Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-03-15
SOME MODERN FARM METHODS IN
SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

SOME MODERN FARM METHODS IN
SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.
Southeastern Pennsylvania is favor
ed agricultural section. The nature oi
the soil, the proximity to great centres
Of population that afford good market
and the character Of the people combine
to place some Of the counties 10 this
section In the forefront In respect to the
amount and quality OF their products.
Ii has been my fortune to be assigned 1
our farmers institute work In this part
Of the state during the last twelve
weeks, and careful note has been made
Of the ways in which some producers
escape the competition Of the mass Of
farmers. In 90 Tar xs II Is possible to
furnish An article that cOmmends Itself
To the consumer more highly than
Others products there Is no ground for
complaint ON the score Of lack OF profit.
The rub lies usually 10 producing the
article aud convincing consumers VI Its
superiority.
Chester aud Delaware counties have
some noted butter makers. The brand
OF one family has been known In New
York and Philadelphia markets for many
years. Competition has reduced the
price, but this butter commands W cents
pound in these days OF comparatively
low prices. Que dollar u pound ~as the
price years ago. The butter Is Carefully
made from cream properly ripened. and
the cream Is taken only from milk VI
cows that are carefully fed aud handled.
Ii results that the butter Is not only high
class, but it is always the same. The
consumer learned years ago that when
this butter came upon his table the
quality WAS invarisble, and he gladly
pays round price for such an article.
The brand sells the butter ut 20 cents
per pound, when Other butter may 90
begging for buyers at 80 cents. Invaria-
bleness Of fne quality, established
beyond question, does the work.
In producing u gilt-edged quality Of
butter the breed 10 = minor point. One
herd OF COWS whose product Ii sixty
cent butter is composed OF grades OF
various breeds which have been picked
up In the neighborhOod, and the pro-
ductiveness Of the individual ID the only
consideration. The quality Of the but
ter depends upon other things. Proper
feed, absolute cleanliness and skill In
butter-msking serve to make the highest
priced article from the average COW. l
am impressed with the fact that the
high price obtained by q few dairymen
Is due no, wholly to the high quality Of
the product, ss others make an equally
good product, but to the certainty that
their product is always goods always
the same. They have done In their line
what manufacturers In the business
world do, viz, establish \ brand that
sells their goods for them. This Is busi-
ness methods applied 10 farming, and
such n course wins.
| met one stockman who IL raising
lambs for the winter aud early spring
market. Many have failed In the past TO
get lambs dropped AS early as they are
wanted. This man has imported the
kind Of stock he needed and now has
two hundred and ffty Dorset ewes that
are entirely under control In this respect.
Ii Is n peculiarity Of the Dorset that II
may be mated In any season OF the year,
and In this way the stockmAn regulates
the number Of lambs coming at psrticu-
lar times during the winter. Experience
has taught him that he can market only
u limited number at ChristmAs, and that
his customers will take 4 certain number
per week until the usual crop OF spring
lambs appears in the open market. For
the sake Of quality the feeding Of the
lamb mus, be forced from birth, and the
lamb cannot be safely held beyond
certain age on account OF the strain upon
the system made by the forcing process.
The man Who succeeds beat in the
business Is the one Who can convince
our great hotels and certain class OF
dealers that he can furnish the required
number Of lambs regularly during the
season, aud that the lambs will be 10 the
pink OF perfection At the time wanted.
Then he can command price that seems
marvellous TO the farmer whose lambs
are dropped late In the winter aud sold
upon the general market when IL l. over
stocked. IL Is only right 10 add, how
ever, that the best profit, In the business
no~ come ouly Ia the relatively few 50
situated that they can supply customers
direct. Ii takes skill to provide the
lambs wanted by giit-e ged hotels, and
II takes business ability To convince their
stew ards that you are the one ~ho Can
aud will furnish n lamo worth $40 at
Christmas.
Probably more pluck Is n quired 10 the
proper thinning of fruit than In any other
Kind of labor In the orchard. Peach
yruwers are usually advised to do this
- that no tao fruits are within three
inches of each other. In one institute
this winter We had grover whose gross
,al-s from four acres of peach orchard
last fall amounted to o., 500, IL the testi-
mony Of his neighbors may be taken.
he was non-committsl on that point, but
Was free In telling OF his methods. HIS
success WAS largely due To the fact that
he thinned 80 AS 10 let each fruit have
.ix inches OF space This permitted
such development Of size and cOioring
that his fruit comm, ,nded the highest
price paid 10 the Philaoelphia market.
or course, fertilization aud culture had
much 10 do with the success obtained.
This instance does not necessarily teach
that this fruit should always be thinned
10 this extreme limit, but II demonstrates
what study Of local conditions and
markets may do for an Intelligent pro-
ducer. This man was so situated that
he became convinced that such thinning
ould pay him, and his reward was
s7OO an acre. His market demanded the
best possible peach, without especial re-
gard TO price.
Instances might be multiplied 10 which
special pains to secure quality repay
those who are near good markets.
met one potato grower who plants from
twenty-five TO forty acres Of potatoes
each spring, and he has found that It
paws him to use seed literally, and then
thin his plants. The larger quantity OF
seed iusures thrifty plants, but there
must be only u few sets in each hill TO
secure the best size. When the plants are
up each hill Is thinned TO one plant, which,
nourished by the entire seed-piece, be
comes very thrifty. The grower Is thus
assured OF perfect stand OF plants, and
vet has such control over the number OF
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