The Lamar register., 1891-11-14
FARM, FIELD AND GARDEN.
SUBJECTS THAT WILL BE Fo,iNo
OF INTEREST TO FARMERS.
Good Advice for the Farmer--sheep
Raising Good Business--
Feeding Dairy Stock--Cure
of Roup--Damage to ST.
los.
Good Advice to the Farmer.

mcnt station to some extent. The
stations under the control OF the
State are, when properly directed, of
great benefit TO the agricultural
industry as a whole; but there are
conditions existing on each individu-
al farm which belong to it alone, and
which the experiments at the stations
do not exactly cover. But by follow
ing in the line OF the station inyesti.
cations, SO far as they are applicable
to l. - own case, farm owner NAV
MAXI tests which will greatly increase
his knowledge OF the capabilities of
his land, aud enable him to decide in
sellisently what to attempt and what
TO let alone. Many farmers go on
from year TO year raising crops not
we'll adapted to their soil and situa-
alton, and by methods III suited 20
secure the best results, when il they
would experiment wisely on n mod
crate scale they would see their error
and be able to reCtify II.
The farming industry is unlike al
most every other industry. in that il
generally affords the farmer n living
in spite OF the most stupid misman-
agement. But 1t is like every other
tD that 1t can be made by intelligent
management far more profitable than
Nhen indiiicrently conducted. The
old saw that knowledge is power is
as applicable here as in the counting
F.4f "a . ka -.
chair. But how shall the requisite
knowledge be acquired Certainly
not by plodiing on in the old rIts
that the father and grandfather fol
owed
The farmer who wants TO get the
most value out OF his land must be,
a. We have r-centiy pointed out, n
reading farmer He should have n
good agricultural library, which
should include all available standard
works on agricultural topics, includ-
ing chemistry OF the soil. plants and
fertilizers, botany, manaecment OF
live stock, etc. And in addition-to
return TO our iopic-he should make
experiments to test the adaptnbility
OF hts soil to different crops. aud to
ascertain what varieties of whatever
suited 20 his soil. We presume there
experiments would bring no revela-
tions.
IL is sometimes objected that-eX-
perimsnts conducted on a small scale
are deceptiye-thRt they do not fairly
Indicate what the result will be on a
larger area. There l. some truth in
~ L..N /
OF yield is not maintained on the acre
or tcn-acre field as on the little plot
oi carefully iertiliIsd and thoroughly
titled soil. some things OF value will
be learned from the experimental
strip which will aid in solving the
larger problems OF the farm.
Il may be learned, for example,
what variety OF grain yields the best
returns; what potato Is most suitable
for the soil. what brand OF oicommercial
fertilizer will best promote the growth
OF the variety chosen. To be sure,
the experiment might be made at
once on the large scale, but il Is COM
paratiye returns that are especially
aimed az in conducting small expert
ments, The true principle Elm conduct
ing such experiments is 20 bear in
mind the Larger area from which crops
are to be taken, and the amount of
fertilizer which can be applied to 1t,
and keep the experimental plot pretty
closely 10 the standard that viii be
maintained there In this way there
will bo less likelihood OF error than ii
the tests ara made under conditions
in some respects widely different from
those under which the regular crops
will be cultivated.
The Importance ofthese farm expert
ments can hardly be overstated.
They will not only increase the farm
cr's knowledge, but will also tend to
increase his interest and that OF his
family in the farm life and work
Mail and Express.