The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-12-13

which have led to this distressing and
almost general agricultural condition,
we find among other mistakes, two OF
greatest prominence. The first is, that
we have depended too much on COM
merciaI fertilizers and too little on
green crops and home manures. Inc
history of agriculture throughout the
world shows that in those countries
where commercial fertilizers are relied
on exclusively or even mainly to pro
duce crops, poverty and want have re-
suited. while in countries where IL Is
used in conjunction with thorough pre-
paration of the land, that is a prepara-
ton, which puts the land in condition
to utilize the fertilizer, prosperity and
riches, even, have blessed the farmers
intelligent efforts.
It is beyond contradiction that a man
cannot permanently enrich his land
with gu nos alone. They produce an
artificial stimulus, but they do not
build it up. This building up" must
be done by green crops, and by com
post applied broadcast over the land.
The common practice of running a fur
row, drilling in a little commercial fer
t%ilizer, covering and planting on that,
is positively no benefit to the land, and
often proves of little benefit to the crop.
And this is not from any fault of the
guano, the failure most frequently
comes from our mistaken manner of
which we have got to learn is, that we
cannot afford to S expensive fertll
izers, unless by means of these, reno
waiting crops and deep blowing, we put
our lands in condition to appropriate to
the best advantage that large proper
ton of these fertilizers, which is now
wasted. Our lands once brought to
this condition we need not fear to fer
tilize heavily. The renovating process
is "slow and tedious" but until we
nerve ourselves to this task, and I'M
dertake it earnestly and Systematically,
we cannot hope for agricultural pros
perity.
This process Of renovation is also
costly, but it is not more so than the
present one of planting large areas,
hastily prepared and imperfectly cult
waited. And in the end the building
up" plan is far more certain, far more
remunerative.
Just here is suggested to our minds
the second grave error, that is, plant
ing large areas in the uncertain, "slip-
shOd" manner which has characterized
our methods for many years, in other
words, undertaking to plant more land
than we can thoroughly manage. There
are thousands of acres throughout the
State which do not begin to pay for the
cost of cultivation. Leave these to
the kindly offices of Mother Nature,
select only our best land, and apply
there all the energy, all the manure,
which has heretofore been too much
diluted by the spreading process.
What we need is concentration. If
our last seasons 5000, 900 bales had
OGGu mdO0 Oh Hdll Iu0 Iduu WHICH was
used to make that crop, and the other
half had been applied to improved
methods of raising corn, wheat, oats,
grass and stock, how many millions of
money that escaped through our fingers
would have been retained at home and
be now adding to u prosperity
The big farms of the Northwest have
not as a rule proven permanently
profitable. The most prosperous com
munities are where the farms are
moderate in size, highly cultivated and
occupied by intelligent and industrious
families, who take pleasure and pride
in their business and surroundings.
To make the cotton producers Of the
South the richest and most independent
people on the globe, they have only to
cultivate less land in cotton, cultivate
it better-that is bring it to the highest
state of cultivation possible-and put
the remainder in diversified crops, cul-
tivated on the same plan.-R. T. Mes.
6itt, Commissioner of Agriculture OF
Georgia.
SHEEP SHEARINGS.