Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-29
ON WORKING TOO MUCH LAND.

ON WORKING TOO MUCH LAND.
A Fort Worth gentleman, who thinks
earnestly over everything of any apparent
Importance that happens to come before
him, has kindly called our attention to an
editorial appearing in the Metropolitan and
Rural Home of New York on the subject in
dictated by the above heading. The gentle
Inan gave it as his opinion that the article
applied to Teyls aLout as well as to any
other section of our common country, and,
after having awarded to it a careful read
ing, we found our own opinion the same.
The editor Of the Metropolitan and Rural
Home says, in substance, that close obser-
walton as farmer and agricultural journal
tst for nearly half century has convinced
him that about nine-tenths of our soil
workers are working too much land. He IS
led to this conclusion by the too-evident
fact that the lands DO not ,ield as they
should yield, usually, " half. The appear
ance of growing crops tell this sad tale from
year TO year, TO say nothing of what is told
by the results at each succeeding harvest.
Look over even your most fertile regions,
naturally, he adds, ana you viii find 1t set
forth in colors not to b, mistaken. CVass
and weeds in the cultivated fields contest
ing every inch With crops, and the
crops thick an. rank ,ome portions of
the field and extremely hin and feeble in
other portions. In many cases those feeble
spots will be found covering a very large
area of the whole. Why should this be so
in the fertile regions unless there is some
thing radically wrong in the culture and
management of the farm
Now, there is a cause for that inferior
crop on those areas mentioned, 0! course,
and the farmer should have time enough on
his hands to admit of finding out that cause
and applying remedy. There are three
leading causes-in some cases they may be
ali working together, but either singly
would be sufficient to bring disastrous re-
suits to the profits of the farm. The three
causes are: ~ paucity of available plant
food; (2) insufficient preparation of the soil
or insufficient differentiation, and (3) i'm
perfect drainage, which means a super
abundance of water about the roots of the
plants at some time during their growth.
No farmer should ever sow or plant an
acre Of land to crops without well-ground
ed assurance that he can make it bring, I'M
der ordinary conditions, crop that will
more han pay all cost of production, in-
GLIDING labor, rent of land and every other
necessary outlay If he has not this assur-
ance, and still desires TO work the land, he
should set about the necessary improve
ment in soil conditions to establish such as
surance. Any other course will prove
losing game every time.
Again, especially, no farmer should ever
SOW or plant an acre of ground until he has
it well and deeply prepared. 1t must be
thoroughly pulverizcd, no matter what the
crop to be put in. There must be no clods
left 1t must De in such condition that the
roots of plants W i'll meet with nothing in
the way of their penetration in every direc-
ton 10 search for their needed food and
water Then, after this. he should make
sure that he Is putting in none save the
vary best of seed.
The writer contends that farms show
ing such symptoms as above pointed out,
stand forth as the very best evidence that
the farmer is trying to work too much land
more IMAM ne mas the mental or iluancldl
ability to manage. The size of the farm
cuts no kind of figure in the case-it may
be 4 forty acre farm, or only twenty acre
farm; in either case = is too much for the
man if it gives indications OF bad farming.
There are not few farmers who cultivate
Goo sacres much better than do 9TH
ers who work only forty, or even only
twenty acres. The former are Qualified
by nature and education for farming, the
latter have probably mistaken their calling;
certain it is, that they have mistaken the
size of the farm that they are equipped
aLd canacltated for cultivating.
What sense is. there in occupying land
which you cannot properly cultivate? You
are obliged to lose interest and pay taxes on
the capital invested, and are probably COM
PEELED to labor very hard without compen-
saton. Besides, all the pleasures of farm
ing must be greatly diminished to one VINO
is always farming at loss, always crowded
with work, always behind his work and
never satisfied with his achievements.