The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-10-21
FARMING WITHOUT STOCK.


An OHIO Wan Is DONG ~ WIN sreat sue
cess.
1t may seem strange TO some that
good especial crop farmer can do
without stock except a single cow 10
furnish milk and cream for family use
and horses sufficient To do the re-
quired team work in Flowing, culti-
vating and marketing. This is what
Theodore b. Terry OF Hudson, o., a
well-known potato grower IS said TO
do. He makes speciality OF his
crop and keeps his land rich by apply
ing al the horse and cow manure he
can make to his clover, and using the
clover he cannot feed as green manure.
1t should be remembered, however,
that Mr. Terry farmed with the reg
ulation amount OF stock a number Of
wears before he began the potato
speciality system. In that time his
soil was constantly growing richer.
He also owns muck bed on one cor
ner Of his small farm, and this has
materially aided him in maintaining
fertility He has also used in expert
ments considerable amounts Of min
eral manures. These with clover
will, we tkink, keep land fertile in
definitely. The air supplied both nj
trogen ana carbon TO the clover plant.
IL the mineral elements, lime and
potash, are supplied by clover, and
the plant thus grown Is returned TO
the soil, IL must continue 10 increase
in fertility. Mr.. Terry's plan alter
mates potatoes and wheat with clover
every third or fourth year. These
crops he sells, but the gain from the
clover returned TO the soil more than
Offsets what these crops sold from the
farm take from ii.
We cannot help thinking that with
enough stock OF the best kind 10 eat
all the clover ne can grow Mr. Terry's
profits would be greater than under
his present system. IL he had stock
so poor that the manure pile was the
only profit got from keeping it he
might well object to a change. Let
ting clover lie and rot on the land
before plowing IL saves an enormous
amount OF labor but 1t loses TO the
farmer what the JudiciOus feeding OF
the best stock might produce. The
clover which Mr. Terry plows under
aS manure would form the basis for
keeping perhaps eight or ten good
COWS OF some of the best milk and
butter breeds. No one would think
OF feeding milch cows on hay alone.
A ratio of corn silage with some pur-
chased grain will be required to pro-
duce the best milk results, but who
will believe that this purchased grain
and homegrown silage If thus fed
will not be more than repaid? With
poor stock il will be different
The fault we find with Mr. Terrys
plan is that il is one that cannot be
universally adopted. He is no doubt
practical farmer, for his own condi-
tions; but his example cannot be
safely followed by ,large proportion
OF the farmers OF the country. III IL
were, the increase OF potato product
would bring prices so low that nobody
could make money. A system OF
mixed farming, feeding as much as
possible OF the products OF the farm
TO the best stock, preserves fertility
equally we'll, and it is a system that
cannot be adopted too widely. The
kind OF stock kept will vary with
differing conditions, but whatever it
be 10 should be the best that the
farmer can get, and his constant
effort should be by judicious feeding
and breeding TO improve it, Here
again is another advantage OF keep
ing stock rather than farming with
out il. The stock grower gets part
of his gains by skill and capital put
Into the breeding OF the best. The
grower OF special crops however skill
full has TO get his gains with greater
manual labor than does the other. If
this he not an evil, il is strange that
there should be SO general desire TO
avoid the sweat OF the brow" rs
nearly everywhere prevails
The example of Mr. Terry should,
however set farmers to thinking,
even though they do not initiate il
in all respects There are millions
OF worthless scrub animals OF all
kinds which eat their heads of sew
eral times Il year. and are constant
drain on the farmers pocket The
sooner they are gotten rid OF the bet
ter. Begin with a few but have
these of the best, though only
single individual be the starter OF the
new flock or herd. There is nothing
which more rapidly adds to a farmers
gains than stock when il is Judi
ciously cared for and bred. To do
without this gain in order TO give cx-
elusive attention 70 some one
speciality does not seem TO us an eX-
ample TO be generally commended to
farmers. American Cuitiyator.