Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-05-15
caop ROTATION AND STEADY
FARMlk0l

Much has bcen written on thls subject,
vet many cases have been within my
observation In the past, aud are before
me At the present tlme, which 90 To
prove that farmers many times disrc-
gard the fact (either from carelessness
ar igucranee) that Ia do otherwise than
continue q regular rotation of crops and
farm steadily IL 20 impoverlsh their
lands aud bring calamity on their own
heads. The cry ''it don't pay" before
giving an Impartial aud Intelligent trial
TO some particular branch OF farming,
kills many q man as q SUCCESSFUL fsrm-
er. last season, and at present with
the high price 81 hay, many will eontin-
ne 10 now the same fields i've or ak
wears, until the seeding Il run out aud
the land exhausted. The result vii be
that the price of bsy will 60 down-too
low Tor profitable hay raising. Then We
must raise something else, and that
means grain, and In what condition viii
these lands be 10 rsise gralns II does
not need an expert to tell that unless
they can be restored by heavy coats Of
manure, or something equally "a good,
the Weld Of grain will he very light, aud
the sane result L. true In the continuous
cropping With grain without seeding To
clover or other grasse..
hsve been over these "bare spots" Ia
INV sorrow. aud know what u costs.
seven years ago last season sheep were
sold here at q grcat sacrifice by many
farmers; they said ID did not pay, so the
sheep had to 60, and every one Was in
for raising hay, which VAS then high.
In tao az three years good hay sold
at from ~ 10 ss, aud then the same men
we're sheep czfv. paying from 81 To ~
per head for common stock. Nov an
other change has come; sheep are down
and hay I. up, and many sre slsughter-
ing their sheep and moving their lands
to death.
About seven years ago horses were
high, and every man who had a horse
wsnted to sell him or trade him for Q
mare, so great Was the crare Tor raising
horses. And where IL the horse market
today Many farmers will answer the
question With long face; nearly every
farmers yard Il filied With horses and
colts for which he has little use, and
cannot seil at anything Ike the coat OF
growing. Two years ago reduced my
own stock Of horses at public auction,
but dbl not escape a "bis cut" In price
In comparison with prices one asd two
years before.
The sane Il true of the cattle market {;
u has IT, cups sud do~ns"-also of hog.
IN the past two wlnters--in fact IL s the
same With everything . farmer raises.
N he undertakes to follow the high
markets n will lead him merry chase.
Many men aud women to-day are striy-
Ing With the wlnter-lsying hen, which IL
commendablc, but I predict that eggs
wIli soon reach price even In winter
that will sickeu thrm of the hen busi-
ness. wheat IL "fist," and many have
not even sown any for their own bread.
In fact. th. only rational View seems
to be that steady work In the one direc-
ton of all around and diversified farm
Ing L. the only true way Ia success.
stop .'plunging." Raise grain, hay and
all the adaptable crops In rotation keep
a few shcep and cattle; raise now and
then . good colt. Remember that the
"rolling stone gathers no moss" aud
never allow high prices to be an lncent-
i've to abrupt chsnges.-G. NJ. H., Ca
yuga County, ". \.