The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1904-08-24

second crop, not of oats, but hu-
mus, which was turned under, and
the whole farm was again sown,
this time with winter oats Find
ing it so much more successful than
he expected, this plan was contin-
ued, oats being the main depend
ence until the fertility reached the
point where clover could be pro-
duced proftably.
He was asked why he did not use
clover at first, and replied that the
experiment of using oats was almost
forced upon him, as he had TO do as
he could not as he wished: and he
thereupon found it much the best,
taking the view from every side.
The statement was made that not
pound of commercial fertilizer was
used by this man, while the former
owner had been very liberal with
it. He no doubt got the benefit of
some of that prodigality, and could
have reached the desired haven
much more quickly had he used
them; but he declared he was too
poor and could not afford to do so,
which sounds little silly, as he
doubtless meant it should. But at
that time it would have broken into
the plan he lad determined to fol-
low when he went there. That was
to put back on the farm each year
one third of what it had yielded.
AS there were gullies to fill and
thickets to clean up and barns and
outbuildings to repair and fences
to build, and orchards to plant to
take the place of those long gone
into decrepitude, nothing but stable
manure and turned under crops had
been available so far; and now the
commercial article did not seem to
be needed, as the farm was produc-
ing bountifully, and the family had,
to all appearances, all the comforts
they could desire, and many of the
luxuries of life thrown in-many
more than many others / have met,
who would disdain to make the
sacrifices this family made to reach
the very desirable goal they had
arrived at.
81 would starve to death before
would submit to poverty" is a very
paradoxical expression l met when
boy, and have seen many farms
and other banks go down in the
maelstrom under the weight of it.
1t is a misfortune for anybody to
make god of the stomach or back,
or of both, or of any other thing
than duty. This little bit of his
Tory is given that my Tennessee
correspondent and all others in the
same situation may see the line
which all successful farmers have
found the best route to attain sue
cess. True, many have accumu-
lated rapidly while practicing very
unfarmerlike methods, but you will
invariably find such have made
their pile" by other means than
farming, specializing, trading, buy
ing and selling, often obtaining
dollars that others have earned by
the sweat of the brow. This is
commerce, not agriculture. and of
ten combined, honestly, with farm
ing. This practice is not confined
to those who have been favored
with abundance of means-not al
ways. l once knew man who
made the greater part Of his living,
in fact, nearly all of 1t, by horse
trading, and he never owned 5000
worth of horses at one time in his
life. He had near kinsman who
did not own any horses, and yet
made considerable by trading
horses for other people. The Book |
upon which we, as a nation, rest
our faith, declares that all such |
dealings bring their own reward.
had no idea that so short a letter |
would call out so much, but the
subject of rundown farms is close
to my heart. | see so many of
them, and it always makes me say,
"Another landless family in the
Anfbo, ,NrAA "A