The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-03-13
CHATS l
90 0 WITH FARMERS
Profit aud Pleasure in Farming.
Contributed.


First of all, in considering how to
obtain profit and pleasure in farming.
a natural will and liking for the occu-
patton is desirable. If this is present.
it will almost always follow that farm
ing will be carried on in such a way
that it will be both pleasant and profit
able. In order that farm shall prove
profitable, which it must do in order
to give any pleasure, it must be located
where the soil is rich in plant food and
not hard to open up, and near some
beautiful lake, river or creek, and
among good neighbors. It is prefer
able to have some meadow, heavy and
light soil to suit the raising of the
different kinds of crops. If sufficient
money is wanting to pay for tho whole
farm at once, it is safe to buy land on
time, because land always increases in
value. It is we'll to use part of the
money opening up the land, getting
the right kind of implements; good,
economical buildings and few of the
right kind of stock. The location of
the farm buildings adds much to the
comfort and pleasure as we'll as profits
of farming. 1t is preferable to have
the buildings face the south or the
east to let the beautiful sunlight stream
freely into the home to give light and
vigor to all life on the place. It is
very bad economy to have many build
ings on farm, the less the better, two
or three are all that are necessary,
The farm house should be located not
very far from the road, and the barn
back and away from the house about
fifteen rods. The house should be
on a higher elevation than the barn,
so that all impurities would run off
QUITO the farm, where they would do
the most good.
In order that this good land shall
not be deprived of its riches and thus
lose it's value, which is so often done
by raising crops year after year, and
never paying one thought to the feed
ing thereof, it should be kept up and
fed, just as an animal should be. If an
attempt were made to raise an animal,
and not feed it one mouthful, it is very
likely that the profits would be small,
and so it is with land, it must be kept
up, and crops should be raised that are
the most valuable and condensed; crops
which will rather add than take away
from the soil its plant food. All the
land that cannot be used to advantage
for meadow or field should be used for
pasture at all times.
But there is time in the year when
the pasture becomes dry and conse-
quently weak. To provide for this,
good pasturage can be made on the
fields, by sowing grass seed in the rota-
tion of crops. There is an endless
amount of nourishment stored in the
soil, and by using the right crops, and
by rotating them properly, it can be
brought out at any and all times of the
growing season. About the best way
is to sow rape with the grain, and a
pasture may be had until after frost,
and even earlier in the spring than
from any other pasture. A pasture
does not lose it's value, as does the
field, which is robbed each year of its
fertility, and sold generally at a loss,
or at a very low margin.
To have farm without stock, is like
a general store without groceries, all
the people would starve without the
groceries, so would the farm without
the fertilizers. All things come from
farm. It is where all energy is pro-
duced. Then how can all this energy
and all these things be produced at a
profit and with pleasure without the
proper instruments. Here is the bee
that gathers honey from the wild flow
ers which would otherwise go to waste
There is the fowl that produces a very
profitable product from what seems
mere waste, such as insects, worms
and grasses of the farm yard. The
hog produces a concentrated product
from what would otherwise go tc
waste, such as the acorns, weeds and
grasses. The sheep produces con.
centrated product from food that nc
other animal on the farm can use. The
dairy COW produces very profitable
and concentrated product, as well as the
beef animal. The horse, which is the
best of the farm, and does most of the
farm labor, has his value.
Now, all these in their right place
on the farm, compares to the different
groceries in their rightful place on the
shelf of store. Every one brings a
profit that the other could not bring,
and besides, they will help one another
to be more profitable, and all from the
same store and farm. ..... -..