St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-02-09
FARMER PLANTER.
PROGRESS OF THE CENTURY.
Advancement Along the Lines Of Az.
Eicaltare Has Kept Pace with
Other Developments.

Marvellous as are the discoveries of
the century in the domains of sci
ence, manufacture and commerce,
they by no means eclipse the con-
temporary achievements in agricul-
ture. Antedating every other indus
try of the race. the barometer of the
worlds progress during all the ages
of the past, doing with other arts, of
peace, of times, and peoples long de-
parted, agriculture has awakened
with start, and in great leaps and
bounds placed herself in the front
rank of the century's progress.
The breadth and scope of husband
~ place difficulties in tie way of its
discussion within the limits of this
paper. A book might easily be filled
with the changes and Improvements
affected in the plans and conveniences
of farm buildings, or in many other
phases of agricultural development.
A catalogue of the many changes in
the agriculture of q century is not
the purpose of this effort, but rather
a brief consideration of few selected
features.
FARM Methods.
The division of labor in agriculture
has, is in other productive occupa-
tions, become q feature of the age.
Although the farmer should still be
somewhat of an '.all around man." he
no longer requires to be plowwright,
farm implemsnt-maker, harness-mak-
er, woodman, etc., but may devote his
entire attention to the more i'm
mediate demands OF his vocation.
But farming itself has come very
extensively under the influence of this
division of labor, and each successful
husbandman devotes his attention to
a particular branch, rather than at
tempt the cultivation of every farm
product needed for home cOnsump-
ton. One is . wool grower, another
breeds horses or raises beef, or de-
votes his attention to dairying, or
market gardening, or fruit growing,
or some other speciality. Often sim
gle crop, as tobacco, onions, potatoes
or wheat receives his principal eff
forts.
Among n great variety Of new and
improved methods in tillage and soil
Improvements belonging to the CEN
tury, tile drainage and sub-surface ir-
rigation by means of pipes are in
stances of marked advance over old
practices.
Ensilage Of forage has been a long
stride in the economical preparation
and conservatism of cattle food. By
its means, not only is it possible to
furnish farm animals with a palatable
and succulent food at all seasons, but
an important saving of forage, and
of labor in securing it, il effected.
The introduction of silage as cattle
food marks the dawn of an extensive
husbandry hitherto unknown, making
it possible to greatly increase the
number of live stock kept on given
area, and to correspondingly increase
the food supply for the human FAM
lily.
The winter feeding of farm animals
is no longer the task of a century ago,
but has become simple problem.
Indeed, so easy has winter feeding
become, patsurage, the blessing of our
fathers, has by comparison become
difficult, and feeders are becoming
keenly alive to the needs of q better
system of summer feeding than pas
turage alone affords.
Soiling, or the feeding of green
forage to farm animals, becoming rap
idly an indispensable branch of the
business, would have been ridiculed
by our farmer ancestors of The last
century.
Farm Live Stock.
Ever since the patriarch, Jacob, out
witted his father-in-law in the divi-
sion of their flocks and herds by the
use of peeled rods" the art of
breeding has been more or less faith
fully pursued. If we may judge of the
results, however, the present century
has witnessed more progress in many
directions than the 5000 years pre-
ceding.
Practically all the improved breeds
OF swine belong to the more recent
period. Sheep have undergone q
marked transition in feshing proper
ties, and certain breeds have made no
less conspicuous gains in the quality
of their fleece. A sheep producing SO
pounds of wool in thirteen months