The Wahpeton times., 1891-10-22
FARM, FIELD AND GARDEN.
SUBJECTS THAT WILL BE FOUND
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.

Good Advice to the Farmer.
Every farm should be an "experi-
ment station" to some extent. The
stations under the control of the
State are, when properly directed, of
great benefit to the agricultural
industry as q 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 investi-
cations, so far as they are applicable
to his own case, o. farm owner may
make tests which will greatly increase
his knowledge of the capabilities of
his land, and enable him to decide in
telligently 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 i'll suited to
secure the best results, when if they
would experiment wisely on q mod
crate scale they would see their error
and be able to rectify it.
The farming industry is unlike al
most every other industry, in that it
generally affords the farmer living
in spite of the most stupid misman-
agement. But it is like every other
in that it can be made by intelligent
management far more profitable than
when indifferently conducted. The
old saw that knowledge is power" is
as applicable here as in the counting
room, the factory or the professor
chair. But how shall the requisite
knowledge be acquired? Certainly
not by plodding on in the old ruts
that the father and grandfather fol-
lowed.
The farmer who wants to get the
most value out OF his land must be,
as we have recently pointed out, a
reading farmer. He should have a
good agricultural library, which
should include all available standard
works on agricultural topics, includ-
ing chemistry of the soil, plants and
fertilizers, botany, management OF
live stock, etc. And in addition-to
return to our topic-he should make
experiments to test the adaptabiliJy
of his soil to different crops, and to
ascertain what varieties of whatever
crops he decides to raise are best
suited to his soil. We presume there
are not many farmers to whom such
experiments would bring no revela-
tlons.
1t is sometimes objected that-ex-
periments conducted on small scale
are deceptive-that they do not fairly
indicate what the result will be on q
larger area. There is some truth in
this; but even if the same proportion
of yield is not maintained on the acre
or ten-acre field as on the little plot
Of carefully fertilized and thorous shly
titled soil, some things OF value will
be learned from the experimental
strip which will aid in solving the
larger problems OF the farm.
1t may be learned, for example,
what variety of grain yields the best
returns; what potato is most suitable
| for the soil; what brand dofcommercial
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 it is COM
parative returns that are especially
aimed at in conducting small expert
ments. The true principle in conduct
ing such experiments is to bear in
mind the larger area from which crops
are to be taken, and the amount of
fertilizer which can be applied to it,
and keep the experimental plot pretty
closely to the standard that will be
maintained there. In this way there
will be less likelihood OF error than if
the tests are made under conditions
in some respects widely different from
those under which the regular crops
will be cultivated.
The Importance ofthesefarm expert
ments can hardly be overstated.
They will not only increase the farm
er's knowledge, but will also tend to
increase his interest and that OF his
family in the farm life and work
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