The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-06-25
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
NOTES.

rather been in the opposite direction. With
practically limitiess quantities of new SOIL the
temptation has been 60 get what could be got
out of the ground with the least trouble, aud
let il 60 al that. This has bred habits of care
less farming, and the high prices Of labor have
been n contributing influence. The result is
that though our soil is undoubtedly superior
TO that of England the production per acre
has not averaged half and is scarcely above
that Of the poor, WORKOUT soil of France. Mr..
Stubbs's admirable book on Land and Labor.
which is recognized as an absolute authority
in England, gives the following figures Of the
production Of wheat per acre in various count
ries
English average .................. &c bushels
French ayeTRgc.......................l3
American mHN i'm IN .............- 10
English maximum ,,................ GO
The English are by no means pleased with
their high average. and many writers contend
that it should be raised to at least &c bushels
per acre. Such an average is equally possible
in this country, and with it no farm could fail
TO be very profitable. The land, the seed, and
most of the labor costs just rs much for an
average crop of 10 bushels as for one of 40; the
profit is in the extra 30 bushels. Any farmer
who can increase the productiyeness OF his acres
so much % per cent. will speedily become
rich. The attention Of our farmers, especially
ia the older sections, is strongly turned in this
direction, and some extremely satisfactory ro-
suits are reported from thigh farming."
think that our farmers really making more
progress in this direction than any other in the
world. They are the most intelligent and pro-
gressive in the world, and they catch the spirit
which animates Americans in other forms Of
production. They realize fully now that
brains and education are as neecssary-eyen
moro so-in farming as in any other pursuit.
Shrewd, wide-awake management, careful
study Of conditions and results, and ingenious
adaptation Of means to ends are needed as much
on the farm as in the factory, and will produce
even richer results. The dull, OK like tiller
of the soil belongs to Europe and another age.
lie is out of place in this country. Taken by
and large, the farm is much more profitable
than the store or factory, if managed with the
same ability. This our farmers understand moro
fully every day, and contributions by progress
i've farmers to the agricultural papers Of the
country show that they are stud ing every ques-
ton relating to their business with as much
intelligence and thoroughness as men in other
lines Of business. This is the great hope Of our
agriculture. We are now obliged to compete
with the whole world in selling our agricul-
tural products. Our wheat, corn, oats, butter,
cheese, wool and meats will only bring in Eu-
rope what the same can DO bought from the
stupid. half-barbarous Russian serfs, the
half starved HinGus, aud the imported Ia
borers working the yalueless lands OF South
America. The only way we can obtain the
advantage Of them is by superior methods Of
labor-saying machinery aud greatly increased
production.
1t is estimated that 10000. 600 acres Of land
in the United States are devoted to clover, and
that tho ANIMAL value Of the CROP considering
everything, is not less than 500. COO 600 year.
ibis Is value equal to that Of the Wanted
King Cotton before the war.
W. II. Goldsmith, OF Newark, n. J., thinks
that bagging grape clusters is even more i'm
portant than spraying. In 1884 he had vine
yard Of 200 Niagaras. 10 put paper bags over
the clusters on 200 Of these. During the SUM-
mer tho foliage on all the vines was ompletely
bagged vines became hard and did not ripen,
while that the bagged clusters ripened per-
fecily. The Summer and Fall of 1899 were
probably the worst ever known 10 the New Jer-
soy grape growers. He sprayed his vines once,
aud made one application Of tho Bordeaux
mixture on part Of his vines, but succeeded in
blgging nearly all Of them. The mildew hurt
the grapes everywhere, and his own were not
exempted, but he succeeded in producing much
better fruit than any Of his neighbors who did
not use bags. Last year he put on 66OOO bags,
costing $500 besides that Of the labor Of putting
them on, which was very considerable, as il
had to be done ia tho busiest season Of the
year. aud the time for doing il was short He
begins as soon as the clusters have set, but not
while the grapes are blossoming. He docs not
believe in oiled bags or those made of parch-
ment, but finds that the hest kind are those
made in the old-fashioned way Of common ma
nilla paper. He cuts of the square corners Of
the tops aud bottoms, aud Is careful TO pin them
above the lateral from which tho cluster hangs.
Bags not only protect against the mildew, but
against the little black worm which is proving
such pest.
Prof. Goessman has succeeded in stopping the
blackknot on plum trees by shaving il of the
larger limbs, and then painting with mixture
Of linsecd oil and iron rHst. into which no puts
few drops Of earbolic acid.
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