The Russellville Democrat., 1883-01-18
The Successful Farmer.

The Successful Farmer.
 Everybody is concerned with the success of the farmer The mechan ic. the merchant, the professional man and the laborer all share, more or less, in his prosperity. It is the more gratifying. therefore, to know that the conditions of successful farming are being better understood, and that the class of farmers who make good crops, even in the worst of seasons, IS increasing. It is true there are seasons when all the sur roundiDgs are so favorable that even the most careless and negligent get good crops. When rain and sun shine are suitably distributed, the man who follows the beaten track of his fathers seems to be doing about as we'll as his more enterprislng neighbor. But it is not the good season that shows the good farmer It is in seasons of severe drouth, or of cold, wet, or backward springs, when the more negligent farmer is unable to work his land, but is com pelled to sit idle and see his crops choked with weeds, whilst it IS his more enterprising neighbor, who has taken time by the forelock and has his blows all in order and his teams in proper condition. ready to get to work the moment spring opens, that succeeds. And thus by having his work well in hand, he is never in so much of hurry as to be compelled to work his land when too wet or to plant it when out of condition.
 The successful farmer thinks and plans not only how such and such work can be easiest done, but to do it in such manner as to render any subsequent work connected there with the easier For example: In preparing his corn ground he is care ful to leave it as smooth and as we'll pulverized as possible, so that there will be no clods to cover up the ten der plants in blowing, and in so far interfere with the progress of the work. He lays of his corn rows straight, so that the plow can run close to every hin. His wheat land is broken up Tn tune and so fined" as to enable it the better to conserve moisture as we'll as drink in the fer tilizing gases of the atmosphere. He furnishes plant food to his crops in it's most available form. While his more negligent neighbor blows un- der his manure in half rotted con dition, ne spreads it, well.rotted and finely pulverized, on the surface. In stead of applying it on his corn land, he uses it on his wheat, where it will be of more service in helping along his clover. He not only sows clover on all his small grain, but knows that to get the most benefit from it, it must be allowed to develop itself, and thus keep the soil shaded to in- sure it's nitrification. In order to accomplish this lie never pastures it the first season, or not until the sec ond year, and not even then until it is in bloom--having provided per manent pasture for his stock. Real izing that understanding warns a naturally cold soil and fits it for ear Her cultivation in the spring, he pre- fers to invest his capital in draining all such, rather than n the purchase of additional land. Instead of in. vestiag his means in railroad or other stocks, he is always looking for proper investment in the line of his business, either to improve the productive capacity of his fields Tor the quality of his live stock. He knows, too, that life is too short to enable him to master the whole bus mess of farming without availing himself of the experience of others, as found in the agricultural htera. ture of the day. He also makes the surroundings of his home attractive and pleasant, and fosters in his sons a love for the farm He lIghtens the labors of his wife and contrlves an occasional holiday for all his family In short, he aims at thoroughncss in all he undertakes, and finds his farm improving from year to year as well as his own information. Following a regular plan of work, he hits the market, and often finds his profits greatest in years that prove disas trous to his more negligent neigh hOr