Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-09-12
Yhe NOE.

just ut this stage Of our agriculture
there is difference Of opinion among
wise men, about the policy Of using the
hand hoe among cultivated neld crops
Opinions are freely quoted on both sides
but the conditions which justify different
practices In different localities are lost
sight Of. Methods which are suitable
In western farming, ~here there 10 land
enough and no fertilizer 10 applied,
would not apply In New England, yet
we are treated With doses Of advice pre-
pared for that section, and told that
adopting them would be Improvement.
Mr.. Aiva Age is quoted as saying :
"No implement has been made that Will
leave plant growing in clay ground In
~ good shape as hoe In the hands OF q
man that knows how to use It."
And Horace Greeley as saying: vi
suppose you have all got past the folly
Of hoeing corn. Give II a. good cultiva-
tion as YOU can with horse and let Il
co." A writer In the Stockman who In
PRODUCES these quotations aides with
Greeley and closes by saying: "rhe
time will probably come In this country
when labor will be cheaper and farm
products dearer. when that time comes
the man who msies two spears OF grass
grow where but one grew before will be
q public benefactor; but at present
should all the farmers make two bushels
Of wheat grow where but one grew be-
fore they would ruin themselves and end
their days In the poorhouse.
..Some people regard weeds a. the
serpent In Eden. They are only plants
out OF place, and are the priceless
products Of nature In lts constant en-
deavor to cover the naked earth, and
prevent the loss Of fertility. Were II
not for the spontaneous growth OF weeds
some farms would become ~ barren as
naked road or the great desert Of Sahara"
The desert Of sahara makes forbid
ding picture this hot, dry weather, but
when man has to NOW the weeds and
rake them OF before he can dig his pOts-
toes, the jungle Of Africa might ~ well
be introduced into the imaginary land
scape. No good farmer neglects to use
the scythe around rocks and In the fence
corners Just because he can NOV the
most Of his field with q machine, and
there would be as much reason In it NJ
throwing aside the hoe because most OF
the work can be done With q horse.
weeds are helped by cultivation as much
as corn, and tile few that are left In the
hills or rows where the cultivator can
not reach them will produce seeds
enough to all the ground for another
year. An old blacksmith who did lit
tie farming Was criticised by = farmer
for not spreading the manure more
evenly, and replied that what was not 10
Que place would be In another; and this
man attempts to continue the philosophy
by providing that what the corn does
no, get the weeds ~ill. When man
has dug muck, gathered leaves, scrsped
roadside bitches, czrted sawdust aud
worked In all ways to Increase his ma
nure pile, and then bought phosphate
To supplement- it, it 10 q worse fault TO
let the weeds have u part Of it than t
would have been to have rested while ne
Was producing that amount, and put In
the labor later killing weeds. lt 10 very
true that weeds on the ground are better
than nothing, but plants can be provided
to cover the soil that will not riPen seeds
the first year, aud can be easily killed
by plowing. furthermore the rows must
be very straight and Of even width Tor
any implement drawn by = horse to
throw the fresh soil In among the stalks
where it should be, without making too
much Of a ridge at the sides. A very
little work with the hoe will add to the
profit from the whole job where 90 much
labor and expense has been put Into pre-
pairing for crop.-Mirror and Farmer.