St. Landry democrat., 1883-08-11
Changes in Agriculture.

tent we have progressed within little
more than half century. 1t is but
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
mixture of such as had been brought to-
gether from different countries, and
with little, if any, effort to make selec-
lions. The result was constant I'M
certainty as to what would be the 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. u
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 tine,
long or short; or if we want mutt
ton we have breeds that are par
ticularly adapted for this purpose. II
the class of animals be swine, we
can select breed that will give mature
hogs at an early age, and of small size,
or those who will continue to grow sew
leral 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
iare most valuable for him, but fifty
years ago he could not. If he was 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
~ probability that her progeny would
he 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 60 back to such condition
of things Their ,,would be an uncertainty
which would create among intelligent
farmers q 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 tha
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
really good fruit.
If we consider the strawberry we find
a still more wonderful progress. From
the small wild fruit we have advanced
to the large luscious berries of to-day.
In whatever direction we turn our at
tention we find wonderful progress
has been made in the department Of
fruits; the peach, plum, grape, currant
and raspberry. all have progressed step
by step, and are still progressing.
The progress which we have made in
the vegetable world is no less wonder
full. Compare the number of kinds
which our grandfathers 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 1t 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 vege-
tables, as luscious and as succulent, as
could the monarchs of Europe hum
dred years ago. Thus by constant
progress the poor man has been lifted
to position on 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; il
being very rare thing for him to lay 9
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,
witch grass, etc, and then used as 9
pasture. Thousands of acres Of old
pastures in New England show the
marks Of the corn hills made by our
ancestors. Now, if we plow and plant
q 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 ir1anrnved the Quality of our hay,