The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-05
PLANTER And FARMER.
Methods Of Farming InauSurated In Recent
Years.
GENERAL AGRICULTURAL RECORDS.
Tho Principle OF the Future that OF DiliRent,
skillful and Scientific Tillage of Small
Arcas-Other Selections.

The mode Of farming which is now COM
mended by the best informed and most skill
ful agriculturists is not Of the kind which was
practlced either by the New England farmer
of the olden time or which is now attempted
by the large Spectator, using modern ma
chinery with many hands, or great blocks Of
Western land Both in New England and in
the Middle States the scarcity of labor has
led farmers to propose a scheme which favors
the accomplishment Of the work Of the farm
with fewer employees The idea in general is
simple enough There il a development OF
less acreage by careful and scientific tertillza-
ton. The higher development OF land by
careful fertilization and the rapid cultivation
and care Of crops has become a successful and
profitable art. The adoption and cultivation
of this art is now q valuable, interesting and
instructive department Of knowledge and has
produced distinct and remuneratiye in
dustry.
Dir. Truitt. one of its professors, says that
the salvation Of the country rests on the in
tensive" system Of farming, and he gives
clear expression 10 his meaning by asserting:
II do know that man can make twenty
acres pay big money by building 1t up for all
It is worth" Beyond question. the failure.
or. at best, the meagre success oi ordinary
farming is striking and depressing COM
mentary on the work Of thousands engaged IN
that occupation. Mr.. Truitt has earned sue
cess by assiduOus attention to the needs OF his
land and by the careful cultivation Of "A com
paratiyely small farm. In the place OF lndf-
feient results he has won continuous and re-
liable trumphs, and the financial balance TO
his credit Is an argument to which 10 success
full objection can be made
This very successful iarmeris or the opinion
that he would be still more successful II he
confined his efforts TO one-fOurth of the land
he now cuitiyates and TO show that his
methods are susceptible OF general apphca-
ton he tells that one or his tenants three
years ago grew twelve bales OF cotton on
twenty acres Of land, followed that crop with
a sowing of ryeand afterwards Of peas-both
growths being plowed under while green
and next year increased his cotton crop 70
twenty bales The principle established by
this experience is that success in farming Is
obtained not so much by eXpcnding great
labor Oh large areas as 10y close and asslduous
attention TO the needs Of the soil i'm minute
subdivisions, and 10 tho immediate ana
almost daily necessities of the growing crop
The records of the Department of Agrlcul-
ture contains accounts 10y the hundred Oh
cases in which phenomenal yields were Sc
cured bv cultyatUg a little ground with con-
slant labor. Last year Mr.. X. NJ. Carlisle of
Mil Creek. Utah. got out If one acre 4l
bushels of potatoes, weighing three pounds
apiece. and Mr.. Z. j. Northcut, of Pullman,
Wash harvested 10l bushels and IL pounds
Of wheat from an equal area.
II would thus appear that Just at the time
when our public domain is approaching the
point'of exhaustion the old-tme methods of
farming arc gradually passing away, and that,
indeed. they deserve TO become wholly obso-
lete. The discovery of the fact that the caro-
of q small portion of land is less laborous and
harassing and at the same time far more
profitable than a large and wasteful tiilage is
destined b. revoutionize the mode of Amer-
cad agriculture. Not only are our unoccupied
lands capable OF populOus occupation. but
even or settled and occupied farms
could proftably ascertain three times the
number Of their present cultlvators. The
principle of the diligent, skillful and sclen-
tific tillage of small areas Is the principle OF
the future, and it will accomplish for the
American farmer wnnt no third party
movement or "sub-treasuryn scheme can ever
effect II Will develop the capacity of the
country for an immense increase OF popula-
ton. enlarge the home market, treble the vol
ume of home trade and bring in an era Of
prosperity III comparison with which all pre-
vious agricultural experience shall seem III
Washington Post.