Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-05-11
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Garden
REPLANNING A FARM.
Points That Must Be Borne In Mind
When Change Is Sought.

issued by the United States depart
ment OF agriculture. the matter of
changing the type of agriculture on Il
farm when the old is found to be no
,ouSer profitable is treated The bulle-
tin says:
Habit frequently continues a type ot
farming in a 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 To crow wheat
Tor a number of years after it had
ceased to be n profitable crop. The
same is true of cotton. y two year ro-
tltiOn of corn and oats has been con
tinued in portions of the corn belt not
withstanding 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 lifelong habit.
\ man who has grown up with the
agriculture of a community is slow to
believe that the type Of farming he
has followed and which was at one
time profitable has at last become un-
suited to his conditions 1t is no small
task TO think out and change his long
lrSpd tvDa IN sauna hartn, l. ip1 Of f.,,,,,
ing. There are several reasons why
such q change is difficult. 1t may
mean new line of equipment. Build
inss 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 to be borrowed if the pro
posed changes are effected. Further
more, the change may not succeed. At
best the taking up of new line Of
farming requires Il REIMBURSEMENT OF the
usual ways Of thinking and doing.
thing difficult in itself and requiring
considerable time to accomplish.
Notwithstanding habit may set the
farmer in his ways, altered conditions
and lessened yield ana income may
compel him TO change his system or
so out of business. To what shall he
change? How shall he 20 about il?
What type of farming is likely to
prove more profitable than the kind he
is now fOllowingI What additional
capital Is necessary to institute new
and better system! These are the
questions that confront him. They are
difficult TO answer. With pencil and
paper in hand he may estimate the re-
turns that may reasonably be expected
by introducing more crops that build
UP the land, by growing more of the
crop that Is bringing him in the great
est amount Of money. by giving more
attention to the live stock that has
been found to pay best and the like.
II in these calculations he meets
With difficulty because OF n lack OF
definite information as TO what may be
reasonably expected when improved
methods are applied in the culture of
a crop or in the handling OF stock he
may write to the agricultural college
or the board Of agriculture or the agri-
state or to the United States depart
ment OF agriculture for help. II is
the business Of these institutions to
discover and gather facts relative to
the science practice and business OF
agriculture for the benefit OF the farm
er and particularly for the farmer who
wants TO improve his methods OF farm
ing. The agricultural press also I'M
dertakeS to aid the farmer in the So
luton OF problems of this character.
In addition to these sources. a few
private firms have been established
whose business it is to furnish expert
advice on farm mana cement for n CON
sideration.
Not always, however, are the institu-
lions just mentioned prepared TO give
the farmer information OH plan COW
pring his whole farm The expert
dairyman cares to give advice only on
dairying, the entomOlOgist only on in
sects and spraying. the agronomist
only on field crops. the patholO@ist
only on plant diseases. the shepherd
4 only on sheep. Not many care to at
/ tempt to coordinate all the manifold
! interests OF the farm into single
comprehensive farm plan. and yet this
is exactly what the farmer must DO
every day of his life if he would get
the most out of his farm and make
farming pay.
The farmer is not simply q COIN
farmer or wheat grower or a cattle
breeder or a sheep breeder or poul-
try raiser. but often all of these and
more combined. His farm. therefore
oil