Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-10-02
HOW TO SUCCEED.


readers some very pertinent and
valuable suggestions on the all
important question, how to succeed
ON the farm. The farmer who is
determined to succeed, it says I,
will place on his list Of indispens-
able requirements the following
operations: l. The erection OF
sufficient fences to give him posses
sion and control Of every field. ,.
Thorough or sufficient underdrain-
ing for the use and control OF at
least three feet of the soil beneath
the surface. 3. The adoption OF
such rotation as will give an in
crease of each successive kind OF
crop, and a decrease and eXtermi-
nation to such weeds as have OBJ
tanned possession. 4. Saving all
the manure made on the farm with
no waste, and its application at the
best time and in the best manner
possible. 8. Providing tools for a
most thorough pulverizatlon Of the
soil for all crops. These five opera
tons lie at the foundation ofgoOd
farming. There are many other
provisions of much Importance in
addition to these, which should not
be overlooked, such as the saving
of labor, selection of seeds, provid-
ing the best animals, shelter for
animals, testing commercial ferti-
lizers, and many other operations
which will suggest themselves 10
the owner while in the midst Of his
work.
In providing sufficient fences for
the farm, the Importance must oc.
cur to every one, of laying out the
fields so that 'they may be easily
accessible, and so that the least
amount of fencing material may be
needed; at the same time, where
soils and surfaces vary, 10 include
those CT similar character within the
same enclosure; and it may be
best in many cases to make the
fields oblong instead OF square,
that the ploughing may be done
with less frequent turning at the
ends. In this connection, good
farm roads or lanes will be obvious
~ quite important, as they must he
travelled many times a year in
bringing in heavy crops, or with
loads of manure to the fields
Sometimes a few hours work in
dwelling distractions, filing ruts
or other depressions, drawing on a
few loads'of gravel, embanking, or
providing side bitches, may have
all this labor many times repaid in
n single year, in drawing in heavy
loads of hay and grain, or in draw
Ing out hundreds of loads Of ma
nure. The farmer would do well
to look over his domain, and see
what improvements be may make
in the disposition Of his fields or in
the finish of his farm roads.
The advantas es of thorough un-
derdraining are so well understood
that but little need be said on the
subject. We have put in many
miles of tile, and in no instance
more than three years were re-
Quired to repay the expense
in the increase Of the
crops. a young farmer, who was
in debt for his farm, told MS that he
found he could not pay the mort
gage till he borrowed money to
drain it. He is now a successful
cultivator, and few Of his neigh
bOrs equal him in the heavy return
from his land.
Rotation has one peculiar nd q
yantage-it requires no outlay Of
money-its only expenditure is in
thought. A continued succession
Of the same crop may exhaust a
field, or give only half the returns
from an equal amount Of hard
work. There is no easier way to
keep the land free from weeds as
By a well-devised rotatiOn-in
which hoed crops are followed with
sown crops with grass, and so on
indefinitely. Old pastures or mead
ows badly infested with thistles,
,x.eye daisy, milk-weeds and wild
;arrots, by a thoroughly treated
crop of corn or potatoes, a com
letely pulverized soil to precede
l<Eheat, and a dense growth of
uelover, have been efiectually cleared
Of these intruders and in every
case their growth has been greatly
reduced.
The value Of manure is uniyer-
sally admitted in some form OF
another, but the great majority OF
: farmers, waste a large portion of
e amount which might DO manu-
ctured on their farms. Itwashes
way for the lack of absOrbents
G liquid portions most commonly
I escape. Quite frequently the
irmer wastes more than half Of
that he retains by bad application,
l. is scattered in Jumps; it is ap'
fplied at the wrong time; it IS not
.Sroken fine and well intermixed
with the soil and many lose at
least three.fourths OF all they might
secure first and last by saving and
proper use.
After bringing the farm into fine
condition by understanding and