Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-01-08

cording to weather conditions and the
nature of the soil he has to work. con-
tinues to plow right along, husband
ing all possible of the it weather for
blowing after January first, and with
the first warm days of spring, the
frost out of the ground, he is ready
to checker the fields, already prepar-
ed and perfect condition through the
pulverizing influences of the winter
freezing, the narrowing and rolling,
with Golden Dent, the mainstay feed
grain; drill the oats, that is to make
up the important forage crop for the
winter; broadcast the timothy, that
is to form the nucleus for the hay
crop of the following year; spread
with care the seed of the red clover,
that as it BLOSSOMS, so rich in honey
to supply the busy bee harvest, adds
to the soil the great sustaining prop
critics drawn from the air, and finally
yields rich pasturage or hay; and the
spuds, and beans and many other vege-
tables, that are to make up the sea
sons crop so essential in mans sus-
tenance.
But while this has all been done by
the modern-day farmer, the general
average, adhering with logged tenac-
tn hn foft or af,
fathers, who found some excuse for
delaying until the last OF the season
for breaking the lands for the sum-
mer crops, and further delayed by
late and unplanned-for freezes, March
storms and April showers, are to be
found turning the soil for the sea
sons crops, while their progressive
neighbor is working his corn for the
first or more times, and the grasses
are making the fields green. He has
attended fairs, hunted or rested dur
ing the balmy autumn days, has kept
close to the fireside at all times dur
ing the winter, which has been per-
haps one mild enough to allow cult
walton of the soil many of the short
days, and with the advent of spring
is face to face with the thousand and
one things from spreading the wastes
from the barn to fertilize the lands,
repairing the fences, trimming the or
chards-he does not sprad-and the
blowing that should already have been
done, is delayed many more days,
with the result that for one reason or
another much of it will not be cropped
this year, and ii at all in such slip
shod manner that it will be at loss
to the farmer rather than yield its
good reward.
This is but the oft repeated story.
Berkeley county, which today can
boast of the most progressive and
prosperous farmers of the east, with
vast fields yielding abundantly of all
the grains and grasses, the vegetable
crops and fine orchards coverings
thousands of acres, following the most
favorable fall and mild winter in many
years, the soil in condition a great
part of the time for working, will turn
into the spring planting season with
hundreds of farmers weeks behind"
with their work, and either trying to
make themselves and their neighbors
who are in like position believe that
has abundant crops annually to prove
the good of his system of farming,
does not know what he is about, is
not following as he should in the
straight and narrow channel of old
time methods of filling the soil laid
down by his ancestors who came here
perhaps on the Mayfiower, and had
made little change only as natural
conditions forced them in all these
years, or else spending a goodly por-
ton of their time giving excuses for
their being so far behind the time
Will bAAEiA WI anu oil uSS "
make up all they can of the time frit
tered away by working in both ends
of the night, slowly grinding out the
lives of themselves and the faithful
beasts that furnish the farm power.
Whatever may be said about SC
many farmers neglecting to take adj
vantage of everything that nature has
favored them with in ideal weather
for work. and in the face of unprece
denied crops the past year which are
| finding ready market at big prices
which should have severely stimulat
ed them to a supreme effort to in
crease the yield of their farms, thi:
year by adding to the acreage in cul
tiyation and by intensifying in it all
i for while there are so many guilt!
of gross neglect, it may be said with
oi1t eya yoera tion that On manu- rnOr.