Year: 1874

dressing on top, even without dragging, re-
marking at the time it looked rather shift =
less but It might do little good. The re.
suit was after saw the lasting benefit Of
that manure ceased to plow in manure.


There is one thing certain though we may
differ in the mode Of applying manure, that
is manure zoe must hare, although, like gold,
we may make il cost too high for profitable
use. But ii we will husband our means in
regard to making manure as we do in saving
our money, think we would have more
money TO use and at the Same time add TO
our sinking fund more.


Now would say to such farmers as sell
their straw because their cattle will not do
as well on it as on hay, do not sell the
straw, bat buy and feed little grain with
the straw. | believe that il would pay a
farmer better to buy straw to bed his cattle
with to absorb the liquid manure, than to
pay three cents pound for commercial ma.
nures. Another thing would ask our farm
ers to consider in regard to keeping our land
in this valley in productive state. We all
know of the productiveness of the Con necti-
cut River flats under a constant tillage.
They are at the present time raising very
exhausting crop, from which they can get
nothing to put back to the soil in the share
of manure. Well, what do they do? They
come to our county and buy our sheep in
tn: fall, and buy our hay to feed them, be-
sides large quantities Of grain for the same
purpose, and if they get cost in the spring
for their sheep. throwing in their labor, they
think the profits ample, as they know they
must either have manure or poor crops and
poorer farms. And that is not all they
not only buy our sheep and hay but they
buy all the manure they eau get transporta.
tion for, aud offer such prices that have
known farmers to sell to them as they
thought they could not make the manure
worth so much to them as the Connecticut
River farmers would pay them for it. Now
ono or the other Of these parties are not
sharp. Which is it, the buyer or the seller I
| believe it is the seller.


The land in our valley needs the manure
as much to-day as the Connecticut River
land, if not more, judging from their crops
and ours. Now the querry arises, if they
can buy everything to feed, stock and fod.
der, and pay transportation, cannot we do
the feeding ourselves and get their profits
and the difference in transportation, and
make money by it? Another point will
just allude to, and that is not taking more
pains with our pastures. They are becom-
ing run down like our other fields. "0h,
our pastures can never run out" say most
farmers. But to such farmers would say,
see that miserable white grass growing SO
plenty in your pasture, which will no more
grow in a rich pasture than lice will thrive
on well kept stock. The fact is we are tax.
ing off continually from our pastures and
putting nothing back. Just consider what
an amount Of stock has been kept on some
Of our pastures, and annually sold therelrom,
aud all the return to them is the cattle's
droppings and they are mostly in the grove
or under the shade trees where the cattle re-
sort to rest and to chew the cud Of content.
ment. Now this stock has accumulated
most of their growth in the pastures, for in
winter there is but little growth made by
our stock, as usually kept, SO you must
redily sec that the earthly portion, and that
is not a small portion, Of their frames, is
built up from the pasture, for which there is
no return made, aud consequently if the soil
is not naturally rich in that material it must
eventually become poor and must be fed if
we would but grow healthy stock. Many
persons are claiming this impoverisbment Of
some dairy districts as the cause Of abortion
Of the COWS IN certain localities. Many Of
our pasture are of hilly or ridgy surface,
and We have cheap commercial fertilizer
in gypsum that will feed such ridges or
knOlls and make them produce bountitully OF
the clover which makes rich pasturage. Our
low land pastures | know OF no way to re-
store to their former rich grasses, and to kill
the worthless wild grass growing thereon,
only by grain raising If any one can give
better plan | would like to have it pre-
sented before this meeting. But wish to
say few words to the young farmers here
present. Do not follow any old notions be.
cause your father, grandfather, or great
grandfather did thus or So but see il you
cannot improve. Subscribe for and thor
oughly read the agricultural papers, attend
the farmers clubs, and if you have nothing
to say ask questions anyone eau do that,
and that will call out discussions and you
will soon be able to take part in them. Get
all the knowledge you can upon farming,
an then experiment, for there is not tiller
Of the soil but is able to experiment more or
less in farming. When you plant put In a
few experimental rows, with different seed
and prepared differently. Manure some
rows differently aud mark your rows and
make record Of them in your diary, aud
note the results also for future reference.
Also your stock will furnish you plenty of
experimental study, how to keep in the most
profitable manner, how to crop to accom-
plish certain ends aud make the progeny
more profitable. In fact there is hardly a
branch Of farming but is experimental, there
fore take no mans word for this or that,
simply because he says so, but look at its
reasonabihty and weigh the matter candidly
in your own mind, recOlecting that God has
given you intellect as well as others.


We made the statement that advertise
ments are very generally read. If any one
of n practical turn of mind desires to test the
accuracy of such n statement, and at tho
same time learn the effect of advertising on
business, let him advertise in two lines, in
the most obscure part OF some newspaper,
that he wants to buy dog. If he does not
want the visitation this will bring him, let
him insert n line in tho midst Of batch of
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