The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-03-03
HOW TO MAKE FARMING PAY.
WHAT the Deer Creek Farmers Gu sa

What the Deer Creek Farmers Gu Says
The Deer Creek Farmers Club met last Sat
ur'lay at the residence of Mr.. T. E. Swartz
Fountain Green. John Moores was called to
the chair. The club discussed this important
question: "How Can We Make Farming Pay
Now?" ... ..
Mr.. Swartz, the host, said be hoped to gain
rather than to impart information on the sub
ject. To make farming pay man must give
close attention to his business and exercise
good Judgment. 1t is essential to have plenty
of buildings in which to secure crops. hay
barrack he thought, would pay for Itself in
two years. Fertilizer bills are heavy ex.
pensc and to curtal them as much as possible
a farmer ought to keep enough stock to con-
sumo all the rough proFender and provide all
the manure needed for the corn ground every
year. Mixed husbandry is more profitable now
than the regular rotation of crops. Potatoes
ar, profitable crop if planted year after year
His experience in planting tomatoes had not
been favorable and he considered corn a bet
ter paying crop. A farmer ought to raise all
the young stock he cam A steer calf soon
grows into beef; heifer soon becomes a COW
and colts can be raised to advantage.
Oliver Cochran said that while farming is at
low ebb it is in q fair way to recover. He
spC Ike of the want of Judgment on the part of
some farmers in not awaiting themselves of the
bes labor-saying appliances. For instance he
had seen a man spreading manure from u cart
and then laboriously Responding it in the
field, when if the manure had been properly
say ed a kemp's manure Spreader would have
emf bled him to do the work better and in one
fourth the time. His plan had been to have
all his fodder cut and have the manure spread
evenly over the barn yard every morning. In
the spring it was then found to be in excellent
cor dition for spreading. As to feeding stock,
ONT, winter he had kept an accurate record OF
the cost of feeding II COWS, flock of sheep
and some horses-40 head in all-and found
the average to be cents day. The stock
were fed on brewers grains, ship stuff. cut
foo der, clover hay, mill feed and corn and cob
meal. These were placed in layers in q large
trough, boiling water was poured on, the mass
was covered up and the whole allowed to re-
main from night till mo Iaing or from morning
till night. His COWS were always in condition
fol- the show yard and all his stock throve
Vim. ID. Lee remarked that farming pays bet
ter now than heretofore. Beef, pork, corn, po-
tatoes and apples all bring good price, and
Gu ming is booming. Farmers, he thought,
have no more cause for grumbling than other
pc )ple.
i. p. Moores said II farmer should always
have something to sell, some cattle, potatoes,
wheat, corn, chickens, &c. What he has to buy
he should manage to buy without paying out
money, that is by exchanging produce for it.
TC MAKE farming pay man should have no
more land than he can work himself Ioma-
toes and corn for canning can be raised with
pr oiit, and it costs no more to plant tomatoes
til LII corn.
James F. Kenly thought the tide is turning
in favor of the farmer. To make farming pay
farmer must give the same attention to his
bI siness as merchant does. He must do all
he can himself and practice economy unceas-
in ely, particularly in small matters. tits better
nc { to be confined to any special line of farm
Ing, unless it be the dairy business and to keep
as many cattle as can be pastured, fed and
housed. Where convenient to canning houses
it pays well to raise tomatoes and sugar corn.
Tie latter now brings 81 Il ton. The growing
of tomatoes is harder work than raising corn.
He had found there is greater proportionate
profit in n few acres in tomatoes than i'll large
acreage, because the smaller area can be bet
ter attended and the yield per acre would be
m lch larger. Sugar corn does not pay as well
but two or three times as many acres can be
managed. Tomato picking interferes with
re gular farm work, because when tomatoes
are ready they must be picked, The corn,
he viewer, if the ground is wet or the air moist
can remain for a few days unharmed. Calves
aIii colts grow into money without the cost
being felt. Farmers buy too many improved
i'll plementS. 1t would be more economical il
two or three farmers, for instance, would join
in buying q reaper or corn planter. Their
W Dirk could be done as well as If they owned
the whole machine. He advocated mixed
farming by which man could always have
something to sell, but deprecated the plan OF
| farmers trying first one thing and then another
Experience in raising any crop will enable Il
farmer to make it pay. He thought the day OF
large farms is over in Maryland.
James w. Hanna advocated raising young
stock, so as to have lamb, pig or colt to
sell. He likewise thought it would pay better
| to pillow less and fertilize more heavily. Better
cIops would be raised and with less labor. He
considered il more profitable to raise tomatoes
al 20 cents 81 bushel than to raise corn. Sheep
All more profitable than cattle and every farm
| OF in the county should have little bunch
Tie old idea that sheep and cattle do not thrive
tC gether is exploded. There is also profit in
snail fruits and garden truck. -.. .~>
Robert f. Hanna said farmers ought not con
| fine themselves to one branch OF farming.
They plow too much. If one-half the ground
were plowed, one-half the labor would be saved
| and more money would be made. Every
! farmer should save as much fertilizer at home
as he can. All the rough provender should be
| turned into manure. Calves and sheep are
profitable but there is not much money in colts
A farmer should keep few cows and make Il
! little butter, and keep few pigs and chickens
John b. Wysong said the best way to make
| ffrming pay is to make the land rich and get
| tie largest per centa2e of profit from small
| acreage and with minimum amount of labor.
Mixed husbandry is best for the average farm
| Ell. Potatoes are profitable where the land il
suitable for them If land is well set in grass
grazing young stock and fattening cattle, to-
gether with some sheep, is rs profitable as any
large breed such as the Percheron, which at
| three years old will sell for $500 a pair: Now
that cable roads are taking the place of horse
cars there will be little market for horses OF
ordinary size and it won't pay to attempt to
raise blooded stock or trotters, the per centage
o.. good colts being toosmall. "A small flock of
sleep well cared Tor is more profitable than any
other stock.
John Moores said farmers expect too much.
Before they are willing to admit that farming
pays they expect to get fat, to wear good
clothes, ride in fine carriages, make theirf farms
ricn and have money besides. Land about here
used to sell at from SO TO SIS an acre. Now it
will bring from $50 TO $50 and is worth 800
Any land that will bring II barrels of corn or
Is bushels of wheat to the acre is worth S1oO
al acre. Our land is as good as that in Fred
elick or Washington counties but it don't sell
for as much don't know why this is, unless
it is because of our heavy tax bills and bad
roads. When the day comes that we have LOO
II lies of good stone roads the price of our lands
will be enhanced from % to 40 per cent If a
II an is in debt farming is a harassing life. A
l for
rlil. He must come down and go to work. II
Ia Z Is not able to work himself he had better 60
away and let some one else take his farm.
! There is some depression in farming but many
fIriners make an excellent living even III these
! hard times. For the average farmer mixed
! husbandry is best, and strict attention and
economy will bring him out. ...
Adjourned to meet April LIST.
A Million Friends.
A friend in need is friend indeed, and moi
han I,.,vf it,gt