Year: 1871

fathers.


do not desire to advocate a system OF
book farming, or q sy ITEM so expensive
that none but the wealthy can pursue it,
but ! desire to ask my brother farmers TO
avail yourselves of all the means within
your power to improve the condition of
your farm and crop? Is the manure
from your cattle properly saved from ex-
posure to bleaching rains and drying
winds, and is it drawn direct from your
fields, and properly app led and covered
so that its full value is saved when fer.
mentation occurs!


Have you placed muck or some other
absorbent in your yards, and beneath the
manure heaps, which were made almost
as valuable as manure itself, when it has
absorbed the urine from the stock, and
had incorporated with it the manure oc-
cas- onally dropped by the cattle upon it
and when mixed with the litter and other
matter that always should accumulate in
any farmers barnyard


do not mean to say that common
muck is of very great value when used
entirely alone, and in its crude state, al
though | have seen most satisfactory
results from the application of muck
alone, when after years exposure, ap-
piled to soil almost opposite in charac-
ter TO the muck itself. But do mean
to say that but small portion, of our
farmers place the value they should up
on muck, or realize the profit they might
from its use as an absorbent, and its ju-
dicious application.


How large portion of our farmers
consider their labors over, after securing
their hay, until harvesting comes. How
many of their barn-yards are grassed
over, end look as cleanly and beautiful
as fell in June. How many such
farmers, have an absorbent even for the
suds, and wash from their homes. A
rank growth of weeds indicates where
enough fertilizing matter has gone to an
nually raise half acre of corn, and this
condition of things will exist until a new
and more enterprising owner occupies the
farm.


Such farmers are always complaining
of their taxes, are turning portions of
their fields into pastures, and presenting
evidences of their shiftlessness or lazinees
in their persons, clot ing, buildings, and
everything else, until at last they sell
their farm, completely run down COM
planning that farming is improbable.
Such men will not succeed as farmers, or
anything else, and will disgrace any pre-
fes;ion they may enter.


How often such farms are purchased,
and cheaply too, by an intelligent labor
er, who in few years brings back the
farm 10 its original fertility, the build
ings to their former cheerful and home
like appearance, himself and family an
ornament, instead of disgrace TO the
eishborhood in which he lives.


Such man does not cease his labors
when his hay is secured, but goes from
his field to his muck-bed and though
his barn-yard does not present the green
appearance it did under its former owner
his fields look green and beautiful and
reward him with crops which not only
gladden. the eye, but fills his purse.


But am wandering from the subject
upon which | have been requested to
speak TO you tonight, and will endeavor
to return TO the main question under
consideration, viz The policy of selling
hay, or portion of it, and keep up the
condition of your farms by purchasing
special manures, and the use of those
composted upon your own farms. | be-
lieve in the policy and profit of this sys-
tenn upon good farm, and would never
advise farming at al. on land that is, and
always was, actually poor.


Ten years ago l took possession of
farm of nearly 800 acres, which was in
a fair state of cultivation. and npon
which both my father and grandfather
had spent most of their days. They had
never sold any hay, always keeping
large stock of cattle and consuming all
that was raised upon the place. l i'm
mediately reduced my stock very much,
have sold every year fully two-thirds of
my hay, and Notwithstanding NV neigh
bors at first said / should completely
run the farm down, still some of these
men will not only tell you that not on
ly very largely increased the productive
ness of the farm, cutting one-tbird more
hay, and of much betterquality, but will
tell you also, that a year ago l received
the first premium of fifty dollars for hav-
ing the best cultivated farm in the coun-
ty. Not only my fields, but my fences
and buildings we're improved, and the
best of it all was that made it protiia-
BILE. True l aimed principally to raise


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