The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-28
Extraordinary Yields.

Chicago Tribune
The last few years have witnessed craze
among certain classes to show who could pro-
duce the largest given rate per acre of certain
farm commodities. Interesting as these expert
ments are, as proving the capacity of species
in production under exceptional treatment, tho
practical value goes little farther 1t is in fact.
on par with the wonderful yields of milk and
butter of exceptionally constituted cows pro-
duced under the most wasteful outlay possible
of food, and often at the expense of the future
usefulness of the ANIMAL frequently, indeed,
causing death. So plat of land, pre-
pared in the best possible manner, enriched
to the last degree by barnyard and commercial
fertilizers, cultivated with the most panS-t taking
care, and arti6cially watered will produce a
crop astounding to those who have not studied
the whole matter closely. The practical appliea-
ton, however, of these data to everyday pras-
tice is valuable as showing what careful prepare
ton Of the SOIL careful manuring and cultIvar
ton, and an abundance of water on thor
oughly drained soil, will effect, and especially
since we know that the cultivation of soil made
rich costs noe more than that of starved soil
The harvesting costs simply the difference IN
handling the increased weight of the rich-land
crop over that Of the poor soil Hence the
farmer will see that it will pay:
H.. To thoroughly drain the soil If wet. I'll
To enrich land to the fullest degree possible
(3) To spare no practical means to cultivate iu
the very best possible manner. The question
OF water-suppl however, one has not under.
control Whe ;res concerned the cult
yator must upon the water from tina
clouds, excep chat modified degree by which
a lldrairrea oil and one in high filth minute
pulverization) may act through its porosity and
capillary powers. But an immense weight OF
produce per acre does not always mean CORE
spending increase in actual food production
Grain raised in moist seasons contains
more water than in dry seasons, and in
root crops, and, in fact, in. all succulent
products-green. vegetation--the water con-
tanned is by no means constant integer. I'm
the cultivation of beets for sugar it is found That
the solid matter is constantly huctuating ooe.
and that large specimens raised on high manfred
land with an abundance Of water. are notably
deficient as compared with smaller specimens
grown closely for feeding farm animals.
Sir j. b. LaweS found that mangels (feId
beets) take up water so that the difference was I'm
the proportion of four TO nine. The same thing
occurs in potatoes, the water varying often
from rs up to 50 per cent of the whole. Another
integer and constant one in the raising Of
crops is that the larger the area cultivated
the smaller the average production per
acre. Instances recorded of ESQ
bushels of corn on single acre;
on 100 acres 100 bushels per acre has been re-
ported, and aninstance is reported in Livingston
county, Illinois, where, field OF 200 acres,
within a fraction OF forty bushels per acre were
reported in the latter case without the applica-
ton Of manure but with thoroughly clean cult
ton. In the case of the one-hundred acre field
it was an old pasture that the season previous,
had been used as a fodderng ground for drove,
and in the case of the single acre the manuring
and cultivation was of the most exceptionally
good character.
The plain conclusion, however that we may
draw is, that slack cultivation never pays Glo
cultivator. And it is equally true that the won
derfully exceptional yields are only obtained as
an outlay that will not repay the cultivator, ex-
cept experimentally.