Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-02-26
FARM MANAGEMENT.
INJURIOUS G8ects of Publishing
.SsE;:xtravagant Statements in
~ Regard to Crop Yields.
oert@h Branches Of Husbandry that Gan
Not Be Carried on Without Con-
=. siderable Help.
Extraya@ant Statements.

E1traVaSsN1L statements.
Most of the wild and reckless ventures
in farming, gardening, fruit growing,
and stock-raising are melted thereto by
some of the extravaganza statements that
are published from time to time, in the
newspapers. AS a rule the statements
are not altogether false, but they are
misleading. They show, perhaps truth
fully, what one person did in specially
favorable locality in a particularly fav-
orable year. Quite likely the person
who scores marvellous success with a.
certain crop in particular year failed a
dozen times before he made it's produce
ton pay expenses. A respectful silence
10 preserved in relation to all these fail
ures, but great noise is made over the
single success. The publication of these
great successes only shows what may
possibly be accomplished under the most
favorable conditions. It does not show
what can be done under ordinary con-
ditions. Neither does it show that the
enterprise was on the whole profitable.
That several farmers in various states
have raised over hundred bushels of
sound corn per acre in a field of consid-
cradle size is no longer to be questioned,
though for some years many doubted it.
1t is doubtful, however, whether any in
crease OF corn crop Above seventy-fve
pushe1s per acre results in pecuniary
gain to the producer. There is a pleas
ure IN raising very heavy crop of corn
that is not to he estimated by means of
q bushe' basket, but if the production of
1t is not attended by profit few persons
can afford the pleasure that comes from
raising it. 1t has apparently been DEM
onstrated that it is possible during ce:-
tain seasons and in few favored local
'tles to raise over a hundred bushels OF
sound corn on an acre of land, but in
many cases where this has been done
the cost OF the fertilizers applied to the
land and cost of the labor expended on
it have not been paid by the harvested
crop. A farmer undertook to furnish
the material for newspaper item, and
was successful. He saw his name in
print several times and derived pleasure
from it.
The publication Of crop reports that
rank with the fish stories'' told by
ameteur anglers often has an iniuricns
effect. 1t induces credulous perscns 10
undertake enterprises which ere very
certain to end in disappointment if not
in ruin. 1t create antripations that
will never be realized Every few years
the account is published Of soma person
who raised one thousand bushels of
oniQns on an acre OF land That such
yield Of onions has been produced in
More than one instance is altogether
likely. But 1t is not likely that one in a
thousand of those who read the account
will ever be able to raise such crop.
The conditions under which the crop
was produced 'c&nuot often be obtained
The land most likely was q portion of a
drained bog, The amount Of fertilizers
applied to Il was large. The seed was
fresh and of every productive variety.
The season was most favorable, and all
the work was performed at the regular
time. These facts are not stated in the
paragraph that informs many readers
that a person succeeded in raising a
thousand bushels of onions on an acre
ofgrOund. Many who read the para
graph, however. conclude to engage in
raising onions and fail to realize enough
from their crop to pay expenses The
enormous yield reputed from small
patches of Strawberries have been the
means of inducing many to engage in
raising this fruit They conclude that
they can in few years realize quite a
fortune, but they find that with even a
good market for berries they pay no
better than most fields or garden crops.
During the past few years much has
been written about the profit in raising
melons for the market, and the accor. ntS
of the great success of a worry few indi
viduals have served to induce nDany II
engage in their production. Toe success
Of the few has resulted in, fhe failkse
Of tie ma1iq. The cultivation of 1helans
extended into is>vSions Of country no
adapted to them, End tho crops we,1
small and poor in. quality.
The SENSATIONAL reports th!tt nave re
suited IN the greatest in1urys have beer
those In rel alton to raising 3 Few specia
crops, cufivating new varieties of frui
and vegetables, and talsSag particula
breeds of animals ana foEls. These re
pprts have been indtlsttiously circulated
by persons who hive seeds, roots O
stock to sell. Mary credulous person
who have met wish Indifferent success
or experienced failures with old va
srieties of grains fruits and vegetables
or with breeds If animals and fowls il
general use, conclude that they will b.
1T once successful if they exchange tn,
Old for the new. They find, after con
tim. Gus trial. that the discarded vari
,etfes of plants and the displaced breed
.df'animals and fowls are fully equal t.
,ehdsc thai they have obtained at = heav,
sexpemse. The persons who extolled tn
smeEits of the new things. might hav
told 1.-THE truth about them, but they di
hot ten the whole truth. They declares
that a grape vine of a certain variet
wwbulds produce hundred pounds O
fruit; but they neglected to state that
would only grow in a sheltered plac
and that it required good protection dun
ing the winter; that a COW of one of tn
s'ilew1y-intended dairy herds give mil
from which fifteen pounds of butter,wa
made in q week was true, but it wa
( also true that she had received gthef car
generally bestowed On q sick child ha
been fed like an epicure, and had die
after establishing her fame for beatin
the mixers record. Great caution an
good Judgment are required to deter
!. mine how much reliance to place on th
statements in regard to the superio
virtue of ewly-introdueed breeds of an
5 mails and fowls and the remarkabl
yield of new varieties Of grain, vegets
bles, and fruits, as there is a dispositio
on the part of acknowledgements to plae
them far above their real merits. i
E3. .5 Jrndert.r1nc rae, Nrucr ~
In the west, where much smalle
number Of persons are employed o
] farms than in the east, the :smajor;ty {
! 81 persons undertake to do more wor
than can be properly performed Es