The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-14
Good Tillage and Book Farming.

L nave been telllng some pretty Dig
stories in your paper not from any de-
sire to brag at all, but because had an
object in view. The object was to stir
up those farmers who needed it TO i'm
prove their farming. Some of your
readers are trst-cass farmers already.
and do not need any stirring up; 10
such am not writing. But there are
farmers who keep along about in the old
rut, and seem to think that because they
have always done things in a certain
way it must be the best way. They ride
by steam and send letters by fast mail,
and messages by telegraph, but still
farm it about as their fathers did in the
days of stage coaches, only that they
use little more machinery. To such I
want to write two letters.
In this first letter | want to propose to
you, brother farmers, that you take one
lot on your farm, and begin on it now
to do the very best farming you posi-
bly, can. Keep an exact account with
it, and see Just what net profit it will
pay you. Charge for all seed and labor
what 1t is worth, or what it cost you,
and charge for all manure put on, divid
ing the cost fairly between each crop in
the rotation, and interest on the value
of the land, and on the cost of all per-
manent improvements, such as under
draining, clearing off stones, etc. Take
one of your best lots, clear it of all OBJ
structions, and underdrain every wet
spot. If it all needs drainining, drain
it. Get the best tools in the market for
thoroughly working and pulverzing the
soil, and then use them without stint.
Manure your land if it needs it, and do
not forget to thoroughly pulvesize the
manure Put in the crops best suited
to your locality. Select good rotation !;
the one best suited to your soil and
crops. Do everything just when it
ought to be done. Get the best of seed,
and put the product of your land into
the incest possible shape for market. II
you do all this honestly and faithfully,
| think you will be surprised, before you
get around once with your rotation, at
the profit Of such farming. You will
not 60 back to the old way after having
once tried this kind of farming, nor will
you need to be urged to try it on another
lot.
am speaking of improvement in till
age, but but Of course with this you
want other improvements, such as i'm
proved breeds of cattle, sheep and swine
to which to feed your products. II you
have not the capital to do all this, sell
a part of your land and get it. If you
have two hundred or three hundred
acres Of land, and are "just about
making living" from it sell half and
make more money with less worry from
the other half If you have but little
land, and are in debt for that, why then
you must start in small way, but start
all the same, and ifyou are faithful it
will be the surest way to get out OF
delt A correspondent Ohe one whose
pigs ate the corn and then died, instead
of letting him eat themI am real
sorry for him) asked in late paper for
my balance sheet. Isuppose he wanted
to find out how much money | could
save. II is a very pertinent question,
as one can have a large income with
little or no net profit.
can easily answer, us for the last three
years | have sailed it nearly all down
into one pile--a new house and furni-
ture, which cost three thousand five
hundred dollars. This was all saved,
and some more, on fifty -five-acre farm
(thirty-five to thirty-six acres cultivat-
ed, remainder pasture) in three years,
after living well and paying hired help
well, and all other running expenses,
repairs, taxes, some new tools, etc, etc.
A letter before me from Mr.. w. II.
Bonner, Of Georgia, one of your CORE
spondents, says: l am surprised to
learn that you keep five horses on
your little farm" kept six work horses
last year, and have the same number
now. And il my friend should happen
around in the busy season, be would
find three or four and prehaps five men
at work in the field. Plenty Of horses
and plenty Of help means thorough till
age, and work done when it ought to
be- two very important points in farm
ing. As TO whether it pays TO keep so
many horses and and so much help on
SO small farm, you may decide for
yourself from the figures given above.
Some farmers have tried spreading their
work over large area of land; II they
have not been successful as they could
wish, lot them now try concentrating
all their energies on small area. Let
your motto be, ''more bushels TO the
acre more cattle on less legs" Keep
as much help, as many horses, make as
much manure, but use them on fewer
acres, Systematically, and see if YOU do
not clear more money. II. B. 1rry, in