Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-07-10
FARMERAND PLANTER.
GRATIFYING SIGNS.
Improved Farming Methods Cc0Ds
Into Vogue, But Too Much
Land il Cultivated.

Lama IL SuIHhNatC0s
It is very gratifying to see on ev-
cry hand the evidence of improve
| ment in farming. Better work is be-
ing done on many farms. Greater
diversity of crops and improved meth
dds are in evidence. The farmers are
reading and thinking more than for
merly. Prosperity is taking the place
of failure and adversely. There is a
higher appreciation of the dignity
of farm work. The farmers are hold
ing up their heads among their feE-
low men. The entire atmosphere Is
changed. The exodus from the farms
is falling off. There is even a dispo-
sition to return to the farm on the
part of many who had moved to
town. Many who have been reared
in the cities are now looking to the
farm as a more desirable HON thar
the city. This is a contamination de-
voutly to be wished for.
We have recently visited sections
with which we have long been IA
miliar. Twenty-Five years ago these
lands were worn and washed, and not
considered worth longer cultivation.
Thousands of acres were abandoned.
Gullies and briars and old-field pines
had taken possession. D~ilapidation
reigned supreme. But a great change
has been wrought. These fields have
been recleared. The gullies have dis
appeared. The briars and pines have
gone. Crops, better than ever grew
upon these lands, are now growing.
Restoration has done much of its
marvellous work.
But on every hand and everywhere
one thing stands clearly evident.
Each individual farmer is trying to
cultivate too much land. There is a
kind of craze for broad acres. Evil
dences of lack of thorough prepara-
ton and thorough culture are abun-
dant. If you call attention to this,
the reply is: "We have not had time
to do this work as it should have
been done" Every man is over
cropped. He is trying to get from
twenty acres what he could have got
ten from eight or ten with half of the
work and half of the expense. His
profits would have been more than
doubled.
We have seen many fields of wheat
where 20 acres would not yield
what might have been gathered from
two acres properly prepared and
sown at the right time. Even with
the imperfect preparation the early
sown wheat is making fair crops. But
the late sown is almost universally a
failure. Where from thirty to forty
bushels per acre might have been
made they are getting from four to
six. If you inquire about this the
answer will generally be that this is
not a wheat year. But the fact still
remains that those who prepared
their land thoroughly and sowed at
the right time have satisfactory
crops of wheat.
Winter wheat in this southland is
a biennial plant. 1t wants the last
half of one year in which to make
root development and the first half
of the next year in which to make
the grain. If it has not had time
to make sufficient root development
in the fall, it is not apt to make sat
isfactory grain development in the
spring.
To make a success of wheat-grow-
ing the soil should be broken from
twelve to fifteen inches early in the
fall when the clay is dry. This should
be narrowed until it is fine, then
rolled down firm, and the wheat
sown the latter part of October. We
have never known a failure when this
plan has been followed.
The same criticism is just with re-
gard to all the crops. Too much
ground has been planted and the
preparation has been poor. Cut down
the acres and run up the profits.
This can be done. But if you can not
make up your mind to do this, then
there is one other thing which you
can do. You can get better tools
and work the land better with i'm
proved implements. A two-horse
plow will break more lane in a day
than a one-horse pillow, and do the
work a great deal better. A weeder
will 90 over three or four times the
land in a day that a small harrow
will or a single horse pillow siding the
crop. At the same time the work
will be better done.
We take occasion to say these
things now, because sometimes men
can be made to understand a poin
while the burden is upon them better
than any other time. Hence, if we
can impress this point while the diff
fculty of getting labor and the ex-
pense of cultivating large areas is
felt the more keenly, they may be in
duced to make better preparation
next season. Better work a few acres
we'll and get a large clear profit and
let the broad acres grow grass.
MANY of them will make more clear
money in grass than in the crops
that are now growing upon them. 1t
certainly is better to get $4,000 from
less than ten acres, as shown else
| where in this issue, than to get $500
from 100 acres as many will do this
year. These broad-acre farms are
often delusive.-Southern Cultivator.
FACTS WORTH CONSIDERING.
How the Farmer May Avoid Some