The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-05-04
THE PROFITABLE LIMIT In AGRI-
CULTURE.
An Delivered by Franklin Dye,
Secretary of State Board Of Agri-
culture, at the Meeting of the
Salem County Board of Agrf-
culture. ADrlI rs. ISSS.

try that may well be called the profitable
limit" 1t is not a mystic line, it is real. 1t
is not invisible nor imaginary, 1t can be APP
pretended by the senses, and like truth, 1t is
important to know where it lies, and how to
approach ii, and the necessary and best means
to reach it.
Few find it, some do not even apprehend it
at all. Many are plodding slowly towards it
occasionally one goes beyond it and fails
measurably thereby. What is this important
point. and where does it lie? for surely we all
desire to reach it. The name suggests the an
swer to the first question. The profitable lin
it in our calling is that point which we must
reach in our business in all its separate de tails,
and AZ a whole in order fully to succeed. Just
where this point lies each one must determine
for himself according to the end he has in
view, the circumstances in which he is placed,
and the means at his command. One of the
first essential steps in the whole matter is, to
fix before the mind a definite purpose, an aim,
IA certain end which it is desired TO reach.
Having this fixed it will then be possible to
look around for the means to seeule to our
selves the object sought. An aimless, slip
shod way in any business cannot, and ought
not. succeed.
The principles enuneiated, with many Others
that may be named, are general and apply
with equal force to any calling.
Now as to the farmer and his business, let us
see how the case stands. Do You intend to
follow general farming? Then your knowl-
edge must be correspondingiy greater and
more comprehensive than his who would
choose one or two branches of work in this
wide field. Or, is market gardening or small
fruits or dairying your choice While all
these have some things in common, it is APP
parent to every careful observer that special
knowledge and special means are necessary in
order fully 10 succeed in either.
In order to throw some light on the subject
under consideration it may be well to consider
some things that hinder us, that stand in the
way of rs reaching the profitable limit. And,
| may as well begin with the Young men and
young women who are expecting to marry
and begin for themselves, for. after all, life in
earnest begins with most people at this point,
if at all.
First, The selection of a wife unacquainted
or not in sympathy with a farmers life. | say
selection of a wife for usually the young
men are supposed to do the counting and make
the selection, (albeit we believe the Young
ladies do their part. See to it. therefore, that
you marry II young lady who will make a
farmers wife, that i, if you do your part as
a good husband ought to do. So much de-
ponds upon this that it deserves thoughtful
consideration on the part of our young people.
| have said young lady. and | insist that we
have as many of this class in our midst as can
be found in any other ca~liing-ladies in the
true sense of that word. Therefore select a
farmers wife from among the farmers
daughters.
The next hindrance is Il poorly located fam.
If small fruits or market gardening, or "A retail
dairy is our purpose. we should be near a good
market. This drawback is overcome some
what, in some instances, by railroad facilities,
but it is very important to have the product
and the market in proximity to each other.
Another hindrance is a soil not adapted to
our business, especially in natural qualifca-
tons. Defects of fertility or previous impov-
| erishment may be overcome, but a soil that
has serious defects such as require "A heavy
immediate outlay, to make them even ineasur-
ably productive, with continuous expense
| each year, ought to be rejected. There is
| plenty of arabic land in this wide country that
is deserving of good cultivation and improve
| ment, too much indeed to allow valuable lives
TO be spent in bringing to n state of measure
BILE productiveness an uncongenial soil. Bet
ter by far devote such land to wood, in which
condition il ought to have remained. 1t is as
tonishing how much miserable land has been
cleared by our fathers. When our population
becomes as dense as that of Holland or Prussia
we then Will have need to improve all our
soil. Such farms are dear at a seemingly low
figure. Don't run in debt for them.
Another hindrance is farming too much
land. Many farmers are Gland poor The
outcome of farming over too many acres is, a
poor return for capital and labor expended.
1t requires rs much labor to cultivate a poor
crop as IL does to cultivate a full crop. just
as much work, TOO, to cultivate around all the
missing hills. even on good ground, as it does
those full of vigorous plants. just as much
work to NOW and rake over the poor grass
field as it would if it had its ton and II half to
the acre-the hauling ana selling only are less
and the tax, too. rolls up iusta as much for the
poor acre with its scanty crop as it does on the
acre with the heavy yield. and then the salts
faction it brings to have a good, tull crop. 1t
makes one feel pleasant and good natured too,
to gather a bountiful yield. Therefore, /
would advise having small farm, well-tilled
and enriched, rather than a large farm in poor
condition of soil and of cultivation. Concen-
tration should be our motto till weireach the
highest profitable limit and then exDand per
force AS a vessel over-fuil, overffows. Coneen-
tration ofacres, OF thought, of ideas; concen-
tration of capital, of labor, manures, which
brings a concentrated haryesta and satisfactory
results. In illustration of the large farm
theory examples are found in almost every
neighborhood where some farmers with few
est acres and a wise concentration of all the
means at their comma secure more profita-
BILE results than others do with move acres nm
der cultivation.
know there are notable exceptions to this,
where a man has abundant means to carry
forward all the operations of a large farm.
But with the majority of our farmers today
the means are not abundant, to say the least.
With this class OF farmers who nave large
farms and no surplus at the end of one season
to begin the operations and outlayo OF the next,
the tendency is to scatter the manure, the
labor and attention needed for one acre over
two or three.
Another hindranee growing out OF the one
| last named is scanty manuring and partial
| cultivation. A matter also too often over
looked or ignored in the application of ma
| nures Is, that after we have manfred up to a
| certain point of productiveness. the profit OBJ
| tanned from the application OF more manure
| IN to a certain other point. which Is sthe pro-
ftable limit" will be in the proportion of two
to one. or nearly so. from the second amount
used as compared with the first; and this pro
portion you viii lind viii hold largely In cul-
! ~tivation and in stock feeding. Especially for
| milk and fattening)
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