334 



FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



and the roller should be u^ed to improve the physical condition of the soil in 

 its relations to moisture and root development. 



The organic matters of the soil should be increased by the accumulation of 

 root residues, the application of barn-yard manure, and, under exceptional 

 <;oaditions, by green manuring. 



The value of barn-yard manure depends upon the composition and quality 

 •of the crops grown and fed to the live stock of the farm, and the economy 

 practiced in its preservation and application to the soil. 



Summer fallows and fall plowing should be avoided, as they involve waste 

 in many directions, without any compensating advantages. 



The produce sold from the farm should be largely in the form of animal 

 products, as the manurial residues obtained in their manufacture are impor- 

 tant factors in maintaining fertility. 



A variety of live stock (cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry) should be kept to 

 secure economy in feeding and the greatest aggregate return for the crops 

 grown. 



The sum of the whole matter is, in effect, to see that valuable plants are 

 always ready to appropriate nutritive materials as soon as they are made avail- 

 able by the processes of soil metabolism, which are constantly in progress; to 

 provide animals of good quality to convert these crops into animal products 

 of greater value and the resulting manurial residues which contain the bulk 

 of the valuable constituents, which constitute the floating capital of the farm, 

 must be returned to the soil without loss, to again engage in the cycle of 

 changes involved in profitable production. 



In other words, an active circulation ot the elements of plant growth and 

 animal nutrition must be kept up to secure profitable production with the 

 least possible waste of raw materials. 



Yield of crops of Crawford county compared tcith other counties of the State for the 

 year 1883. From Report of Michigan Agricultural Statistics, 1884. 



Counties. 



State 



Clinton 



Crawford.. 

 Ingham — 

 Oakland.... 

 St. Josepli. 

 "Van Buren 



Potatoes, 

 bushels 

 per acre. 



68 

 56 

 55 

 63 



81 

 86 



77 



