The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-06-10

Agricultural Expert warns Against
Specializing and Makes Known His
Reasons-Every Farmer Should Grow
Everything That Is Needed on His
Place and Not Buy Supplies.
New York.-How shall a man make
farming pay, how make it return be
sides interest on investment reason
able country salary of $1,000, how l
manage it SO as to use ones time, !
energy and capital to best advantage? |
These We're some of the considerations !
in lecture by John II. Barron of the |
state department of agriculture
wide studies show that usually the |
most profitable farms follow diversi-
fed type Of agriculture" he said. I'm
the state of New York forty-nine
farms have been studied on which
labor incomes of $500 or more are
being made. That is, on these farms
enough is made to pay all expenses
and interest on the investment at 3
per cent and leave the farmer salary
/ of $500 or more These farms sell
i from one TO six major items, amount
4 ing to $500 or more each and in add
/ ton several minor products. The figures
show that on the average there We're
three major and four minor sale pro-
ducts and besides usually some feed
for farm animals. Generally then di-
yersifed farming is likely to be more
profitable than specialized farming.
Specialized farming has some adj
vantages. 1t may allow the develop
ment of considerable skill in the pro
duction Of one or two things A small
amount of capital may be sufficient to
develop one enterprise quite efficiently.
whereas it would not develop several.
In specialized farming large fields can
be laid ols and buildings SO planned
as to facilitate labor greatly.
Diversified farming has many ad-
yantages which outweigh the advan-
tages of specialized tar ming. for the
majority of farmers find it is better to
, have several important products as
sources of income rather than one prod
. net. Diyersification allows of a rota-
, ton of crops which is All but absolute
, ~ necessary for the permanence of any
/ agricultural scheme; it usually fore
, stalls total failure. for in no season il
) it likely that all crops will be poor; ii
/ distributes the income over the year,
1t stands for economy and efficiency
: and provides work for man. machinery
! and horses n greater portion of the
! year than does most specialized farm
ing.
in the establishment of n plan FOL
!, diversified farming the rotation 81
crops must first be given attention
Most farming will get its profits from
animal products and crops. The main
tenance of soil fertility is of para
! mount Importance, for without it an.
farm scheme is ultimately doomed t
! failure 1t follows, then, that goo'
, rotation will meet ut least three gen
!, eral requirements: First it must main
: tain and increase fertility; second,
Will produce feeds which will nours
!, animals as economically as possible
: third, it will furnish cash crops "a
: sale.
= '"Fo feed animals as economically a
: possible a good quality of roughag
. must be produced. Tor this purpoS
! some succulence is desirable and ais
the products of legumlnous plants, lik
clover, alfalfa, peas and soy beans.
I'm much of the dairy section of th
in state a good rotation is corn. oats, eli
to yer, timothy The corn. oats and Glove
as are fed on the farm and the timoth
sold Where the farm is not heavi
= stocked part of the area otherwise d
voted to corn can he used for potato'
] and then oats and hay follow the pot
y toes or corn in the regular fashio
81 This combination is usually bett
81 than the one first given, because it pr
81 vides for two cash crops instead of on
n but it cannot be developed too far, b
s. cause corn and potatoes are compel
81 tive crops as to time of planting, cult
81 waiting and to an extent in harvesting
u ''In the planning of crop schemes it
81 necessary to keep a good work balanc
n or there may be a poor distribution
E work, too much at one time and II
81 enough at another. Noncompetitive e
81 terprises should be chosen and ut 4
81 same time enterprises which have son
81 interdependence and relation to eat
81 other A good scheme of farming W
81 generally have several sources of
u come. In word. it may be said
" consist of a well chosen line of 81
u Eialties."