The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-08-23

The Value to the Farmer Of Keeping
Field Accounts

Many pages Of agricultural litera-
sure have been wisely devoted % urg
ing farmers TO keep account Of the dill
ferent members Of their dairies to the
end that the cows that do not show
a profit may be disposed Of and those
that show a proper balance be used to
advantage in building mp more
profitable herd. In all probability.
farmers who have followed this ad-
vice carefully and consistently for a
few years have found the practice
much TO their advantage In no other
way than by a careful account can a
farmer tell which Of his cows Is kept
at loss and which. by their superior
prOductiveness, are bearing the bur
den of a lot OF worthless animals In
order to show little profit for the en-
tire dairy.
But there is another way In which
the practice of keeping such an ac-
count may we'll result In great profit
Our farms In New York state are d.
vided into fields OF different sizes for
the convenience Of diversified agricul-
ture. Different portions of the farm
may be thus pastured or devoted 10
grain or grass growing. II is doubt
full II many farmers know. except In
general way. which of their fields
are most productive. OF the extent 20
which they are so. and which fields
barely pay the cost Of taxes and cult
walton.
Not a great way from the barn the
Ordinary farmer may have a field
which will. In ordinary seasons, give
from two 10 three tons Of cured hay
10 the acre. Half a mile from the barn
may be a considerable area that Will
not average over half ton. But every
acre on the farm pays an equal
amount Of taxes and II takes just as
much time and labor 10 plow an acre
Of poor land as II does Of the more
fertile. and the reason for this condi
ton Of fertility OF lack Of fertility
comes from the fact that the fields
closer 10 the farm buildings have IN
time past received more than their
fair share Of fertilizers and have been
devoted TO crops that would pay bet
ter than the more remote fields.
dare say that on many farms the
farmer, If he pursues this idea care
fully and continuously. VIII find a
large portion OF his farm is actually
not paying expenses of cultivating
Generally speaking. the fact that one
choice acre Of the farm will produce
two and half or three tons Of cured
hay per acre and another acre more
remote from the barn will produce
only half a ton. ought 10 convince d
thoughtful farmer that he himself IS
Irresponsible for the deficiency. Other
things being equal. the remote acre
should produce as much IN the way
Of crops as any other acre. II Is Ger
tainly a slipshod way OF carrying on
the farm. that the barnyard manure
should be dumped around In the fields
near the farm buildings because too
much labor is required 10 draw u tf
the more distant parts Of the farm
These being. in all probability. actual
~ hungry for the manure. would 70
spond TO generous use Of manure anC
more thorough cultivation.
The farmer himself when this Is
called 10 his attention. may have
general idea Of the difrerent result:
from the different parts Of the farm
but the systematic and careful method
Of keeping account with the diferen
fields Of the farm will be the bes
way to bring this directly home q
the farmer himself and result moF'
quickly in a change of treatment,