Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-06-27
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Getting behind with tho work.

and what may be called exc cutiv'
ability are SO important for the farmer
No matter how hard he may work
much of the labor goes for naught i
not done at the right time. In older
times men could only work by manual
labor. He who was strongest or quick.
! est or could work the most hours per
day, was on the high road to success
We have great many farm maxims
based on this idea. intoxicating early
rising and close application to work
through the entire day. These are
still important, but in modern times
the farmer who would grow rich
simply by hard work on the methods
and with the implements of his grand.
father, would surely fail. Getting up
early, as modern farmers must under
stand it, means willingness and ability
to adopt labor-saving and other i'm
provements as rapidly as they are
brought before the pubic.
But the most wide-awake farmers
are occasionally caught mapping.
They are more dependent than
any other class of workers. unless it
be sailors, on the weather. Rains de-
lay in many ways. They hinder work,
and they make weeds grow all the
faster. II through wet weather in
spring, or from any other cause, the
farmer has land likely to become idle
or Improbable, it is not always easy
for him to see way out of the diff
Guilty. If the proper seeding time be
passed before the crop can be sown,
some other must be in its place. 1t is
such emergencies rs these that test the
practical ability of the farmer 1t re-
quires something more than muscle 10
see way out OF difficulty like this.
Rather than sow crops much after
their time it is generally better to seek
something new, put in small area n
good many crops in the best possible
way, and diversity the product as much
as may be. II this is done the farmer
will be able to perform more work him
self, and make the help hired by the
month at cheaper rates fully as eff
Gent and valuable as that he could hire
by day work at much higher prices.
This is one OF the ways by which an en-
ergetic farmer can get work done and
crops grown more cheaply than his
dilatory neighbor.
Another method of labor-saving is
to have land thoroughly underdrained.
Two weeks of team labor gained in
this way gives the farmer whose land
is drained an enormous advantage all
through the season. If there were no
other gain from draining than this it
would pay to drain all the lots at least
that were often under cultivation. The
labor of keeping crops clean after
planting is also greatly lessened on
well-drained land. With good out
let below to carry off surplus water the
cultivator can be started one or two
days earlier after heavy rains, and
this makes an enormous difference in
the difficulty of keeping hoed crops
free from weeds. If one stitch in time
saves nine, much more does one days
work, done at the proper time, save
twice nine if delayed.
1t requires good, practical Judgment
to forecast probable work to be done
and adapt it to the help that is en-
ployed TO do it. Trying to do too
much is the besetting sin of American
farmers. They have been led into
this through the cheapness of land
and OF late years by the increase of
laoor-saving machinery. 1t has seemed
too small business to cultivate q few
acres thoroughly and at profit, so the
Swimming process over n larger sur
face has been practised with the idea
that in farming as in other business,
what is done on large scale can be
done most cheaply and therefore most
prof tably. But it is impossible for
even the best business man to devote
in farming, on large scale the close
to details that is essential to
success. The large farmer almost in
evitably gets behind with work and
loses heavily, while more moderate
attempts within his means to accom-
plish would result in success. -Ameri-
can Cultivator.
Cutting Clover.
Whether grown for hay or for seed,
it is important that the first crop
should be cut reasonably early,
as soon as the first held begin to turn
brown, says a writer in the Practical
Farmer. If delayed, as is often done,
there is more or less risk that the
weather will not be sufficiently favora-
bic to induce a good growth, and in
the plants failed TO make
a good start to grow again before the
hot, dry weather sets in. A few days
OF hot, dry weather after cutting off
serious by Injuries, il it does not kill out
the clover and in consequence the sec
ond growth is not as good as it other
wise would be.
While If cut reasonably early and q
good start to grow is secured so that
the ground is shaded, the plants will
stand considerable drouth and yield a
better crop of seed or larger yield OF
hay at the second cutting or to turn
under as a green crop for manuring.
In addition to this there will be less
loss in handling. If the plants are
to get too ripe there is larger
loss in handling. As the ripened
leaves and stems break off very easily.
So that whenever the heads are in
full bloom, and a few are turning brown
they can be cut and cured. Too many
make mistake in curing clover, and
allow it to get too dry before moving
away or stacking.
lnere VIII be less loss in handling
aud better quality of feed secured il
clover is not allowed to get too dry.
When the weather is such that the
clover can be cut, it will pay to get
stored under shelter reasonably early,
and if the weather is bright and warm
clover can be cut in the morning and
De hauled in and slowed away late in
The evening, and make hay of better
quality than to allow it to get too ripe
and then cut, put up in cocks and let
cure two or three days; and it should
De an item to secure not only in good
but in such a manner as to
De able to have of the best quality.
Stock then should be kept away from
he clover until after the plants make
! good start to grow, as to turn the
stock in too soon will keep the plants
Town so that it will be difficult II not
to derive the full benefit
rom the crop. But in many cases it
will be much better to let the plants
grow and mature seed rather than to
pasture down. Under average condi-
ions the seeds ought to be about one
half the crop, and il this is done it
will be quite an item to secure a good
growth SO as to have as large yield