Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-08


The tendency In farming for n num-
Der or years has been toward special-
ties rather than diversity OF crops
or farm products. lr the farmer lived
In grain growing section, every eff
Tort was made to produce more and
more grain. If, on the other hand,
dairying was followed, no stone was
LETT unturned to keep more cows.
Whatever may have been the wisdom
of this policy In the past, IL Is a ,ltlcs-
ton worthy of our careful consldera-
tion at present whether or not we
should further continue It. With
view to illustrating the advantage of
having little of everything to sell In
stead Of depending solely on one thing
Il correspondent of the Country Gem
tleman gives a practical example of
what he once saw done. He writes:
A farmer OF my early acquaintance
kept herd OF cows and as the Gus
tom was in those days made most OF
his butter In the summer, which he
held till November and sold for what
ever price 1t brought. During the sum
mer months, whenever he went TO
town to do any trading. he did not go
and run n bill at the stores, to be set
tied when the butter was sold" but
always took something from the farm.
In the spring, during housecleaning
time he would have aboard a num-
Der of bundles of straw for filling
beds Selling these for this purpose,
his straw brought four or five times
as much as II would sell for by the
ton. A well cared for flock OF poultry
furnished eggs In exchange for the
family groceries. A few early yeget-
ables or fruits We're always selected
In their season. A few cords OF wood
were prepared in winter. neatly piled,
and when he was going never on
purpose). he took a load to pay his
blacksmiths bill. BY this means he
had his butter money to depend upon
to pay his debt in the fall.
was greatly interested in the meth
DDS employed by the German families
who occupy a great share of the dairy
farms In the vicinity OF Elgin, III.
THESE tenants pay more rent for the
hare farm than one will for In New
York state with II full line OF stock
and tools. l said to u German tarmnr
whom | met, "You all seem to prosper
here; will you inform me now you
do 1t 49,.
well, we milk 40 cows, and there
nre myself and wife and eight chill
dren. The women and children tenu
the plat of cucumbers and pick them:
we men take care OF the COWS ana
farm crops. We put In Two or three
acres of cucumbers, and they are soid
the canning IaNlOlAfHs ahN '''tN
children get enough from them 10 pay
ali our living expenses, so we nave
ali the profits from our milk 10 pay
rent and lay by 10 buy a farm IN
few years. ,,,,
We cannot raise cucumbers on such
an extensive scale. but one VINO has
not tried II will be surprised at ny
income from 20 hills OF cucumDers NH
cared for and kept closely picked. Ien
dollars worth OF cabbage can be grown
on a very small space. j nave nsaru
n friend tell OF his little girls picklns
and selling over $40 worth OF sun"
berries on a very small space. II |
remember correctly, the plat was oiiV
rod wide and Ave rods long. ~ a.
In connection with dairylns, .ne W.
tato crop Is one OF great importance.
,rhere are few years In which at some
time between digging and plan,ins
time potatoes will not bring 10 cents. ~
this price they are paying crop, hila
are worth this to feed COWS IN Nhi.t.'
I know this will nstonish many put,
as in other things. there Is lsn'
way and wrong way OF uoink ~,
Sunpose cows are receiving an aVerhse
~ len hounds of grain day, Two
days each week ten pounds OF Gu, DO
foes are substituted for the usual gram
fead there Will be no decrease IN quahu-
~ of milk or butter, IN iact' Wv
will keep in better thrift for TINS semi
weekly change Of diet , al, ,ro,,
In choosing what we VIII SCI, - 80
,h, farm thought should be given 70
he amount Of fertility we are remov-
Ing from the farm. A very small piece
~ rro,Ind win furnish $40 worth OF
elcumbers. and the fertility remoysn
win be simply nothing compared WIZ
mat contained In a ton OF nay Wh'cN
will only sell for $40
Unless very careful provision Is made