St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-05-12
4 BEvY OF USEFUL HINTS.

defined idea of the crops he Will be
expecting to grow for this year and
the next, at least, and then fertilize
it accordingly If anything is left
over for future crops it may be
considered in the next manurlng.
Farms are like many men, what
they owe you is hard to collect after
few years, and pretty surely lost If
1T runs seven years.
Very often the larger the crop
taken off the land the better it is.
Very few crops take out all that is
put in to make them grow. They
may take something that was not
put in, but usually the farmer puts in
the three principal elements and trusts
to the farm for the rest, and it is not
easy to proportion so that there will
be all that is needed of one without
getting more than can be taken of
another one. If the farmer grows
rich by large crops, the farm is very
apt to grow rich.
Why should there be abandoned
farms in New England when Massa-
chusetts raised an average of 40
bushels of corn to the acre, when the
average of the whole United States
was but 26.6 bushels, and the
lowest average in New England and
New Hampshire and Connecticut)
was 35.7? Massachusetts, raised an
average of 1000 pounds of tobacco
to the acre, and Kentucky less than
one-half as much, or $50 pounds.
Maine raised 1875 bushels of potatoes
to the acre, an amount only equalled
by the new state of Washing ton, and
the average of all the states was less
than "a bushels. The state of Yer
mont grew 1 6 tons hay per acre an
average of all her moving lands, in
Guiding the rocky and mountainous
portions, which was not exceeded by
any other state And yet every man
did not do his best Some farmers
cut over five tons of hay on an acre.
Others grow over 100 bushels of
potatoes on an acre or at that rate
on smaller lots, and even at the rate
of $50 bushels to the acre is recorded.
When all reach the highest limit now
reached by few, the country can
supply from four to six times as
many people with food as it now
does, and still have land left I'M
cultivated, which could be made to
supply as much more.
When the farm owns the farmer it
is apt to work him too hard. He
should plan his work so that he will
be the boss" and not let the work
drive him.
A writer in an exchange says a
horse produces about So pounds of
manure per day. worth $3.50 per
ton, or IT cents worth per day,
little less than sd cents per week.
This is much larger amount than is
by English and German
who place it from 3S to
40 pounds of solid and liquid matter
per day, or less than four-fifths that
amount. The same exchange allows
S5 pounds per day for cow, worth
$3.50 per ton; a year-old hog 31a |
pounds, worth So 40 per ton and
sheep one-year-old or more 512 |
pounds, worth $415 We think
these amounts are all too high, and |
the value must depend upon quality
for it.
A correspondent of the Practical |
Farmer gives his experience in trying
to exterminate the Canada thistle |
After trying for several years upon a
field where there was a half-acre /
which he desired to cultivate, and |
upon other smaller lots of them, he |
says: II will give three suggestions
for the benefit of those who are
troubled with the Canada thistle. |
First, if you have only few on your
farm, dig them out and put two or
three large handfuls of salt in each |
hole. Be sure and destroy the stems
that have been dug out, as they will
grow again if they should come in
contact with fine earth, under favor
able circumstances. Second, if you
have a quantity in a pasture lot,
keep them cut down with a sharp
them so that the stock will nibble
at them occasionally. Sheep are
good for this. Third, if
the thistle patch is on arabic land,
put it in some cultivated crop, such
as potatoes or beans, and continue
as long as there is a thistle left. No
matter which of these suggestions
is practised, it will be seen that the
main object is to keep them cut
under the surface of the ground,
which is the only feasible rule, never
allowing energy or patience to wane
until the object is accomplished.
How many farmers are there who
never tasted of caulif1ower, celery.
okra. egg plant, satisfy, kale, brussels
sprouts or Lima beans, and who
seldom eat lettuce, spinach or any
dandelions excepting those that |
spring up wild in the pasture? And
pears, peaches and other small fruits