Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-04-25

BRINGING UP A RUNDOWN FARM
In the Maine Farmer Of March 18th
there IL question of how to bring up q
rundown farm. Iwent on to the farm
am on now In 1876. Ii cut II small
one-horse loads Of hay. l raised p
bushels Of oats and about 10 bushels OF
corn, 30 bushels OF potatoes, aud saved
up enough to raise Is bushels Of beans.
The pasture was so poor IL would take
st least five acres to pasture COW.
The second year I began to plow.
They said, "You are plowing too much. y
took an old field all run out, and par.
I put on manure, and part ground bone
aud ashes, and one-hslf acre ground bone
alone, and another half acre phosphate,
aud part planted to corn, and put 800
lbs. Of phosphate In the hills, and got a
stout crop. I got 53 bushels Of oats
bv measure to the acre. They weighed
60 lbs. per bushel. The other part |
underdr-ined. put on 200 lbs. ground
any grain. That land had never grown
anything hut grass and weeds.
A farmers club met within ~ rods OF IL
but could not coax any one to go near
u To see the grlss. Secretary Gilbert
told me he would 90 after the meeting.
told one Of NV nelghbors had grass
8 IL feet high. lie said he had just come
from the college farm that morning aud
there was none there near that height.
went down and cut mp a handful and u
measured 3 IT,, % In, and when ] cut IL
the man who moved Il took a handful
measuring 1 IT,, 10 in., as cut by the ma
chine, and at the least calculation there
was tons to the acre, first crop. The
second crop was heavy. Then there Was
a swamp that bore nothing. went on
To IL June I'D, and went over my shoes
In water. I got 10 bushels Of beans that
averaged s2.75 per bushel. On part OF
Il got nothing.
took another field and plowed 1.-THE
neighbors said IL wouldn't bear any
thing-and put manure on part, and 3Oo
lbs. ground bone and 200 lbs. phosphate
to the acre: The first crop paid the en-.
tire expense the first year, aud pastured
Il four years. One acre would bear as
much feed "a three or four would be-
fore I took II.
Now want to tell you what seeding
with clover will do. I sold the lambs
for three years To the butchers, and year
before last NV ueighbor took three twin
lambs, and II had sold the other one
should have got for the four slo.oj, and
had the wool besides. Last year they
raised two apiece, and this year the
sime sheep got three lambs.
when put the lambs In they would
bring 81 80. The pasturlng was figured
At si.gs. Then gained ~ lbs. OF lamb
AZ 5c. per 10, sl.lO; and 3c. on the 30
lbs, when I put them In, oOe.; aud
80. on the skins.
For the last twenty years ! have sold
my hay for more than II has brought In
the Boston market. This has been car
ried gu foe more than sixty years. Two
OF INV neighbOrs, "a good farmers as
there are In the town of H,mpden, when
I went on To the ground said ought to
have been sent To the insane hospital,
II YOU can find a farmer In the town oil
IIsmpden who can sell his farm aud
throw In his buildings, and pay zoe. on
dollar, which will give him $1,000 inter
est tn every acre of land, call that
good thing.
80 YOU can see what tillsge and clover
will ,lo, and IL this doa't operate, l will
show yoc how have sold the hay at $40
a ton by pasturiug.-Corrc'pondent ot
Maine Farmer.