Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-16
Farming Made Profitable.


classes-those who raise good crops
every year, through all the changes of
the seasons; and those who fail, or
partly succeed at best, when the sum-
mer is too wet. or too dry, or when the
season opens late, or cold summer fol-
lows, or the crops are seriously cut into
by early autumnal frosts. Insects come
in for large share of the plumber, to
greater or less extent, nearly every year,
and on the whole the business of farm
ing becomes very uncertain one at best.
What is the reason of the great diff
ference between these two classes of
farmers?
Ask the aforementioned class the fol-
lowing three questions, and observe how
many will give clear, decided affirm;-
tive answer:
/. Are your fields all thoroughly tile
drained, three feet deep, and two rods
apart?
2. Have you secured help enough-or
rather, have you occupied land small
enough-to make a deep, mellow bed of
finely pulverized soil before planting or
sowing any CROP
8. Have you provided sufficient help
to keep all hoed crops in clean, mellow
tillage the season through. so that
weeds cannot get above groundP
We are aware that difficulty lies in
your way-you desire if possible, with
scant help, to raise all you can this
year, and with the hope that the season
will prove favorable, will 60 over and
cultivate as much ground as YOU can.
The blowing will nece ssarily be hurried
and superficial; the crop will at best be
only moderate for want of deep bed
of mellow earth; and grass and weeds
will have more sway than on well pre-
pared ground under strong growing
crops. One of the first things there
fore, in planning for the season, is to
reduce the extent of the land intended
for cultivation, sufficiently to make
clean and thorough work. If draining
is needed, do it thoroughly, so far as
you can, and do not try to reduce
water-soaked land to fine tillage.
We can cite an example. The owner
If a small farm thought he had not
land enough. and. proposed to run in
debt for more. Circumstances induced
him to change his plans, and to sell of
portion of his farm, and thus still
further reduce its extent. He retained
the same hired help, however, and the
same force of teams, and could do all
the work in a better manner. His
crops have so improved that he now
raises much more than before in guam
tity, and at a better profit.
The farmer who has a thoroughly tile
drained farm, has entire control of it
the season through. He can hegin
work as soon as the frost is out of the
ground. He has plenty of time to sub
soil his land, and by repeated blowing
and narrowing to reduce it to the con-
dition of garden. His crops are put
in early, they get n timely and vigo-
rons start, outstrip the weeds if the
latter are permitted to grow at all, and
insects make less impression on them.
If the summer is wet, the surplus water
is held like sponge in the deep mel
low soil, or is carried off in the tile
drains. IL severe drouth occurs, the
same deep soil holds enough moisture
for the growing crop. Timely and re-
peated cultivation keeps the weeds
under and promotes growth. With
such land and such management, the
owner is in a great measure independ-
ent of wet and dry seasons; he has
heavy crops every year. There are, OF
course, certain ad ..uncts which are care
fully attended to, rs for example the
saving and manufacture of manure, its
timely spreading and thorough inter-
mixture with the soil; we'll digested
rotation; good labor-saving nipple
ments; and clean and comfortable
quarters and regular feeding for all do
nestle animals. The superficial farmer
may not be able at once TO accomplish
a complete change for this better sys
tenn, but he may begin without delay,
and by constantly aiming at the highest
degree of improvement, soon be able
to reach satisfactory results. Country
Gentleman.