The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-08


bales of cotton now raised in the South
could be produced on one-third the area
that is now annually planted. The South
now furnishes about two-thirds of the
worlds supply. It's soil and climate is
we'll adapted to this crop, and the cheap
labor OF that region enables il to compete
with any other region. There will always
be much hard labor required in picking
cotton, and such labor is very abundant in
the old slave states.
AS 1t now ia, the cotton area is 80 great
that, notwithstanding the abundance of
labor, there is not much profit IN the crop.
The yield per acre is too small to leave
much for the planter after the labor bill is
paid. II the yield can be increased on
any plantation by better methods of farm
ing the cost will not be much greater and
the profits, therefore. larger. If it is pos
sible to treble the average yield per acre,
there is money in the business for the few
progressive men who will do so.
The tendency now among the most pro-
gressive of our farmers is toward intensive
farming. They seek to grow the usual
land and saving expenses. 1t is safe to
say that when the South raises her usual
100000 bales Of cotton on half her usual
acreage the prosperity Of that region will
be much greater.
But how about the North? A wonder
full season has given us fifteen bushels of
wheat per acre. Usually we average only
twelve bushels. Is it not a fact that mill
ions OF acres barely pay cost of production,
sven If they do that well2 Who are rails
ing less than ten bushels to the acre?
Plenty of people are doing so. or our aver
age could not be so low when we think of
the number of good farmers who are rails
ing from twenty-five TO thirty-five. Can
We not see that our only hope lies in more
intensive farming? We must plant fewer
acres and grow large crops upon them A
few are doing this and are making money.
The majority are raising their usual
crop on too many acres and expense is
taklng out all the income of sales. They
are the farmers who hold our national
averages of corn. wheat and other staples
down 20 the present extraordinary low
figures. Prosperity lies in intensive farm
ing. II farmer can get his farm aver
ages high he can withstand competition.
A good profit on few acres is better than
little profit on many acres. Fewer acres,
better tillage and more fertilization are
the basis OF future uccess in farming.
FslrvIew Farm. Papers, No. 6, by David.
The present rainy season is giving many
farmers plenty of idle time, but 1 find
that the most of it can be proftably em-
ployed on Fairview farm. OF course one
must plan to do the dry-weather work
when the weather permits and leave the
other for days when it is either raining
or else the ground is too wet to be titled.
This spring we have cleaned and repaired
every set of harness, repaired all the farm
implements and painted them, sharpened
eickles and other edged tools and done
numerous other indoor Jobs that will save
time when work pushes
Ii pays farmer 10 buy leather bv the
side, and to have q supply of both rivets
and rapid harness members" buckles,
snaps and rings. These cost little by the
quantity, and help one to make the pro-
verbal stitch in time that saves nine.
Then have a place to keep them and all
other repairs. II repair shop is out Of
the question, then partition of barn
closet large enough to hold the finer tools
and the repairs have door and lock to it,
and everything will keep till wanted
For painting common i'm IMPLEMENTS
paint made by an admixture OF Venetian
red and red lead with linseed oil is good
for all wood work. Buy the material by
the quantity and put it in the repair shop.
For the iron parts of the implements there
is a prepared paint that is excellent. A
little drier should be used in all wood
paints. and one should have two good
brushes Two or three dollars will buy
enough paint TO cover all the machinery
in a modern tool house, and such houses
are always full-too full for profit, it
may be.
The outdoor work in wet weather is
usually plentiful If one looks for it. One
should plan TO DO everything that can be
done now as well az later in the wear.
Ditching, thing, repairing farm roads and
fences, getting out material for new fences,
improving appearances of the farm in
every wav-a score of little things
present themselves. Not all of us can
have everything as we would like, but
these wet DAYS can be employed 10 keep
work from pushing US later on The farm
can furnish employment everv day to the
thoughtful farmer / believe in rest days,
in time for visiting and reading, but this is
written 10 point out the necessity Of keep
ing abreast of the work, OF pushing it and
not letting 1t push US, and if we do this
rainy seasons must be improved.
Live stock Ranches
Census bulletin No. III estimates the
stock on ranches as follows Horses. 517.-
12s; cattle. 6,s2s, 1872; sheep, 6.676, 9O2, and
swine, 1926. The total number of men
reported on ranches in care of this stock
is $3.50. These figures refer only tostock
outside of that counted on farms The
stock Of western Kansas and Nebraska.
North Dakota, Nevada and portions of
South Dakota, Colorado and Utah, which
Is often regarded as range stock, is not in
eluded.
In these states the stockmen have found
1t necessary. to q certain extent, to acquire
possession of their grazing lands and to
fence them, and on account of the les
sened grazing area 70 raise or provide in
some measure supply of feed for the
winter. In this way they come TO be
classified as stockmen ION farms, and the
seeming reduction in range stock is prob
ably not real. While stock may be raised
more chesply on ranges, it is the rule that
an equal area in small farms usually con-
tains more head of stock and of better
grade
Ranges will continue to grow smaller
and the number of cattle upon them less.
but the supply of beef from the original
oraa will orov oroata. - voo-o -. =