Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-10

Each year brings with 1t its own peculiar
lessons. One year emphasizes In a most
impressive way the necessity of drainage,
another the necessity of conserving mois-
ture. One year compelS the farmer to
utilize all his roughness. and another
to conduct his operations rather with Il
view to saving labor than feed. There
are winters which preach the most effect
i've sermons that set the farmer to study
ing with new energy the matter of water
supply. There are Years in which almost
any one can farm and grow reasonably
good crops, and there are others in which
a good crop can be grown only with skill
and pains.
The closing season has been one of this
class as the past was one of the very op
posIte. A close inspection of the corn
fields this season will teach some very I'M
pOrtant lessons to any bat a bind man.
There are large sections of the country in
which the good farmer and the poor Jared
exactly alike. Where there was no rain
fail, or where there were mtimely frosts.
or where there were rust and blight con
ditions, the fields well faTmed Jared much
the same as the lily cultivated. There
are extreme conditions which no wisdom
can foresee and no skill avoid.
iy impressive object lessons in almost
every township and on almost every farm
where there has been total failure of crops.
In any five miles the Traveller can see corn
fields. on apparently the same kind of
land, one yielding fifty to sixty bushels to
| the acre and others from thirty to twenty.
Sometimes they will be in such close prOX
imity-as. flor instance, on opposite sides
of a road or of partition fence-as 10
preclude the possibility Of any great differ
| ence in the quality Of the soil or The
| character of the season. The difference is
wholly in the farming, this Is by no means
| a special lesson OF this year. 1t Is so every
year. 1t stands this year with more
startling distinctness. 1t Is emphatCally
| the good farmers that have the good crops
| this year Good farming means more than
| blowing. sowing and harvesting. 1t means.
| first and foremost, keeping the land in the
| best possible condition of fertility. A
| great many farmers excuse their light
corn crops this year on the plea that they
| had ''Old land. by which they mean that
| their land has been in corn, or corn and
| oats. or corn. oats and wheat. a number of
years in succession. This Is not good far
| ming anywhere. although some farmers are
! obliged to do it. Again, there arc many
| fields which show widely different results
| solv because of difference of management.
! Two farmers may have clover sod. for IN
! stance. on practically the same kind or
| land. and yet there Is a difference of
! twenty bushels per acre in the crop as it
| stands on the ground today. An inquiry
! into the facts will show that one knows
! how to handle sod and the other has not
| learned that vet. Whether plowed in the
| fall or in the spring. the sod must be
/ thoroughly worked up and brought to a
! fine condition of filth. There are many
! things that may reduce the crop some of
! them. as. for example. hail or storm. IN
| aviodable by any human skill Or foresight
! but for the most part they are
| included in the terms good and poor farm
! ing. Last year almost any man could
/ grow q good crop of corn; this year 1t Is
| generally the good farmer that does 1t.
! Take. as another example of the differ
/ ence between good crops and poor, The re-
| suit OF the difference between good and
poor farming the crop Of winter wheat.
Like corn. it was a failure in some sec
tons through causes that no man could
! control. La many cases it was simply the
result OF drilling and not drilling 1t IN.
If there Is anything settled IN wheat
growing II Il that winter ~Theat must be
drilled IN or. if drill Is not to be had, IT
mus; be pIowed in. The same difference
Is seen in all crops in meadows and pas
lures: IN fast In the entire mana cement
OF the farm We merely point out these
matters now. iecau~e ,Fery farmer who
will open his eyes has these object lessons
before him every time ne goes TO town.
and an inquiry into the causes of these
differences in crops will lead to much use
full and valuable information.
It's. after all. by using that We learn.
and the open eye generally Is set IN full
head. There j. no better time than now
to see. AMI compare. reason out the
causes Of things and store away the prac-
teal information thus obtained for future
u-r