Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-01-10
Improving Poor Farms.


the farmers best capital. 1t is only
after that fertility has been lost that
most farmers appreciate this fact.
Trying TO build up partly exhausted
land is uphill business, and cannot
be expected TO be Immediately pro1l-
table. Hence to ensure success the
owner of poor land should have plenty
of money. so that he can fund his
profits in the farm, and continued his
work untilthe fund thus accumulated
becomes self-supporting. Without
doubt the increased production caus-
ed by judicious improvements costs
less proportionately than the smaller
amount that poor land will produce
Every step in the increase OF fertility
NAV be made a source OF profit.
But the trouble is that it is the poor
man who usually owns the poor land.
He BUYS it at higher price than 1T Is
really worth, because it is nominally
cheap, and having bought IT too dear
has no capital left with which to ln-
prove it Happily, some OF the means
of making land better are not eXpen-
sive. and still others are within reach
of a farmer who is able and willing to
work. If there is intelligent under
standing of what the farm needs, Ia
Dor. with small amount of money,
| NAV be made to go great ways III
the work Of Improvement. TO seed
with clover, and to seed heavily and
as often as possible, is not expensive,
and this alone on many farms will in
sure continued Improvement. III the
land is too sandy to get good clover
catch, leached ashes or German pot
ash salts will give a good seeding.
If the land be heavy, it is probably
in need of undertaking. This on a
large scale, using hired labor, costs
heavily. But one who is willing TO
work can dig and lay tile or stone
drains to some extent every year, do
ing the work at odd times when 1t
will not interfere with putting in and
harvesting crops. There is no farm
Improvement that lasts longer or
paws better than a well-laid under
drain.
The natural and artificial advan-
tage of farm should be studied and
mt TO the best use. Even the poor
est farm has some Of these; and II Is
the business Of its owner TO find out
what they are and make the most OF
them. On some farms we have known
a change OF ownership to develop
wealth not at all suspected by It's
previous occupant On one farm,
near a growing city, "a stone quarry
was found which in few years yield
ed more profit than the sum pald Tor
the entire farm. On another val
liable sand pit was developed. On
another timber lot Was cut down
and sold for more than the original
purchase which included it. These
were not properly farm operations,
but they indicate clearly the KIND OF
business capacity that Is needed III
all farm operations, and especially IN
reclaiming poor farms.
Sometimes there are on neglected
farms unexpected sources OF wealth.
that have been previously overlooked.
Land that has lain unused as being
too low and wet for farm crops may
be Just right for planting the osier
willow, or with proper drainage ana
manuring for growing the largest
crops of celery and cabbage. In this
wav capital may be made on one
part of the farm to improve the re-
mainder. In fact, this Is almost
always the way in which farm renova-
ton must be accomplished. 1t Is too
heavy task for ordinary capital and
business capacity 10 improve n large
farm all at once. If the money
conld be had for doing it, the employ
ment of so much labor, much OF 1t
incompetent, must entail needless eN-
pense and loss. The natural way, be-
ginning gradually and increasing and
extending improvements as results
Justify them. is best in all cases. The
good farmer J.. always learning, and
after a few years will devise better
and CHEAPER means of improving his
farm than he can know at the begin
ming.
There can. therefore, be no cast
iron rule how to improve land. While
few things are always helpful,
their use must depend upon circum-
| stances. which each farmer must
study and take advantage Of for him
self. To keep ones eyes and ears
open to watch the improvements that
others make and note the results.
and read with due discrimination the
methods Of practical farmers as re-
lated in agricultural papers, are all
safe rules to follow And it is much
cheaper. as we'll as pleasanter, TO
gain knowledge of failures iii this
way. than through ones own perso-
nal experience. 1t is safe, generally,
| TO follow up your own successes, and
in time you will learn TO improve
upon these. The business of farming
| is experimental, not theoretical, and
| it is best learned in experimental
met hods.