The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-03-13

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10 make living on one side, or. the 9TH
er side farming for fun or exercise,
both must be well considered, The
man farming for living, especially II
a new beginner, needs his labor turned
into ready cash in the shortest time
possible. That farmer ought to pay /,
attention to the products adopted to !,
his situation, The man farming for
fun or exercise we will pass by, as gen.
orally he is able to take care OF him.
self. l always thought too much land
made farmer poor, land poverty is
the greatest poverty there IS. One
fault of our Western farmer is that he
is too enterprising. He undertakes
more than he is able to carry out.
Great undertakings, discontinued
mind.
1t il not a good plan to turn your
whole attention to the production OF
one product. A variety, even on
small scale, is more sure. 1t is not
difficult to raise all the feed you need,
you can produce grain and feed cheap
er than you can buy it. have al
ready told you how to raise eighty
bushels of corn per acre in a favora-
BILE season. In making changes in
farming, in making bargains where
amounts Of money are at stake be
slow, sleep over it, don't be hurried
for fear others will snap it. As long
as the bargain is not closed If you fail
to get it you are safe, you lost moth
ing.
4. The selection and care Of farm
machinery is great item. With
good care many machines will last a
life time. Treat your farm machin-
cry as well as you do your horses. !
think If you do that it will be great
step towards making farming pay.
5. like to see farm work well
done and neat. 1t will never pay to
do farm work by running over it.
We should all try and produce the
most to the acre possible. Much must
be left here untold by me. Itisa great
mistake to work a piece of land that
is below par in producing fair crop.
Land which is worn out should be
sown to clover. We should try to
save and make all the manure we can,
it is good addition to our bank ac-
count. Yes, big manure pile well
managed is better than sickly bank
account. Many times we can tell by
the mode man is working his farm
if he is making farming pay. In an
early day worked for big farmer
OF that day near Freeport, Ill. He
often said show me farmers yard
and ways Of farming and | will tell
you all about the man. This is true
to-day. Yes, good farming will pay,
rough and tumble farming has had
its day.
! think in some cases going into
debt will often pay big percentage.
but my advice is to consider well.
You know debts are quickly made
and after they are made they will
take their place at your table. Law
suits are draw back to make farm
ing pay; they consume your loose
money and time and are a trouble to
. the mind. There is another big item.
J Our lands are now getting old. The
virgin soil has passed away, and with
it The productiveness. There are
many ways to restore it. The easiest
in reach is clover with pasture ma
nmre as top dressing For man that
is blessed with plenty of land green
crop Of clover, or buckwheat, plowed
under will bring paying results. Itis
, us eless to think Of restoring worn
oft farm by manure only.
Many of US brother farmers have
seen our best days, what we are do
ing and have done is for our posterity
Many Of us have with close observa.
,, ton watched the changes for the last
forty years in the ways Of farming
from the reaping hook to the grain
i cradle, from the common reaper to
the self binder, but we have also
| changed. Yes, the farmers have
changed far ahead of the years pas
ed by. Twenty-eight years ago l see
before me some brother farmers; we
used to draw our products on wheels
!, to McGregor. do not feel ashamed
to tell you that l remember well Of
{ spending only five cents on trip Of
i five days. ! remember one trip in
: particular, when George Morse was
e along with me. The thermometer
,. was dancing some thirty degrees be
low zero and we came home in debt
hired wheat drawn to McGregor
paid 90 cents per bushel for hauling
and sold for 40 cents. l sold dressed
, hogs for ~ per 100. | have paid 8
]; cents per yard for calico, also 80 cts
for sheeting. The first money ever
borrowed was at 40 per cent. Thai
J in 1857 in DEBORAH. The last l Dor
; rowed was at 10 per cent. at Cresco
!. and yet tell you farming does pay
Another big item to save money il
! farming is in buying and selling
Brother farmer, as far as this is con
, cerned, there is no combination ye1
l strong enough to force you to buy o
one combination. Goods are manu-
featured to exchange for money, and
; when one refuses to sell to you there
are ten ready to sell to you at whole
sale prices and glad to get your trade
, in the bargain-you all know that
Selling to good advantage requires
/ skill and experience. Forsome things
you need not trouble yourself, thu
prices are regulated as regular as tn
sun rises in the east. For others skill
: and experience will be needed. New
er buy what you don't need, for j