The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-08-07
JMiscell


miscellaneous.
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB.
| Discussing the Relative Profit of Ordi-
nary and High Farming.
The Deer Creek Farmers Club met last Satur-
| day, at the residence of Mr.. IL. Harris Archer.
Churchville. Nearly all the active members
were present, together with number of invited,
guests. In the absence of the President, Mr..
Thomas Lochary was called to the chair. The
question discussed was as follows:
(which is the easier, the more profitable, and
in which do we take the most pleasure-in max
rich r5 F. ' 'N 'oN - " ~
Mr. X. Harris Archer argued that it would be
easier to make poor land good than good land
rich. by good land he meant such as would pro-
duce from II to ID barrels of corn to the acre and
by rich land that which would yield from 20 to 70
barrels. A man could take sedge field and In 10
years could make it produce from II to 10 barrels
of corn, or fatten a bullock on or 3 acres, This
requires no peculiar SKILL but to make good land
produce 20 or rs barrels of corn requires science,
and that this is difficult is evident from the tact
that few farmers accomplish it, When land has
been lying idle for some time, half a ton of bone
to the acre produces wonderful results, but the
same amount Of bone applied on land that will
produce IL or 10 barrels of corn per acre will in
crease the yield only a barrel or two The ferti-
lizer on the poor land must therefore pay better
than on the good land. He thought, ALSO that
the pleasure was greater in improving poor land
than in increasing the yield of good land.
$. NJ. Lee said he had brought poor land to a
tolerable state of fertility but it takes a long
time TO make land produce % barrels of corn to
the acre: 1t takes many years to exhaust really
| rich land, with ordinary usage. He had seen a
piece of very rich land farnied for so years with
only one dressing of fertilizer.
VIM. Webster was of the opinion that the
pleasure and profit were both greater in making
good land produce from 20 to Is barrels of corn
than in making poor land yield ID barrels. There
is less labor in farming rich land than poor land
The reason why few farmers reach the high
standard of 20 barrels is because when they get
their land to yield 10 barrels they satisfied and
make no effort at further improvement. Farmers
make mistake in farming too much land The
same fertilizer applied to one-half the number of
acres would, with less labor, produce quite as
much. Rich land can be worked at less expense
than poor land and is more profitable.
Geo. j. Finney thought it costs more and is
more difficult to make good land produce &c or 20
barrels OF corn per acre than to make poor land
bring 10 barrels. AS for the pleasure, he had
never seen much fun in farming under any CIR
cHmstances.
j. Thos. Webster also thought it easier to make
poor land good than good land rich. Land may
be made to produce from 20 25 barrels of corn
to the acre. but 1t is difficult to keep 1t up to that
standard, There is more profit and as much
pleasure in seeing an old WORKOUT place mprov-
ed and brought to yield Is barrels of corn to the
acre and good crops of clover and timothy than
In increasing the fertility of it beyond that point.
James Lee thought there was more pleasure in
making good land rich than in improving poor
land He said that Mr.. WIN. Woosey s profit from
farming his rich land is as great as that of any
farmer on the Western Shore of Maryland. He
few crops as any farmer who raises IL or Is bar
rels. Thirty years ago his land was not as good
as the average in his neighborhood. Now it is
II. John Rogers said he regarded it as more diff
hcult to make poor land good than to make good
land rich. 1t requires great effort and a great
deal of fertilizer to get poor land to yield IL to Is
barrels of corn to the acre. Commercial fertiliz-
ers alone will not it. When land will yield 10
bring 1t up to 20 as 1t was at first to make it yield
10 barrels; 1t is also more profitable to further
improve the rich land because you can then raise
large quantity OF grass, which is the basis of all
Improvement. There is, no doubt great salts
faction In improving poor land, but when you
consider the increased profit in working rich
land the pleasure must be as great. 1t also pays
better to fertilize land heavily when it is rich
than when 1t is poor. If you do not see a large
land, you will see it in the grass following.
Jacob H. Plowman said he had had but little
experience in improving poor land, his farm be-
ing in good condition when he got it, and he is
satisfied to keep up the improvement.
VIM. B. Hopkins believed that there was much
more pleasure and profit in making good land
rich than in making poor land good. No good
farmer should be willing to stop short of the
largest yield; On the farm on which he resides
Col. VIM. B. Stephenson had raised 22k bushels of
corn to the acre, by blowing down heavy sod
and applying half a ton of bone to the acre. The
profit on that crop was greater than it would
have been from the same application on land
that would yield 10 barrels of corn per acre.
b. Fl. Barnes said he thought there was more
pleasure in making good land rich, or in getting
the greatest profit from the fewest acres
Harry d. Coale thought he would derive more
pleasure from taking poor piece Of land and
making 1t good than from making good land rich.
There is, however, more profit in working good
land.
VIM. z. Hays said he had had hitch in making
poor land good butt he were going to buy farm
he would prefer to buy good land and try to
make i rich. Five six years ago he plowed a
1t and raised Al bushels of wheat to the acre. He
put on 400 lbs. of bone and so lbs. of Peruvian
n n hn uot1ll
field rich at less expense with less hard work and
in shorter time than it had taken to make it
good.
James w. Hanna regarded it as easier to make
poor land good than to make good land rich. The
reason why 80 many farmers stop, after getting
poor land good, is that they have too much land
to make rich
George e. Silver said If he were going to buy a
farm ,,r ne would prefer buying good one even at
than poor one, at $25 an acre, If he had all the
money to pay for it. There is, he thought. al
ceases to yield profit for the fertilizers used and
labor applied and he would place this limit at 20
barrels Of corn to the acre It costs but little
barrels of corn, than an acre of poor land which
will produce no more than barrels. There is no
greater the profit. He thought the reason why
farmers are not enrichng their land more rap
idly is because when it begins to yield revenue
they indulge in uxuries which they did not when
they were working poor land and had to econo-
mize. Where land Is thin the application of fer
same amount would do rich land as much or more
good, although the benefit might not be seen in
the next crop.
Johns H. Janney said the results show that it
must be easier to make poor land good than to
make good land rich. 1t requires science which
few farmers understand to make good land rich,
Much depends On the natural quality of the land
Some land can never be made to yield 20 barrels
of corn to the acre. The profit per acre on the
capital invested ia greater in making poor land
good.
Edward H. Hall thought, also. that much de-
Ponds on the character of the soil. 1t is easier
and more profitable to m AXE Deer Creek soil pro-
duce 20 barrels of corn % the acre than TO take
his land, near Abingdon, and make 1t rich.
John Moores said that a man sees greater re-
suits from the application of fertilizers to poor
land than to rich. Many farmers are qualified to
take poor farm and improve 1t, but few are
competent to take good land and make it rich If
he were buying a farm he would rather buy a
poor farm at say $50 an acre than rich one at
say 500. This year some poor farms are raising
more wheat to the acre than the rich farms With
corn II Is different Here the rich land tells. 1t
requires great deal of skill and fertilizers to
grow 20 barrels of corn to the acre. while almost
any ordinary farmer can produce 10 or IL. 1t re-
quires more manure to keep land producing 20
barrels of corn to the acre than to keep IL pro-
duciug IL or Is.
Thomas A. Hays said If he were buying poor
land he would like to have 1t where the surround
ing farms were rich. There is a great deal of
pleasure in making good land rich but there is
more profit In making poor land good.
m aafd ha