Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1884-06-12
THE WEEKLY BANNER.
Farming nradc Protitable.


Farming Made Profitable.
Farmers may be divided into
two classcs-those who raise good
crops every year, through all the
changes of the season; and those
who fail, or partly succeed at best,
when the summer is too wet, or
Two dry, or when the season opens
late, or cold summer follows, or
the crops are seriously cut into by
carly autumnal frosts. Insects
como in for large share of the
plumber, to a greater or less ex-
tent, nearly every year, and on the
whole the business of farming be-
comes very uncertain one at
best
What is tho reason of the great
difference between these two class
es of farmers?
Ask the last mentioned class the
following three questions, and OBJ
serve how many will give a clear,
decided affirmative answer:
l. Arc your fields all thoroughly
tiIe-drained, three feet deep, and
two rods apart2
9. Have you secured help enough
or rather, have you occupied
land small enough-to make deep
mellow bed of finely pulverized
soil before planting or sowing any
crop?
3. Have you provided sufficient
help to keep all hoed crops in
clean, mellow tillage the season
through, so that weeds cannot get
above ground?
We are. aware that a 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 IA
vorable, win go over and cultivate
rs much ground as you can. The
blowing will Unnecessarily be hurried
and SURGICAL the crop will at best
be only moderate for want of a
deep bed of mellow earth; and
grass and weeds will necessarily
have moro sway than on well pre-
pared ground under strong grow
ing crops. One of the first things,
therefore, in planting for the sea-
son, is to reduce the extent of the
land intended for cultivation, suffi-
GENTLY 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 of a small farm thought he
had not land enough and proposed
TO run in debt for more. Circum-
stances induced him to change his
plans. and to sell off a portion of
his farm. and thus still to reduce
its extent. He retained the same
hired help, however, and the same
forcc of teams, and could do all
the work in better manner. HIS
crops have so improved that he
now raises much more in quantity,
and at better profit.
The farmer who has thoroughly
tile-drained farm, has entire con-
troll of it the season through. He
can begin work as soon as the frost
is out of the ground. He has plen-
ty of time to sub-soil his land, and
by repeated blowing and harrow
ing to reduce IT to the condition of
a garden. His crops are put in
carly, they get timely and vigor-
Gus 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, mellow soil, or
is carried off in the tile drains. If
q severe drouth occurs, the same
deep soil holds sufficient moisture
for the gro wing crop.
Timely and repeated cultivation
keeps the weeds under and pro-
NOTES growth. With such land
and such management, the owner
is in a great measure Independent
of wet and dry seasons; he has
heavy crops every year. There
are, of course, certain adjuncts
which are carefully attended to, as
for example the saving and manu-
facture of manure, its timely
spreading and thorough intermix-
ture with the soil a well digested
rotation; good labor-saving imple-
ments and clean and comfortable
quarters and regular feeding for
all domestic animals. The super
fetal farmer may not be able at
once to accomplish q complete
change for this better system, but
he may begin without delay, and
by constantly aiming at the highest
degree of Improvement, soon be
able to reach satisfactory results.
Country Gentlemen.