Year: 1874

How to estimate the Profits of a Farm.

 The farmer lives in his own house. The use of the house, which he does not pay for, is as much part of his in- come as' the money which salaried man pays for rent, is of his, and should be counted as such in an estimate of the profits of the farm. All things pro- duced on the farm and consumed on the farmers table, including the vegetables from the garden, the eggs and milk used in cooking, are as much part of his income as the money paid for such things out of his salary is of the salaried man. If farmer gives his wife and children a pleasant ride to town, using his own horses and wagon, the value of their use is part of his income from his farm, as truly as the money the other man pays out of his salary for carriage hire is of his. The correct rule for es- tlmatlng the income from farm Is sub stantlally this: Give credit for every article produced, used or expended in any way whatever, no matter how small in value, as we'll as for cash received for products sold, and for increase in the value of farm property, and charge against the farm for interest on capital invested, and for all expenditures. The farmer that will do this from year to year, will not so much feel like com- blaming of the unproftableness of farming as compared with other pur- suits. The fact is that not one in 8 hundred farmers take into considera- tion the luxury and comforts of fresh eggs, butter, milk, fruits, etc., that they would have to pay high prices for If they lived in towns, or do without them.

 Value of the Crow.

 The Germantown Telegraph says of the crow: We suppose some would al- most as soon hear tell of military enemies coming near them as to have quartered near them " field" of crows. At least this would have been the feel 1ag few years ago, though the pre- judice against these birds is fast dying away. If we look at them at this sea- son as they are industriously at work, we must see that they are of the utmost benefit. They eat largely of acorns when they can get them, after that they visit the old cornfelds and make free with any stray grain that may have been left lying about. These resources at an end, they continue on till spring time at grubs and worms, or whatever of this nature they can find near the surface. It is not uncommon to see @ thousand crows in one flock on a single farm. What an enormous amount of insect material such an immense quant- lty must pick up in single day. They no doubt raid on other birds eggs, and at some seasons do other damage. We are willing to confess that he is at times avery bad thief, but the morals of the whole feathered tribe are none too good in this respect aud while we recognize the immense benefit of the crow at this season, let us charitably ask of other birds to cast the first stone at his excesses or deficiencies. g-s s Manure i'm Hill or Drill.

 As an argument in favor of this prac. tce, Massachusetts farmer says: In our own experience we have invariably found that for the mere purpose of with standing long-continued dry weather, those plants whose roots have immedi- ate access to organic manures will be much better enabled to absorb the necessary supply of moisture than those vegetating in all unmanured soil Some crops manured in the drill have been found to have formed a perfect net work among the manure, and although the soil above the manure was dry, the crop was luxuriant all the while and natured we'll. By applying manure in the drill it is put as nearly as possible where it is to do it's work. It is there the work of pulverization is needed; it is precisely there that plant food is to be used if used at all. As the process of evaporation from the leaves goes on, additional supplies of moisture are at tracted to the roots of the plants to re- place that which was passed off into the atmosphere. To reach these roots, the moisture must necessarily pass through the rich compost, dissolving particles of the most valuable fertilizers, rendering them accessible to the wants of plants, to whose use they will at once be appropriated.