Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-09-18
FARM IMPROVEMENTS.

4
Axeuerstion ago it WAS the common
practice among farmers To devote q
couple Of months after haying to farm
Improvements, such a. digging rocks,
building wallis, digging and laying
drains and cutting bushes around the
neids and 10 the pastures, but such
operations to-day are quite rare upon
New England farms. We have devoted
considerable time to study Of this mat
ter In an attempt to find reason for
the abandonment OF these farm improve
ments and are forced TO the conclusion
thar Il is due 20 lack OF strong agri-
| cultural sentiment among the present
ttliers OF the soil, and feeling that sur
plus money h better invested In seeuri-
ties than IN improvements Of the farm.
In addition 10 this we recognize The i'm
portsace OF the great scarcity and high
price OF reliable farm help, which has
had q tendency TO restrict farm opera
tions 20 the work that could be perform
ed by machinery and horse or steam
power. The farm buildings are Ia better
condition than ever before and there are
more carriages In the sheds and more
pianos In the houses. We are inclined
TO think the farmers have better clothes
and take more hours Of recreation than
ever, bu, the fArm improvements In the
directions we have Indicated are not
keeping pace with the general improved
condition OF the farmer.
TX would be useless TO advise farmers
% clear fields of stone that would not be
worth when cleared the cost Of clearing
or 10 build expensive stone walls where
. wire fence costing one-fourth as much
would be as effective, even IL the help
could be secured to do the work, but
there are improvements upon fields that
can be worked by machinery and which
can be made in part by horse power that
should be attended 10 la the place Of the
expensive matters that are abandoned.
These include thorough cultivation OF
the soil In frequent rotations, Intelligent
application Of chemical msnures and tile
draining where needed. These opera
sions should be performed upon land
that can be worked by farm machinery,
and that which Is too stony 10 make IL
practicable TO clear should be turned
10 permanent pasture. This course will
increase the productiveness Of the farm
and II generally prAeticed would develop
Sn agricultural sentiment fsvoring the
Investment of surplus funds In the farm
that would be beneficial In many ways.
We are looking for gradual adoption
OF this policy by the people who are TAX
ing up New Englsnd farms for sgricult-
ural purposes. IL will not be easy "a
convince the old farmer, Of PGritanic
descent, or their sons who are occupying
n. ss 81 49, 10 49,
more profitable To invest few hundred
dolisrs In Improving the farm than IN
the savings bank, for the spirit OF fru-
gality bred into their mental capacity
tor generations conyinees them that
money Is safer and easier 10 get back II
placed In some ones safety box than IL
covered up in the dirt OF the old farm,
but the ne y class of farmers will follow
different course. A reasonable amount
of money will pay better dividends In
vested In improving the soil OF good
farm, IL inteliigeutly invested, than In
any financial Institution in the country
and when this fact has been thoroughly
established We will have q resumption OF
farm improvements that will eclipse any
thing OF the kind by previous genera
tions.
Ia order 20 make these improvements
successful there should be a systematic
effort made upon each farm. A four,
six or eight year rotation should De
adopted aud when q piece OF land l.
broken with the plow IL should be clear
"a OF stone aud thoroughly cultivated.
This involves labor, but IL is labor that
viii pay good dividends L accompanied
by judicious fertilization and wise Sc
lection " crop. Tue next year another
section of the farm can DE treated In the
same way, and when the rotation Is con-
pleted the farm viii be producing twice
the crops II produced 81 the .oegiuniog
and the main expenditure will have been
for labor. This plan can be adopted
upon n farm Of ten acres as well AS
upon one OF a hundred and the work can
largely be done AT this, the comparative
season Of leisure upon the farm. When
this system has been generally adopted
there will be al agricultural sentiment
developed that win De manifest In many
ways. We will then see the farms keep
ing pace with the farm buildings and
farm comforts and luxuries, and the
only people TO regret the change will be
the money brokers aud speculators In
aasncisl securities which are TOO often
securities only In nsme.-Mirfor and