The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1889-01-26

some special line connected with farming.
The majority of the club were of the opinion
that mixed farming is more profitable and
safer for the average farmer than undertaking
any special line to the exclusion of other things.
Here and there, it was thought, a farmer might
be found WHO'S adapted to successfully manage
a speciality, but such men are rare.
We give below synopsis of the discussion,
as reported in the Belair Egis
Mr.. James b. Kenly thought more money
could be made by following some special line,
but general husbandry is the safest. II man
gives his entire attention to one thing and
prices happen to fall he may be left in bad
position, whereas, if he raises wheat, corn oats,
hay, potatoes, some stock for Gamers, fattens
a few cattle or sheep, some OF these Will ,yleld
him a fair profit To follow any special line
requires some education by experience or
otherwise, and man must get around him the
machinery and implements necessary to carry
on the business successfully. 1t is bad plan
for farmer to make constant changes Be
cause cattle are low this year man should not
drop cattle and try sheep. The best plan is to
adopt some system suited to the locality and adj
here to that.
George E. Silver said that for farmers gener-
ally mixed husbandry is most profitable. Some
men can make a special branch profitable, but
most of them would fail. Pursuing specially
in farming is like putting all of your eggs in
one basket. If it drops you lose all, but in gen
eral farming, what is Improbable this year
NAV be profitable next. A man must be fitted
success.
Silas B. Silver also advocated mixed husban-
dry. Our soil is adapted to variety of crops
and you, can't plant any one crop year after
year with success. The land must have rest
and a change of crop. 1t is well, however, to
select some one thing which we find most
profitable, and while giving it the most atten-
ton, work in the odds and ends of other things
George r. Stephenson said that in farming
as in the professions, very few are fitted to be
specialists. If man has farm specially suit
ed for particular branch of farming, he might
follow that with profit. 1t is necessary to pur-
sue general line of farming, to a certain ex-
tent, to make it profitable The man who gives
attention to his business can form an idea of
the source from whence his greatest profit comes
and should make all things tend to that. With
| himself his greatest profit is from what he can
turn into meat-cattle and hogs-and he makes
all of his farming operations tend in that direc-
ton.
John Moores said that at least 80 per cent. of
| farmers are best calculated to follow mixed hus-
bandry. Very few are fitted to manage cattle,
horses or a dairy, exclusively, with success.
In mixed husbandry great deal ofthe products
| ofthe farm can be consumed at home. For in
stance we could raise little mutton and pork
and have a good garden. He finds it profitable
to raise few sheep in connection with general
farming. He also keeps few cows and makes
little butter for which there is a ready sale.
Poultry also is profitable. He also raises a
little wheat. If he has any speciality it is hay.
Thomas A. Hays thought that the general
run of farmers meet with better success i'll
mixed husbandry. Some men are fitted for
one thing and others for something else The
location of the farm would decide what is the
best. If near market dairying might pay.
Another would find his greatest profit in hand
ling horses, sheep. hogs or cattle. If close to
where there would be ready sale small fruits
| would be profitable.
James Lee said that his observation led him
to believe that it is the specialist i'll farming
who makes the most money. The man who
pursues mixed farming makes little more than
| living. Those who devote all their time to
one branch become expert in 1t and are apt to
| be successful
b. +. Hanway considered that most farmers
are specialists, that is, they have special OBJ
ject to which they devote more attention than
to anything else. man finds from what his
greatest profit is derived and he naturally turns
bis attention to it. A farmer, he said, should
follow mixed husbandry, but centre the most
of his attention on what pays best, whether
wheat, corn, dairying or cattle feeding, accord
ing to his location.
r. Harris Archer thought every farmer
should have speciality to which everything
else should be made subservient. Ifthat is cat
tie he should not pillow for corn sod of which
couple of acres would fatten a bullock. If
hay he should not tear up sod that would cut
two tons of hay to the acre. 1t takes life time
to know how to proftably handle steer or
make hay.
