The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-06-06
III arm ana
Garden
EXPLAINING A FARM.

an AtpiuhNtHh hiu fuf t.iouli
the title Of farmers bulletin No. $40
issued by the United states depart
ment Of agriculture, the matter 81
changing the type Of agriculture on a
farm when the old is found to be no
longer profitable is treated The bulle.
Tin says;
Habit frequently continues a type Of
farming in community long after
that type has become improbable.
Wheat farming on fertile virgin soil is
usually profitable, but there are many
instances in the United States where
farmers have continued 70 grow wheat
for a number OF years after it had
ceased 70 be a profitable crop. The
same is true Of cotton. A two year 70.
tation Of corn and oats has been con.
tinued in portions Of the corn belt not.
withstandlng the fact that It is often
Improbable, little or no money being
made on either crop. Frequently these
improbable types Of farming continue
through a series Of years or until the
property changes hands or new meth.
DDS are introduced The farmer finds
It hard to change a lifelong habit
A man who has grown up with the
agriculture Of community is slow to /
believe that the type of farming he
has followed and which was at one
time profitable has at last become I'M I
suited to bis conditions 1t is no small /
task to think out and change his long
used type to some better kind Of farm.
ing. There are several reasons why
such a change is difficult Il may
mean a new Ane Of equipment. Build
ings may need modification or fences
must be rearranged II may mean the
Introduction Of commercial fertilizers
or Of more or different live stock on
the farm. 1t may mean that money
will have 70 be borrowed IL the pro
posed changes are effected Further
more, the change may not succeed. At
best the taking up Of a new line Of
farming requires readjuatment OF the
usual ways Of thinking and doing,
thing difieult IN itself and requiring
time to accomplish.
Notwithstanding habit may set the
farmer In his ways, altered conditions
and iessened yield and income may
compel him to change his system of
80 out Of business. TO what shall be
changer How shall he 20 about it4
What type Of farming is likely to
prove more profitable than the kind he
is now following? What additional
capital il necessary 70 Institute a new
and better system2 These are the
questions that confront HIM They are
dlfhcult to answer With pencil aud
paper IN hand be may estimate the re.
turns that may reasonably be expected
by introducing mere crops that build
Up the land. By growing more Of the
crop that Is bringing him iii the great
sst amount az money, by giving more
attention % the live stock that has
been found to pay best and the like.
II iA these calculations he meets
with difficulty because Of q lack Of
definite information al to what may be
expected when improved
methods are applied in the culture Of
/ crop or in the handling Of stock he
may write 20 the agricultural college
lr the beard Of agriculture or the agri-
,ultural experiment station OF his own
state OF TO the United States depart
neut Of agriculture for help. 1t Is
he Business Of these institutions TO
discover and gather facts relative 70
The scieaoe practice and business Of
lgrlcultlire for the benefit Of the farm,
r and particularly Tor the farmer who
wants TO improve bis methods ~ farm
ng. The agricultural press also un-
iertakes to aid the farmer III the So
ution Of problems of this character
Ia addition to these sources, a few
private firms have been established
whose business Ii is to furnish expert
Idvioe on farm management for con.
liberation.
Net always, however, are the instltu.
ions Just mentioned prepared to give
he farmer information on a plan COW
ring bis whole farm The expert
lairyman cares to give advice only on
lairying, the entomologist only on in
ects and spraying, the agronomist
inly on field crops, the paihologist
My on plant diseases. the shepherd
My On sheep. Not many care to at.
empt to coordinate all the manifold
interests Of the farm into single
comprehensive farm plan, and yet this
! exactly what the farmer must do
very day OF his life If he would get
he most out Of bis farm and make
arming pay.
The farmer is net simply a corn
armer or d wheat grower or a cattle
reeder or a sheep breeder or a poul
~ raiser, but often all Of these and
aore combined. His farm, therefore,
aust be planned with reference to all
I these operations and the harmonic
us dovetailing together Of the differ
mt parts. In replanning his farm for
roflt the farmer must see all these
ifferent problems in a comprehensive
ray at the outset, omit the features
hat do not pay and strengthen those
hat do.
Fortunately many Of our agricultural
olleges today are co,orainating the
rork Of their different departments
nd giving courses in farm manage
len3 and usually suggestions can be