The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-08-14
INTENSIVE FARMING
HOW REV. MR.. DIETRICH GOT RE.
VARIABLE RESULTS.
His Methods are Explaine4-A Strics
Applicatfou Of the Markst 0asesr-
Ing Method, With Constans
Manuring, Are the Secrets.

COS
Baltimore Sun.
The talk given by Rev. J. D. DIETRICH
at the farmers picnic at Mount Airy.
Nd. wherein he explained the methods
he followed In what might very prop
erly be called intensive farming. has
created more than passing interest.
The results secured, according to Mr..
Deitrichs statement, are remarkable
In many ways. In some respects TO
many farmers 1t Is a revelation OF
what can be done by the .sotling sys J.
TEN of dairy farming. The plan fol.
lowed by Mr.. DIETRICH Is strict ap.
plication of the market garden meth
od--heavy. manuring and constant
use of all the land In growing season.
one crop following another In rapid
succession. Rotation OF crops. which
the fermer has been advised was quite
necessary to keep land in good filth
and help supply humus and plant
food, Nr. DIETRICH says. 10 entirely un.
necessary. By his plan the character
of the manure returned to the soil
furnishes plenty OF material for hu.
mus. to retain the necessary moisture
and put the soil in good physical COR
dition. The farm Mr.. DIETRICH started
which is located near West Chester,
Pa, and consisted Of Is acres. When
the space occupied by the buildings
is considered there were about IL
acres under cultivation. He secured
possession in 1881 and with 81 1900
mortgage upon 1t he started and the
first year lacked sac in paying ex-
penses. In the next six years the mort
gage was paid. When 1t is known that
in the first year, 1891, that the farm
did not support the two cows and one
horse he kept, an idea can be gained
nf no oh "a 70 81 a ~ ha
which is a reddish, somewhat gravelly
nature.
The present results have been
brought about by the use Of stable
manure alone, all Of which has been
applied directly to the soil Is It was
made. The practice was to feed on
the farms all crops raised. The soil.
ing crops used were green rye, begin
ming about May and continuing Tor
four weeks or SO. until the rye was
ready to cut for hay. Glover and tim
oats-grown together-are ready.
When the. latter is cut for hay the silo
is opened (about July ~ and selage Is
fed till early corn (planted about May
81 Is ready. Enough early corn Is
planted to last till late corn (planted
about June 22) Is ready. Late corn Is
then fed until time arrives to put II In
the silo. From that time on silage is
fed daily until the green rye becomes
again in the spring. No
abrupt change Is ever. made In feeding
Even in changing from green corn to
silage the change is made gradually.
The cows are given four ounces Of
salt each day. mixed with their food.
Mr.. DIETRICH says they will eat their
food with keener relish and more "
1t with this amount of salt, which 10
divided among these three daily ratiors
or feeds. Fine table salt IL used. He
wants his cows to drink freely Of
water. and that's the way he says to
put water into the milk. Selling crops
and all the roughage produced on the
farm is cut into quarter inch lengths.
This includes the straw used for the
bedding also. Back Of the COW stalls
are concrete cutters inches deep and
IS inches wide which are kept filled
with cut straw. These cutters have
no outlets and are cleaned. out daily.
This litter at once absorbs all liquids,
which, by the every day plan Of re-
turning the manure to the soil and
blowing 1t under, allows no escape OF
ammonia or heterogeneous elements.
There are two round silos on the
farm, having about 100 tons capacity
each, and this quantity of slage is
produced on ABOUT IOur acres, usually
planted about June 81. 1t requires
eleven men. three teams and trac-
ton engine to run the cutter in filling
the silos. The work begins on FRI
day, so as to allow for the settling on
Sunday. and Monday the filling is COM
pleted.
Every green crop grown on the place
Is mainly used for soiling purposes.
The surplus. whenever there Is any,
either goes to the silo or is converted
into hay. The crops grown are peas,
aats. rye. timothy. corn, clover and
millet. Not less than two crops q
year are harvested from each plot.
The farm Is divided into what might
be termed fenceless fields. Mr.. Deit-
rich says fences are worse than a null
sance, so he long ago hauled the
fences to the woodpiles. These fields"