The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-02-19
METHODS COMPARED.
Farming i'll the South VS.. Farming II
Ohio.

Farming in the South Farming in
Ohio.
A recent trip through Ohio and spe-
cial examination into farm methods fol-
lowed in that State, induce me to mako
some comparison with our plans at tho
South.
Possibly the most notable differences
are found in the fertility of the soil and
the character of the labor.
The lands in Ohio have been brought
to a much higher state of productive
ness than any have seen at the South.
This is the result of high manuring, tho
incorporation of vegetable matter into
the soil, and judicious rotation of
crops. Much of the land upon the farms
visited will yield, on an average, sixty
bushels of corn per acre. In Georgia,
farmers feel that they do well to aver
age fifteen. In Georgia, we cultivate
four acres to obtain the product Of one,
if it is true that Georgia lands can BIO
brought to productiveness of sixty
bushels of corn per acre. l see no rea-
son why this is not easily possible.
As before stated, this result has been
reached in Ohio by high fertilization.
For this purpose, farmers in that State
rely upon barn-yard manure and clover
mainly. These elements are easily OBJ
tainable in Georgia and the South, If
we will only begin, more extensively,
stock raising. In addition we have the
stock pea, about as valuable as clover
and much more easily grown. Glover
requires moderately good land to begin
with; the stock pea will grow on the
thinnest soil and make a fairly good
crop. | have before given, not only the
most approved methods for bringing ul
our lands, but the handsome and profit
able yields they have been made tt
produce.
If our farms could be reduced to small
areas, the improvement would not b'
!. so much of an undertaking. If oul
lands are ever brought up, we must b
content to operate small farms. Really
this would seem the desirable thing t
do, as it brings the same results wit
much less labor, time and expense.
So many tines farmers have bee
urged to this course, and so CONSTANT
- have they pursued the opposite, that
!, seems useless to make further effort O
= this line. A practical demonstration {
= the difference, as shown upon the farm
% in Ohio and the average farm at tt
" South, would, possibly, do more tina
= many newspaper articles to bring
y, change.
~ Our farms are not put in shape as thu
~ ought to be. The lands that should
given entirely to crops are much taxi
up by trees, bitches and waste place
a. 1t is not an uncommon thing with us
of see ''cuts" cultivated between thicke
10 that have roots running from one 81
ne to the other; bitches, at close interva
H. overgrown with weeds and bushes.
al Much of the fertility that belon
NC rightfully to the crops goes to uselt
vn and hurtful growth. All such culti'
he tion-or rather the lack of it
Ii courages slovenly methods and brir
m poor results. This, again, follows fr
We the necessary abundance of work o.
W. such extended territory. Large far
on give us so much land to be looked al
Is that it is next to impossible to keep il
NO shape and make it productive.
-, The first thing to do if we would
led proach the results of Our neighbors i:
improve our land.-W. J. Northen,
-. Dixie Farmer.