284 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



fertilizer to the acre, 1 have thought their rendering of it 

 must be " out of nothing comes something." We often read 

 testimonials which say that " in such a year I plowed up an 

 old pasture that produced no grass, and by applying a few 

 hundred pounds of such and such a fertilizer I harvested so 

 many bushels of corn or potatoes." No doubt the statement 

 was correct, but I think the fine crop was due to the years 

 of rest that the old pasture had enjoyed, and improved in 

 accumulating plant food, which, with a little stimulating 

 influence from the fertilizer, caused the grand success. 

 Were I to recommend the use of prepared fertilizers I would 

 say use a generous quantity. Give them a fair show. ' 

 Carefully observe the result. If permanent benefit be the 

 result I would continue their use. If the contrary, then I 

 would be very cautious about future investments in that line. 

 The proper method of applying stable manure is more easily 

 ascertained than the way to obtain a sufficient supply at a 

 pi'ice that we can afford. We have plowed it in and wheel 

 harrowed it in both on sod and on old land. The results in 

 each case have been equally satisfactory. We have top- 

 dressed mowings, not run-out, with good results, while we 

 have felt that our manure was thrown away when applied to 

 mowings that were run-out. We think plowing, cultivating 

 hoed crops, and re-seeding to be the part of true economy 

 for such fields. 



Success in milk production depends largely upon the class 

 of cows kept. We may find desirable animals in almost any 

 breed. As a rule the Durham, Dutch, and the Ayrshire are 

 preferable. We have been most successful with medium 

 sized cows. I have no doubt that large cows do 1)ettGr in 

 small herds. Some of the best cows we ever owned were 

 Ayrshire grades. It is not generally believed to be economy 

 for the milk farmer to raise his own cows, but some of the 

 best cows we find among our milkmen were raised by them, 

 though at the expense of considerable extra tiouble. Those 

 who have bought many cows know that a large percentage 

 are undesirable and are sold because their owners desired to 

 weed them out. We know that some milk producers are 

 better situated to rear calves than others, and, while I would 

 not advocate it to any great extent, I regret we did not com- 



