Sharp County record., 1883-09-13
Changes in Agriculture.

few wears 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-
lions. The result was constant un-
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. 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 breed that will give mature
hogs at an early age, and of small size,
or those who will continue to grow sew
eral 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 he was seek
inc 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 a 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 position far beyond that
occupied by our grandfathers.
The orchards of our grandfathers
were composed principally of trees tina.
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.
If we consider the strawberry we find
q 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 q 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 it with but little
thought or praise; we do not stop to con-
slider Rng enough to realize the fact
that to-day the poor man of America is
able to but on his table fruits and vege-
tables, asluscious and as succulent, as
could the lAonarchs of Europe a hun
dred years ago. Thus by constant
progress the@oor man has been lifted
to position On a level with the mon
arch, at least IL one particular.
While great cAanges have been made
in the breeds of animals, the varieties
of fruits and vegetables, there has also
been great changt in the methods Of
producing the various crop. 1t is but
little more than fifty year! since the
farmers relied almost entjrly on the
natural grasses TO feed THEN stock; it !
being a very rare thing for himto lay a
piece of land to grass, and whel he did |
he relied on the sweepings Of tie hay
NOW for seed. After a crop of indian
corn came crop of winter rye, som in
the corn the last time hoeing. Theand
was then left to come up to brirs,
twitch grass, etc., and then used a a
pasture. Thousands of acres of ol
pastures in New England show Tia
marks of the corn hills made by ON
ancestors. Now, if we plow and PLAN
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