The National tribune., 1884-09-11
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
BooK FARMING.


The following excellent article from The
Farmer's Friend ON the advantages of applying
what is termed :, book learning" to agricul-
tural pursuits wiz eonqmond itself to every in
telligent reader: ii =
In most communities, to call man book
farmer is to excite prejudice against him,
and TO hold him up as proper subject for rid
icule on the part of those who are called
'self-maae farmers 1t is singular that in
the most important callings pursued by men
the course of preparation which is considered
essential to success in all others should be re-
garded as not only useless but positively inju-
rious.
''To say that lawyer does not read law
books is equivalent to saying that he is a poor
lawyer, and that he has no success III his pro-
fession. A doctor who has not studied medical
works, and who fails to keep up with the
discoveries and improvements in medical
practice, is called q guack; and no one who
wishes to be thoroughly healed viii employ
him. A Areligion which has no books is unheard
of; and he who is ignorant of the books which
treat of his religion is never regarded aa a
model of the faith he processes.
why, then, should the standard by which
we judge farmer be so opposite to that by
which we measure the qualification of persons
who follow other pursuits? To say of
preacher, or lawyer, or doctor that he Is self
lnstuS 1S ScDefaiiy, 10 Liab he iS Oily udl1-
made. Selt-made men are never more than
half-made; that is, they have not been able to
make half as much Of themselves as they could
have done if, in addition to the energy, perse-
velance and love of knowledge which they
have displayed, they had had the advantages OF
general education and acquaintance with the
| books which treat of their respective callings.
q 1t is true that multitudes of Americas best
men have been self-made. Their book knowl-
edge was lamentably small. But they were
not wise and successful because Of their ignor-
| ance Of books, but in spite of it. They did not
accomplish that which gave them renown be-
cause they were ignorant and nnlearned, but
/ because they used to the best of their ability
| the little knowledge they could secure.
I'VE gladly admit that thousands of farmers
who have not been educated in the school have
| kept their farms in good condition, and have
made money by farming We do not hesitate
| to say that thousands of good farms are now
under the management of men who never read
books concerning agriculture and who seldom
see an agricultural newspaper. But for that
/ which they are and that which they have done
who thinks of thanking their ignorance of
! books and papers?
1t is said they are not ignorant OF the art
of agriculture, but that they have acquired
their knowledge of it by experience and OBJ
seryation. And yet, who viii assert that by
experience and observation these men have
/ lcaInSu all concerning
| knowing2 Everything which they have
learned, which is worth knowing concerning
the principles Of their calling, they could have
! learned more speedily from some book; and
multitndes of other principles, and illustrations
| of them, are recotded In books which deserve
| their reading. Thoughtful men, students of
| nature, men who have gathered up experiences
| and incidents, have recorded IN books the
| truths they have COLLECTED These books de-
serve careful stady byiail who would attain to
eminence in theirprefsssion; and, other things
being equal, theyCare the most successful who
read the most diligently.
Surely the day haseome in which profound
| ignorance of all publications except the alma
nae and the county newspaper should be re-
/ garded as hindRancaJ to successful farming
Besides the incentive to reading which every
] American should feel for the claim made upon
him by his citizenship, cur farmers owe it 90
| themselves individually and to their class, to
study diligently those issues of the press which
will help them IN their occupation. Let them
keep wide open their eyes and ears, and use
! ali other senses besides, while they till theiT
fields or feed their stock; but let them not do
spise that which the printed page brings con-
4 corning what other farmers have learned and
men of other pursuits have discovered with
reference to the science and art of agriculture"
HOW TO MAKE STACK.
| Farmers who are acquainted with the habits
! of the English in respect of stacking hay and
! grain are often surprised that We fail SO often
here in this work notwithstanding our sup
i posed drier weather. There is mistake about
this. We fail in making weather-proof stacks
4 because we ought to build them even better
than English farmers do, (which, however, is
very rarely done, indeed,) for the reason that
| while we have more dry weather here, yet
when il rains if pours, and in England it driz-
zles. Our rainfall is nearly double that of
England, and we have it in large and heavy,
but not frequent, installments, and this is one
reason why we have trouble with our stacks
and get them sodden inside from top to bottom.
The English are very particular in stacking,
and thatch the top with great care, binding on
the straw with bands or ropes and pins They
also build their stacks on reasonable principles,
SO that if water should enter it will quickly
find its way to the sides and escape by the
caves In building stack the center should
be kept much higher than the sides and each
forkful put on after the bottom has been laid
should overlap the previous one as one shingle
does another on roof. 1t is quite as easy to
do this as it is for man to stand IN the center,
in hollow, and pile the hay or fodder all
around him on the sides, keeping the center a
few feet lower than the rest of the stack. In
stacking corn fodder, which is better kept in
this way than IN barns, it is necessary to begin
in the center of the stack, and it is good plan
for novice to set long pole In the ground
and build the stack around it. At first the
bundles are set upright around this pole or IN
the center, and others arc leaned against these,
gradually lowering the slope of the bundles
until the outer row is nearly level. When two
or three layers have been stacked the bundles
are first laid on the outside, and are made to
project few inches over the side SO as to spread
the stack. This protects the sides from the
drip of the caves One bundle overlaps the
other, the butt of one coming a little below the
band of the lower one The former inclination
is preserved until the stack is or 10 feet from
the ground, when the stack should be at least
foot and a half wider on each side than the
base of it. 1t is then drawn in gradually, the
center being still kept increasing in hight
above the sides until the last few bundles are
set nearly upright around the pole, and are
bound firmly to it. If the stack top is well
beaten down it win then shed any rain, how.
ever heavy, that may fail upon it.-New Yorl
. Times.
WORKING COLTS.
Il Is q common practice to place colt o.
young horse by The side of an animal of ma
ture years and compel II to do an equal amount
of work. Apart from the inhumanity of sucf
a course 1t is extremely hnwise, and many vau
able animals that gave promise of great useful
, ness have been Tu med by such treatment. NJ
young horse can, soT shbnld he be expected TO
stand the work that horses who have beer
Injured to labor are able to do. He should b,
gradually accustomed to work. Give him hal
, loads to phil and ether light work to do unit