The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-11-27
A Practical Farmer.


the Frank Skipton farm south OF
Philomath, last spring, was in town
Monday. Mr.. eHomyer came to
Oregon about four years ago, and
is a valuable addition to the sturdy
yoemanry of Benton county. he
is putting into operation some OF
the practical lessons in farming
cleaned from his experience in that
thrifty agricultural state, Iowa.
Mr.. Homyer is a practical man
and rightly believes that the adop-
ton of business methods are as
essential to success among farmers
| as they are to bankers or other
successful business men. He re-
sents thelnsulting statements made
during the recent campaign by
populist orators to the effect that
farmers are poor. dependent class
of individuals, who are being op-.
pressed, by corporations, syndicates
and money powers. 1'Too much
sympathy" he added, sis being
wasted upon farmers. The Oregon
farmers, and particularly those
living in the Willamette valley,
fare surrounded by conditions
which, taken advantage OF, Will
make them Independent. There
is no section of the United States,
in my opinion, better adapted to
agricultural pursuits than Western
Oregon. - u
! "One very serious mistake of
Oregon farmers, howcyeri:-is the
constaat repetition oi their wheat
crop. Much oi the land OF Oregon
+, has bcen producing wheat for forty
wears without any rest or change.
and it is not at all surprising that
the yield is perceptabIy less now
THAN in years. gone by. Simllal
treatment of Iowa soil would have
resulted i'm a total failure of crops
long before this.
From my observation rotation
OF crops is absolutely indispensl
i BILE to successful farmin :, and TIL:
:. wear | am sowing Il quantity oI
clover seed and believe that thu:
process will have the effect of re
storing the fertility OF the soil
) which to great extent has beel
: s[exI,austed by excessive wheat rails
r ing. AS fertilizer, clover has III
, equal, and by its judlcious us'
much of the impoverished land o
, the state can be restored to hlgi
: state of fertility
5 Mr.. Homyer seems also to under
; stand that the success of a farme
, depends as much upon his head a
. his hands. '.Besides rotation o
: crops" he SAID, sit is also necessari
5 for the farmer to diversity his i'll
terests. Those who depend sofel.
2 upon their grain crop for livin
| have money but once a year-Jus
= after harvest. But The most sue
cessful farmers vary their interest
= and have something to sell ever.
, month in the year. Any farm tha
e will produce grain will also SUI
0 port limited number Of cattl
f and hogs at very fittle addition'
3, expense. Grain and stock togetl
d er with the dairy product an
e other produce of farm, afford
i constant source of revenue, an
Il put a farmer, in easy circumstance
e at all seasonseof the. year..
e .'In my opinion the most neglec
e ed industry in Oregmt .:is:: that. !
j. dairying. Owing to favorable cl
> matte conditions and the abundant
of fodder, the Willamette valley
and ideal dairying section, al
ID creameries run on the cooperati'
IS plan, shonld be. in in+sopasation a
. % over it. : No industry gould |
It. established in Benton codnty tn
1t would yield a larger return on Il
ID investment and at the same tin
# be of more general benefit to tt
ut community at large, than a we
nd managed creamery. :: Il hope Il
es day is not far distant when such ;
he e enterprise will be established
II Corvallis"