Year: 1870

| this farm NAV be wholly and consciously unabls IN
] enter upon any expensive system Of improvement


for the next ton We ersmay fully realize that four ar
| five days of each ", ek must meantime be given n
| the growing or earnf ~ OF present bread-yet la


shoud none the less st rdy well the capacities and


adaptations Of each acre. an, matsre comprehensive


plan for the ultimate bringing 0i each held into the
best and most useful condition v'befsof 1t IS suscep
Die. before he cuts living tree or digs solitary
drain. lie is morally certain Of iTg something
perhaps many thngs-that he will sadly wish undone,
if he fails stndy peculiarites and 'uro plan
before he begins improve or to fit his seye al fields
FOR profitable cultivation.


And the first selection to be made is that Of pa.
ture, since i compelled TO use an old, familiar
ma me for what should be essentially a new thing
This pasture soUI be the center Of the farm
rs may be- aud convenient to the barns and barn.
yard shat are TO be. 1t should have shade but
no very young trees, should be dry and rolling, with
an abundance Of the purest living water. Tho
smaller this pasuTe-Ot may be- the better shall like


it, provided you fence it very stoutly, connect X
with the barn-yard by lane if they not in close
proximity and firmly resolve that outside Of this ot
this lane, this yard and the adjacent stable yOnr cat


tie shall be seen unless on the road to market
Very possibly. the day may come wherein You will
decide to dispense with pasturIng altogether; but
that is for the present. improbable. one pasture you
will have if you live in the broad West and purpose
to Craze extensively, it viii dosbtless be large one:
but permitting your stock to ramble in Spring aud
Fall all over your own felds-tand perhaps your
neighbors alson quest of their needful food biting
off the tops of the finer young trees, trampng down
or breaking down some that elder. rubbing the
bark off of your growing fut-trees. and doing dam
age that years will be required % repair. most
yehemently protest against


The one great error that mslcasts and cOrrupts
mankind is the presumption that something may b.
had for nothing. The average farmer imagnes that
whatever of flesh or of milk may accrue to him from


the food his cattle obtain 10y browsing his fields
through his woods, s SO much clear gain-that
they do the needful work, while he pockets the net
proceeds But the universe framed on plan
which requires much for so much and this law
will not submit to defiance or evasion. Under the
unnatural, transitory conditions which environ tho
lone squatter on a vast prairie, something may 10
made by turning cattle loose and letting them shirk
for themselves but this is at best tTansory and at
war with the exigencies Of civilization. Whoever
lives within sight Of schOol-house, or within hearing
of a church-bell, is under the dominion of law alike
inexorable and benefcent-the law that requires
each to pay for all he gets, and reap only where lac
has sown


YOu can hardly have pasture so small that II viii
not afford hospitality TO weeds and prove source Of
multiform infestatiOns. The plants that should
flourish and be d1used Will be kept down to tho
earth those which should be warred upon and erad-
Gated will flourish untouched, ripen their seed, and
diiiuse it far and wide Thistles White Daisy, and
every plant that impedes tillage and diminishes
crops are nourished and dfnsed by means of pas.
lures.


| hold therefore, that the good farmer will run
mowing-machine over his pasture twice each Sum-
mer-say early in June, and then late in July-Or, If
his lot be too rough for this will have 1t clipped at
least once with scythe. Cutting all manner OF
worthless if not noxous plants in the blossom, viii
benefit the soil which their seeding would tax; 1t
will render the eradication Of weeds from your til
lage a far easier task; and it will prevent your being
a Nuisance to your neighbors. am confident that
no one who has formed the habit Of keeping down
the weeds IN his pasture will ever abandon it,


think each pasture should have Though mine, as
vet has mott rude shed other shelter whereto the
cattle may resort in case of storm other incem-
ency How much they shrink well as suffer from
one cold. peltng rain. few fully realize but ana
sure that the mercifu man who las the Scripture
savs "s merciful to his beast" finds his humanity
good paying investment. / doubt that the rule
would fail. even in Texas but / am contemplating
civilized husbandry not the rude conditions OF
tropical sembarbarism. If only by means of
stakes and straw. give cattle chance to keep dry
and warm when they must otherwise shyer through
a rainv windy day and night on the cold, wet
ground and am sure they will pay for it.


In confinfng herd Of cattle to such narrow limits
do not intend that they shall be stinted on what
grows there. On the contrary expect them to DO
fed on Winter Rye Cut Grass on Sowed Corn.
Sorghum Stalks Roots, &c. &c. as each shall be IA
season. With good mower il Is a hight hours work
before breakfast to cut and to dozen or twenty
head as much grass they will eat durlngthe
day But let that point stand over for the present.