The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-20
Speciality in Farming.

The assistant in agricultural expert
ments in the Agricultural College at
Ames, Ia, presents strong reasons why
the farmers should commence to be
especially" farmers; that is, each one
should select one branch of agriculture,
as wheat-raising or dairying or the
breeding of one kind of stock, and
bend his whole energies to its mastery
in all of its details, instead of carrying
on mixed husbandry that includes the
raising of oats and corn and wheat and
stock. He assumes that the average
farmer of to-day spreads his energy over
too many kinds of work to advance
much in knowledge of any one. The
subject of agriculture is yearly becom-
ing broadened by science. The writer
refers to workers in scientific matters;
how hopeless would be the task OF
scientific man who attempted to become
second Leonardo, the master OF all
the knowledge of his time. For a man
now to accomplish anything OF benefit
to the world in study, he must not only
take one branch of study, but a single
division of that branch. Thus in farm
ing the man can accomplish most who
limits himself to work in some one
small part of his great profession. For
instance, instead of investing five hun
dred dollars in cattle, five hundred dol
lars in horses and five hundred dollars
in swine, let him put all of his capital
into the business of breeding one class
of stock. Let his reading be largely on
the habits of this stock and its treat
ment and care by the most successful
breeders, and let him attend all gath
erings of like breeders, where he may
hear interchange of experience in his
chosen work.
No doubt this is very good advice if
not carried Too far. 1t is well, indeed,
to have large number of specially"
farmers who will rapidly improve their
departments of agriculture, and thus
benefit all farmers 1t will do very well
for those farmers in good financial cir
cumstances, if they have taste for one
kind of work, to devote to it their en-
tire time. In most cases where there is
intelligence and energy displayed, this
specially" farming would prove more
remunerative than general farming, and
besides would tend more to increase the
common stock of knowledge. But a
very large majority of farmers are not
fitted mentally for such work; success
in a special line of work requires more
than ordinary ability. They have not
ready means, and could not afford to
have their little all Sin one bottom
trusted" Agriculture is so limited by
the weather, by disease and by insects,
that variety of crops and different
kinds of stock seem to be necessary fol
most farmers, so that if one is lost by 8
frost or a pestilence or an insect, others
will be left on which the husbandmar
can exist.
To the average farmer then, whose
bank account is not very large, this ad
vice to give up all but one branch O
agriculture is not good He must con,
tinue to have his different crops, his cat
tie and his hogs and his sheep. And
indeed, such system is best for main
tanning the soils fertility, for the rich
est soil will become worthless by long
continued use in the bearing of on'
plant. "Mixed husbandry'' is essentia
to the best agriculture of which an,
country is capable, and it presents
problem--a broad one, indeed, com
pared to the improvement OF one bree'
of cattle-that should be solved: 1t i
the rotation of crops best calculated t.
sustain the fertility of the land, ant
the relative amount of stock per acr
that can be proftably kept on farm
-LanS,ng Republican.