182 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



ing was practiced on this place ; com and 

 clover being the main crops. Here, too, the 

 land had been severely cropped with wheat, 

 and badly run. The first year or two, and 

 until I could secure some benefit from clover, 

 I could make but little more than the interest. 

 After this I had no serious trouble. The debt 

 was paid in ten years ; and could have been 

 paid in eight years, if it had been all due, or 

 if the money would have been accepted. 



Meantime the productiveness of the farm 

 was largely increased, and, until during the 

 last few years, the average has been from fifty 

 to eighty per cent, more than was raised in 

 the same time when I first commenced. This 

 is mainly due to clover, which has been sown 

 at every opportunity. No heavy crops of 

 clover have been plowed under, but a good 

 clover sod, and some growth, say from six to 

 ten inches high, have been secured, if conven- 

 ient. Never pastured clover in the spring, 

 but saved all the growth that could be obtained 

 to plow under for corn. By surface manuring 

 in the fall, with well rotted manure, the clover 

 would be well started when plowed under in 

 May. I raised a good deal of clover hay, 

 which made rich manure. I found it best to 

 keep but little stock to pasture in the summer, 

 so as to raise as much hay and other forage as 

 possible to feed to make manure in the winter. 

 This manure, largely mixed with straw and 

 the butts of corn stalks, was piled up in the 

 .spring, and either applied as above mentioned, 

 or worked into the surface before sowing win- 

 ter wheat. I found, however, that such ma- 

 nure paid the best when spread on clover in 

 the fall that was to be plowed, in the spring, 

 for corn. In this way I have raised over 

 eighty bushels of shelled corn per acre. I 

 also found that the land was much more ben- 

 efited by turning under clover, that had been 

 mowed, than that which had been pastured. 

 This appeared to be due to the much larger 

 amount of roots where the clover was allowed 

 to make a full growth, than where kept closely 

 cropped. This was probably owing in part to 

 the fertilizing eifects of these roots, when 

 plowed in while in full vigor, and partly to 

 the loosening and ameliorating efl'ects of the 

 long tap roots, in the soil and subsoil. 



Until recently I have made nothing by grow- 

 ing wheat. The first year on the place, I put 

 in a few acres after spring crops, and har- 

 vested four bushels per acre. A summer fal- 

 low gave twelve bushels per acre. I then 

 stopped growing wheat for some years. But 

 during the last i'ew years I have grown good 

 wheat after clover that was mowed early, and 

 a second crop turned under in August ; the 

 land being tcdl prepared for the seed. 



I commenced on this farm with a yoke of 

 oxen anil one horse. In a few years I raised 

 a good iiorse team, and quit oxen. Have had 

 three horses most of the time since. But 1 

 found a good lively joke of oxen much the 



best and most economical team for a farmer 

 that is largely in debt. 



Now I don't see any very serious difficulty 

 in paying one-half or two-thirds for a farm, 

 and doing it all on the land. Three things are 

 necessary, — industry, economy and good farm- 

 ing. The farmer must work, and work 

 steadily. During the busy season he should 

 take no more time for recreation, than is usu- 

 ally taken by a good hired man. In the winter 

 there will be more leisure. But then it is 

 well to try to earn or make a little money. 

 My practice was to secure some work or job 

 by which I could make from $30 to $50 each 

 winter. 



There must be good economy. The young 

 man, heavily in debt for his farm, who buys 

 high-priced horses, expensive carriages, with 

 harness and other things to match, inclutling 

 costly apparel, and who frequently takes time 

 to show all these things in riding about the 

 tile country, will hardly succeed. It is vastly 

 better to pay for the farm and get these things, 

 if they must be had, afterwards. To do this, 

 there must not only be good economy of time 

 and money, but of all thmgs that can be used 

 to make or save money. 



To this economy there may seem to be one 

 exception, and that is, all such farmers should M 

 dealliberally with their land. Not only should | 

 there be liberal seeding and manuring, but 

 there should be sufficient labor applied to put 

 the soil in the best condition for crops. And 

 while this is done with a liberal hand, the 

 farmer should study to do it judiciously ; 

 should see that there is no seed, manure, or 

 labor misapplied, but that all are used to the _ 

 best advantage. Here, too, is good economy ; ■ 

 in fact a great chance for economy. The many ■ 

 small leaks, — with some, perhaps, not so 

 small, — are often among the principal reasons 

 why farmers succeed no better. Hence there 

 should be close study to manage all these 

 matters to the best advantage. 



Care should also be taken to adopt a system 

 of farming that will keep the land growing 

 better. It is p jor economy to reduce the 

 soil while paying the debt. Many think it 

 must be done ; but they are greatly mistaken. 

 Good farming, and the only correct course is, 

 while constantly producing paying crops, to 

 keep the soil constantly improving. By doing 

 this, the farm can be paid for much sooner 

 and easier, and will be much more valuable 

 when this is done. 



As "C. B. R." is looking for help and en- 

 couragement in the right direction, little need 

 be said as to the benelits of agricultural books 

 and papers. So, hoping that he will find some 

 hints or suggestions m this that will be of use, 

 and that what is here wanting will be supplied 

 from the experience of other fanners, 1 re- 

 main A Common Faumeb. 



Western New York, Feb., 1868. 



