Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-03-04
Too Much UnprOdactive Land.
By Our Agricultural Editor.

One grave error of the Southern farmer
is holding on to too much unproductive
land. Most farmers, we dare say, might,
in some way make productive more land
than they do. We say, in some way, either
by tlllage, by pasturage, by fruit, nut or
timber culture, or by tenantry. But where
man has fairly done what he can, accord
ing to his means and labor force, he has no
need for more land, and should not keep it
if he has it.
The secret of successful farming every
where is to make the whole farm produc-
tive Every square yard of soil should
yield its quota to help fill the farmers bin
and barn. Land that yields no income,
and is not likely to do so even in the life
time of the owner, is dead weight, draw
ing upon the rest of the farm in taxes
interest, &C., and fearfully curtails the
profits af productive acres.
unproductive ground of the farmer lies
within the enclosed portions. Then there
is an additional annual tax for fencing,
ground travelled over in working, &c. The
rule should be to make every foot of an
enclosed or cultivated field productive.
There should be no waste ground on ac-
count of stumps, stones, trees, or other i'm
pediments. An idle square yard of ground
not only cuts down the general average,
but is an expense on the labor bestowed
upon the rest.
The hillsides, fence corners, meadow
ground, and woodland of every farm can
and should in some way be made to yield
something in the general routine. The de-
partments of rural industry are multitudi-
nous something for every soil, locality
season, and market. The true policy is, to
make every acre do something. If there
are more acres than can be worked, some
should be sold. -Inder-Appeal.
FAMILY FEELING AMONG CATs.-'I had
two she CATS" says Dupont de Nemours;
''they were mother and daughter. The
mother had produced her kittens on Ger
tain day, and they had been all left with
her. The daughter gave birth to her
first litter on the following day, and was
very ill. She lost consciousness and mo-
ton with the birth of the last kitten. The
mother went round and round her, lavish
ing on her all the expressions of maternal
tenderness, which are very numerous in
the vocabulary of cat language. Perceiv-
ing at last that the care she was expanding
upon her daughter was in vain, she busted
herself, like good grandmother, with the
little creatures, crawling in desolate and
orphaned condition upon the ground, licked
all the litter, and finally carried them to
the bed of her own children, where she
shared her milk with them.
ga full hour afterward the young cat
came to her senses, looked for her little
ones, and found her mother nursing them
There was great joy on both sides, and
many touching expressions of attention
and gratitude were exchanged. The two
mothers established themselves in the same
basket, and while the educational period
lasted, they never left it except separately.
One always remained on duty. Thus they
nursed, caressed, and impartially reared
the seven kittens, of whom three belonged
to the daughter and four to the grand
mother. From Mrs. Hoey's Book ON
Cats.