Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-05-25
AMONG THE FARMERS.
.srrnD rH, rLow.-


Correspondence on practical agricultural topics
In scltcited. Address all communications In.
tended for this department 70 HENRY ID. HAM
noND. Agricultural Editor Oxford Democrat.
Paris. Ne.
WHAT DON'T KNOW OF FARMING.
Horace Greeley wrote an instructive
book on "Whst l Know OF Farming"
and his knowledge was extensive and
accurate. What don't know OF farm
ing, IL written out, would fill a volume.
In the first place l don't know how
much work can be put upon field In or
der to make the crop pay the best. IL Is
the value Of the crop over and above the
cost Of production that gives the farmer
the profit. In general, the poorer the
land the more tillsge and manure II will
require TO produce fair crop, and II Is
possible to apply so much labor and fer
tilizers to field that the crop will be
raised at loss.
Professor William ii. Brewer Of Yale
University, SAYS: Better farming pays
up TO certain point, after which the
Increased cost Of labor will overbalance
the increased value Of the crop" Jethro
Tull, an English farmer, was crank on
the subject Of tillsge-eyen going so far
as TO declare that tillsge was manure, or
that a soil sufficiently titled did not need
any manure. He invented some better
"horse hoes" OF cultivators, and put n
great deal of tillage on his fields and
made il pay. Ii must be remembered,
however, that he began farming about
the year l70l, when the prices OF farm
products were higher and the wages OF
were lower than at the
present time. The better farming
which paid Tull big dividends will
scarcely make living for English farm
ers now.
Most Of the writers for the agricultur-
al press are claiming that the proper
way for farmers 10 emerge from the
present agricultural depression is to
farm better-to raise more products from
fewer acres. They may be- right, but
don't know; am still open to conyic-
ton.
II suppose" said Horace Greeley, at
an agricultural fair, "that YOU have got
past the folly Of na2d-hoeing corn:"
mo, no." was the reply.
"well. YOU can't afford IL; do what
YOU can with a horse, and let the rest
CO." was the advice OF the Tribune's
founder.
About thirty years ago Frederick Hal
lett Of England, By carefully selecting
the best kernels from the best heads Of
grain and sowing them, and again and
again selecting and sowing them, and
again and again selecting and sowing
only the best. obtained greatly improved
varieties which he called pedigree oats,
pedigree wheat" and pedigree barley"
The selection OF the best for seed has
been prscticed by farmers from the
earliest times. Columella, CELSIUS and
Virgil speak of IL. / always SOW and
plant the best seed can get, but don't
Snow that il would pay TO go to the
great labor or expense 10 obtain "pedi-
,ree seed We might ''psy too dear
'or the whistle"
They tell US that ''like produces like"
n both the animal and vegetable king |
Ions, but how many cases In history do |
rou know where great man raised 3
great son: can think Of only a few.
| don't know how much seed TO SOW |
IN an acre for the best results. They |
ell US that poor land requires more |
eed than good land. We would natur- |
.llv suppose the reverse would be true |
that the stronger the land the stronger |
eediug il would bear; that the poorer |
he land the less number of plants IL is
BILE TO nourish. had field composed
II good soil ready 10 SOW with wheat,
md sent my man with broadcast seeder
o SOW il st the rate of bushel aad |
,alf an acre. By some mistake, when he |
lad got over the ground, he had half the |
eed left. told him TO go over IL |
gain and put the seed all on. He be-
IAN doing so, but when night came he
lad only got over one-hslf the ground
he second time. During the night there
vas heavy rain, and il kept so wet we
ould not get over the remainder, and 1t
vas left with half the field having not
much over three pecks per acre, and the
the. half with about twice as much. AT
harvest the heaviest seeding was much
ne thickest, but the straw was slender
n, the heads shorter and the kernels
mailer. | think there was not much
Inference in the number OF bushels pro-
Iuced on the two parts, but the light
eeding produced the coarser straw, the
onger heads and the larger kernels.
This experiment, made by accident, Ia
lot conclusive. II requires numerous
10 establish q fact. In
, reat Britain they SOW more seed than |
We do in the United States, and raise
bout twice as many bushels an acre.
don't know exactly the right time TO
ow fall wheat In order TO obtain the
'est Weld. One Of our neighbors sowed
N good land well prepared the last
eek in August, and the plants got so
much growth before winter that he was |
fraid they would head out. They did not,
,owever, ont some of them got smother
a 10 death by snow, and the soil lost |
much Of its fertility In supplying nour-
shment for larger tops than were need
"a 10 protect the roots from freezing. |
lie only got about half crop. Another
leighbor sowed so late that the wheat |
lid not come up until the next spring, |
md he harvested good crop. Nobody |
5 likely to follow either one OF these
Extremes. 1t will do TO SOW on rich
and later than on the average soil, be-
,suse the rich land hurries up the
growth faster. Wheat sown too early Is
ia ble TO be injured By the Hessian NY;
,owu too late, it does not stool much
md Is not likely TO get top enough 10
protect the roots.
| don't know why clubfoot on cabbage
,hould be an evil to be dreaded, and
,lubfoot on clover should be regarded as
, blessing.
Finally, don't know why seeds
should grow any more than leaves,
,hucks or pebblestones.-J. w. Ingham
n New York Tribune.
Test your seed corn. Last autumn
.....1- Eo- drrinn corn Isl