Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-07-03
DOES seTTER FARMING PAY,

place In the farm papers for some time
past IL 10 generally agreed that farmers
are not making so much money "a they
did formerly, and that farms will not
sell for so much now rs they cost ten or
fifteen years ago. Prices Of farm
products are little better than they
were two or three years since, but cash
wheat selling In New York at IS cents,
corn Al cents, and oats at 20 cents 4
bushel, represent q condition which Is
not likely soon to transform farmers into
gold bugs or blosted bondholders.
Some writer's have asserted that the
only way for farmers to improve their
financial condition Is to cultivate less
land and cultivate 1t better; to double
their yield per acre without doubling the
cost OF production. That would answer
II IL could be done. An able writer said !:
at has long seemed to me that there
was no one way In which farmers could
do more TO increase the profits Of the
farm than attention to this one point Of
decreasing the cost Of production" No
truer words were ever written, but the
problem which remsins TO be solved,
with labor at the present high price, Is
how TO decrease the cost OF production.
The price of labor Is the element
which enters most largely into the cost
OF producing all valuable commodities
as well AS farm products. IL farmer
could put little less labor on bis land
and raise just AS much from IL, or II he
could put one-fourth more labor on II
and double the production, the problem
would be Of easy solution. The trouble
some question to be decided Is, How
much labor can farmer afford to put on
his fields in order 10 add so per cent TO
the amount Of his crops:
1t has been said that by good plough
ing and thorough preparation OF the
seed bed, by the use OF good seed, early
planting, and thorough cultivation as
long AS horse can get through the corn,
a farmer may double his crop. IL may
De true, but would so much labor pay!
Professor w. ii. Brewer says: Better
farming pays up TO certain point, after
which the increased cost OF production
overbalsnces the increased value OF the
product Horace Greeley said IL Was
"folly To hoe corn Since Mr.. Greeley
said ii, the price Of farm labor has ad-
vsnced so per cent and the price OF corn
has fallen 30 per cent.
1.-The voice OF the people" Is not al.
ways 1.-The voice OF God" The msjority
Is sometimes wrong; but in the matter
of farm practice the opinions OF the null
titude of practical farmers are entitled
to more weight than the opinions OF the
few. Throughout the vast region west
OF the Alleghsnies and south OF the Great
Lakes, the best corn region In the United
States, scarcely any hand hoeing Is done
in the corntield. Owing 10 the high
price of labor and the low price, CON-
paratively, Of farm products, farmers
are compelled TO raise their crops with
as little labor as possible. They may
have taste for intensive farming and
clean cultivation, but cannot afford TO
crafty IL.
IL IL be questionable whether the be-
stowsl OF more labor on crops will less
en- the cost OF production, there Is no
question that the bestowal OF more ma
nure will accomplish that desirable OBJ
ject. More than one hundred bushels of
shelled corn have frequently been raised
on one acre Of ground by the aid OF ms
nure and with little extra tillsge. Other
crops besides corn have shown immense
incaease from liberal manuring. IL ap-
pears superfuous at this day TO quote
authorities 10 prove the value Of csttle's
excrement in the production Of farm
crops, which nobody has disputed ex-
cept DR.. Julius Hensel, Of Germany,
who would use nothing but pulveriEed
rocks.
Dr. Cameron, of the Dublin Chemical
Society, says: "Fsrmyard manure, when
applied In sufficient quantity, Is the best
manure which can be employed alone, as
IL contains sll the elements required 10
nourish every kind of cultivated plants"
The fertilizers composed OF ground
bone, dried blood, suiphuric acid, etc,
pay well on some soils, but on Others
show no spprecisble benefit. The
natural manures, like lime, ashes,
gypsum, mari, South Carolina rock and
kainit, pay on most land where the
transportation charges are not too great.
No means have ever been discovered, so
far as know, 10 maintain the fertility
of the farm and cause II TO raise good
crops without leeping cattle 10 con-
sumo the coarse products and part OF
the grain to supply the necessary ma
nure. To raise good crops the main de-
pendence OF farmers must still be, as 1t
always has been, on the dung OF farm
animals. The trouble Is that with all
the dung of animals and fowls that the
farm will carry, and all the commercial
fertilizers the farmers are able TO pur-
chase, there is not so much manure OBJ
as the farms need for profitable
farming.
The farmers study, then, should be
how TO keep more stock, 70 make more
manure, 10 raise better crops with no
more labor and thereby make more
money.
Where soiling Is practiced and silo
filled every year nearly double the sni-
mails can be kept, and kept well. In the
East AS well as in the West there Is q
large quantity Of good manure wasted
which, il saved and applied TO the land,
would add large percentage to the
value Of the crops. Labor expended In
saving and drawing out manure pays
better than any other labor done on the
fsrm.-New York Tribune.
coAsc rAon