VIM Munnikhuysen said mixed husbandry
may be best but many farmers get mixed up
by having too many irons in the fire. A far
mer ought to make Especially of whatever may
suit his location, push it and make it pay.
James w. Hanna regarded mixed farming as
the proper plan. A man ought to have some
thing fat to sell all the time-a sheep, lamb or
a hog, poultry or eggs. He makes more on
ing to make sheep especially he gives more at
| tention to them than to some other things. 1t
would pay to make sheep speciality if a man
were suitably located and had plenty of grass.
George w. Kenly advocated mixed farming,
particularly i'll region like this where almost
anything can be grown. Where a man finds
one branch of his business pays better than the
rest he ought to look more closely after that,
but he would not call man specialist who
raises various crops and several kinds of stock.
r. John Rogers was in favor of mixed hus-
bandry as the sllrest and safest. You nearly
always raise some crop that pays better than the
Others One year it is wheat, another year
corn, another cattle or hogs To make spe-
cialty of any one thing requires certain
amount of experiments in order to gain expert
ence and if compelled to draw on that speciality
there might be little left.
Other members who spoke on the subject ex-
pressed about the same opinions as those quoted
above.
Railroad News--The Maryland Central,
the York & Peach Bottom and the Deer
Creek Roads.-The stockholders of the Mary
land Central Railroad Co. met in Baltimore on
Monday and recognized by electing the follow
ing Board of Directors William Gilmor, Geo.
| s. Brown, Hugh b. Jones and Frederick b.
Hubbell, of Baltimore; John Henry Miller
and w. H. Houseman, Pittsburg Warren F.
Walworth, of Cleveland. The directors organ
lied with Mr.. Gilmor, president, and Mr.. c.
| f. Kercbner secretary and treasurer.
A statement of the operations Ofthe company
in 1888 shows gross earnings S151, 2s6 Sc and
y Sl-Tn
operating expenses sll3, 2192l leaving 800, wy.
| 60 as the net earnings. This is an increase Of
81, 900 over 1887. The amount.was used in the
acquisition of property and in betterments
The company now owns valuable ground on
| North avenue and Oak street, most of which
! has been recently secured. On the south side
of North avenue at Oak street it has front of
1919 feet by depth of IT'S feet, and on the north
side of that avenue including the Denny q
Mitchell stables, the company has 1913 feet on
Oak street. extending to Second street, with a
depth of 400 feet. The Maryland Central has
ample room for terminals at North avenue
even if it should eventually become part of a
| big railroad system. The capital stock of the
recognized company is 100000 and the bond
ed debt, first mortgage, SS50,0OO at per cent,
and 1874, 900 will pay the interest. President
Gilmor says the company will broaden out in
its business, and he predicts bright future
for it.
THE YORK AND PEACH BOTTOM.
The York and Peach Bottom Narrow-Gauge
syndicate and the two roads will be operated
jointly. Ten thousand dollars have been paid
on account. The Peach Bottom Road will con-
meet with the Maryland Central at Delta, and
will give President GilmOr's system 81 miles of
narrOw-gauge road from Baltimore to York
The Deer Creek and Susquehanna Road, to be
completed in time Tor next winters business
will add 16 more miles, giving a total of 100
miles under the Maryland Central manage
| ment.
The question of the broadening of the narrow
gauges to the standard gauge is discussed. Mr.
Gilmor says that it will come in the near future
He says the idea has been advanced of laying
the rails on the Deer Creek and Susquehanna
Road three feet apart, to meet the narrow gauge
of the Maryland Central, but the road bed will
be for standard guage, and the rails could be
changed to the feet 81 inches gauge in a day.
when that is required. But this idea may not
be carried out, and he says it looks now asif the
Maryland Central will be made standard gauge
to conform to the Deer Creek and Susquehanna
THE NEW DEER CREEK ROAD.
The Messrs. McCabe, contractors, this week
commenced work on the construction of the
Deer Creek and Susquehanna Railroad from
| Ralair to 10 rix This