Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-23

accous pIouuctS tnat Go not much eX
haust the soil and make royal lot O.
richest manure from some "a cows. fotu
horses and few heifer calves each veal
to replenish the dairy. This is nv ides
OF one way of combining speciality farm
ing with mixed farming so as to com
bine the excellences of both. Only one
kind of stock besides work teams, anc
few pigs and chickens to pick up the
waste of the dairy. Only a few crops
or products for sale and those of the
best possible quality. Large fields, few
fences, pasture if possible all in one
field, except calf lot. Land for rotation
all in one field if possible and hoof Of
horse or COW never allowed on that
field. Horses Kept up most Of the yeal
and their manure carefully saved Til
lage thorough; clover freely used as an
aid but not as dependence. All neces-
sary tools and machinery for the best
handling and marketing of the few crops
and products raised, which would be
impossible if very many different kinds
OF crops and products were grown fol-
market and various kinds of stock kept.
That would also necessitate many small
fields with increased expense of work
ing and of fencing and for proper ma
chinery for handling. This really covers
my third point, viz:
Third, The farming should not be SO
mixed as to multiply fields, fences and
the kinds of machinery necessary for
profitable work, or so as to waste time
in changing from this to that or in put
tering with small non-paying Jobs.
This point scarcely needs further re-
mark
Fourth, The farmer should make his
money on his farm and not in outside
work or speculation. Mixed farming
properly managed will enable him to
do this. He should not mix his farming
too much as I have said; that is. he
should concentrate his best thought,
study and work upon few things and
excel in these, rather than divide his
energies too much, or scatter fire like
my fathers old fint-lock musket that
would scatter the fellow that fired il
all over the barn-yard. Some farmers
make their farms simply the basis OF
their trading operations. Trade every
thing they can lay hands on; act as
agents for all farm implements, fertil-
izers and supplies; join stock companies
for this and for that; trade horses in
particular and come home with new
one at least once week, or even trade
with the professional gypsy trader that
comes along. You hardly know how
universal this spirit of dicker and trade
10 the. For ~ A
gypsy horse-trader came along one day
and bantered me for trade or swap
for my little black mare. He had lot
IF choice (?) trading stock strung on
for three or four rods behind his cover
ed wagon. The halt and the manned
and the blind, the sprsined, heavy, poll
evil sort you know; the balky, the vic
ious and the sinful. told him | never
snapped horses in my life. He took his
pipe out of his mouth in utter amaze
ment and with mouth and eyes wide
open said, "Wal, hev found that man
at lastP" What man said l. "Why, a
farmer that won't trade horses?" Eyes
sir, !" said |, land you'll find that sort OF
a man here every time you come past
my farm ''But why not, won't you
trade, Stranger" because / can't hold
my own with you in lying ''Get up.
said he, ''Bleejed for the compliment. .
But after he had driven a few rods he
stopped again. Stranger, I'll toll Y,
what I'll du. I'll give We a thousand
dollars year f you'll le' me take We
reound the kentry n ShOu We fer a shour
The sarcasm was not against me bul
against the spirit of trade and dicker so
universal among farmers. If the farmer
has more horses or anything else than
he wants let him sell of course; but why
he should swap one horse for another
horse | never could see, unless he ex.
poets to cheat the other man. If he
is going to beat u professional trader he
must be a professional trader himself
with all of a professionals dishonesty
and wandering, rowing habits and then
he can no longer be counted as farmer
The point | am trying to make is this.
that the farmer should make his money
on has farm, and by legitimate farming,
and not outside work or speculation,
and that ''mixed farming of the gener-
al kind / have described, i. e., com
bination of animal industry with crop
ping is the only kind of farming that
can furnish steady employment, re-
munerative the year round and keep up
the farms fertility. OF course, a success
full farmer may be legitimately called
away from his farming wholly or in part,
as thought was seven years ago to
become Secretary o. S. B. of Agricul-
ture, and again less than year ago to
become President l. A. c.. and as my
friends Terry and Gould, of Ohio, are to
spend half their time, or nearly SO, in
writing and in lecturing. But can no
longer be classed as regular farmer.
My private farming of my Ohio farm
must be done by proxy or, if you please.
with pillow handles and fork stales zoe
miles away. while mr. official farming as
president and general manager of our
great college farm must be largely of an
experimental sort. My friends, Gould
and Terry, too. though both of them
bona tide farmers must plan their whole
years work on basis more or less diff
ferent from that they would adopt if
they were at home the whole year and
if farming were their whole source OF
revenue. Ny effort IN all my writings
and lectures is to keep this fact sharply
in mind, and to recommend to the actual
farmer such things and such only as
practiced when was actually and only
a farmer, and as | hope to practice if ]
return to my farm in partnership with
one of my sons when this harder, more
anxious and exaeting work / am now
doing shall have worn me out once more
as it did over twenty years ago.