ears in soft gras
laughs the fat OK. Sweet pastures max
sound butter Soft hay makes stronl
/, wool. These are some of the maxim
of the meadow : The grass seed to SOW
depends upon the soil, and here ever.
man must he his own judge. Not ever
: farmer, however, knows the gras
adapted to his soil If he does, an
seeds by the bIshel or other IN easures
he is apt to be misled.
AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS ABROAD.
Austria supports 20 schools of agri
culture, with 200 students, and II
agricultural evening schools, with >,
800 students. France has 43 farm
schools, with % to 40 pupils each. Tn
government pays the board of each pu
pill, and allows him 20 francs year 70
clothing. Paris has three department
I schools of agricultural and a Nationa
agricultural Institute. Germany has l5l
schools of agriculture, hOrticul' nr'
arborculture and vinicuture. Their frs
experimental agricultural station wa
established in 1852 {; upwards Of 90 ar
: now in operation, each one having
: sDeCial line of research.
Judge Hsadfy's Plan.