The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-03-19
FARMER AND PLANTER.
METHODS o. EARNING.
Local Conditions Call for Practices and
Crops Adapted Thereto.

CuIcdCeO IN N OrJnern OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
well adapted to their section of country,
but entirely unsuited to ours. Even in
our Southern States there are local con-
ditions which call for local practices.
Thus, clay soils require different treat
nent from those that are sandy; billy
lands from those that are level. Such
differences may, and often do, exist
within the limits of single farm, and
one of the most profitable things a
farmer can do is to study care
fully the peculiarities of every field
on his place. In the first place every
field should be carefully surveyed, so
that its acreage may be known. This
Is important both in the pitching of
crops, and in the distribution of manures.
Again, its soil should be studied in refer
enee to its natural drainage; that is. the
rapidity with which it dries off after
rain and gets into condition to take the
pillow. Soils vary greatly in this par
ticular, but such difference is often
overlooked and no allowance made in
Starting plows. No one thing, perhaps,
is more injurious to clay soils than
blowing them when too wet, and yet it
is very frequently done. Sometimes
when the soil is thin, the upper part
may be dry enough, but the subsoil
which is reached by the pillow, is still
too wet.
The adaptation of each field to particu-
lar crops is also worthy of special note
The same rotation may not suit equally
well all the fields on a farm. This is
obvious in case of wet or damp valley
lands, which will not admit of cotton,
or sweet potatoes or wheat in rota-
ton. 1t may not be so obvious in case
of uplands, but careful observation will
generally discover similar peculiarities
and adaptations in these. A light,
thirsty soil may not bring a paying
crop of corn, but may produce a re-
munerative crop of peas or of winter
grain, as the latter does not suffer so
much from drought. Certain soils will
not make good cotton, but produce
usually good crops of grain. Such pc
culiarities should be carefully studied
and noted, and ones crops arranged &C
cordingly. 1t is in these nicer adapta-
tions that much of ones clear profit lies.
1t is very important also to study each
field with reference to its capacity to
produce any crop that viii yield a clear
profit. We are satisfied that there are
thousands and thousands of acres Gull
tivated that do not pay the expense of
cultivation. They might possibly paw
something in small grain, where cult
no e -,
Bermuda, where the expense of cultiva-
ton is still less. English farmers who
study profit and loss much more
carefully that most of our farmers do.
have of late years changed much of
their land from grain to grass, finding
the cultivation of grain improbable
at present prices And many of our
farmers would do the same thing
with their cotton fields, if they
were equally cognizant of the
facts and equally wise to act upon
them. But the misfortune is that so
few of our farmers have that exact
knowledge of their affairs whichenables
them to say positively that this paws
and that does not. Too much of our
farming. alas, is done in the dark. To
be really successful we must adopt those
business methods which are pursued
in all other avocations We must know
what comes in and what goes out. The
beginning Of new year is a very good
time to turn over a new leaf in all these |
matters.
Method and system not only lessen |
labor greatly, but contribute largely to |
successful results in any pursuit. This
is eminently true in farming. Now
that last years business is wound |
up, or should be. plans should |
be carefully studied and ma
tured for the present year. The first
thing farmer needs to know in doing |
this is, what are his assets-that is |
his means and appliances for CARVING /
on the work of the year? What eff |
cient stock is on hand. what provisions /
to feed them, what cash to paw for labor
and purchase fertilizers, how much good
land he has-land that will paw for cul-
tlvation; and lastly, though not in the
nature OF an asset, yet a factor that /
should not be overlooked. the s1pplv /
and reliability of labor within his reach
Perhaps the first item he should care
fully consider is the amount of good land
he has In judging his land he should be
a severe critic, not biased by partialitvbe-
cause it is his own. We are very prone
TO think more highly than we ought
not only of ourselves but of our nos
sessions also. We fiatter ourselves that
such field viii make a good corn or
cotton this year, in the face of the fact
that it has not done it for years past
We excuse and apologize for it bv at
tributing failure not to the land itself
but to seasons, or failure on our part to
give one working it needed. or some
thing else. The only safe rule is to
Judge it by the average crops it yielded
Turing the last five years. Unless
It has been heavily manured and
iudieiously cultivated, it has prob.
ably grown poorer, and win pro-
luce less in the future than in
The past. No proposition is sim
pier and palmer than: The richer the
and the greater the net profit from
money and labor expended ON II pro6+