322 



Cost of a Farm, fyc, on the Western Prairies. Vol. VII. 



temperature when inserted about three 

 inches into the soil after recent cultivation, 

 and also after manuring; but when these 

 are both combined, the rise in the instra 

 ment will be found proportionally higher 

 Under these favourable facts, it is not to be 

 wondered at, that the long, strawey manure 

 becomes soon reduced to a short, fine state, 

 and distributed regularly by after cultiva 

 tion ; and that when any delicate seeds are 

 sown on a field thus treated, they are as 

 sisted in their infant vegetation by the in- 

 creased native powers of fermentation, in 

 the early manured and well pulverized soil: 

 their first roots having the great advantage 

 of the necessary food being immediately 

 contiguous to them, and in that state of 

 delicate suspension, or balance of their affin 

 ities, that the least vegetable effort of the 

 plants is sufficient to overthrow ; and, in 

 consequence, such a tilth is more favourable 

 to their unfolding their future vigor, and 

 their arriving perfect at maturity. If the 

 reasoning' here employed be correct, this 

 favourable conclusion may be drawn — that 

 the early application of vegetable, animal 

 and other manures to the fallow, contributes 

 in a multiplied degree, to the fertilizing the 

 same, by the mechanical as well as chemical 

 assistance which they impart to the power 

 which the soil has, of combining with, and 

 decomposing air and water, with, at the 

 same time, their pulverizing effects; which 

 objects could not be gained, if the manures 

 were applied only before the last ploughing; 

 and by this practice also, the four following 

 points are gained, viz.: 



1st. Considerable less loss in manure, by 

 its fermenting in the soil, instead of the 

 mix-hill. 2nd. The soil deriving more fer- 

 tility by the early application of the ma- 

 nure than when put on late, and this at no 

 additional expense. 3rd. The manure when 

 carted on the land early, less loss ensues 

 from evaporation. 4th. If any kneading or 

 treading of the soil should take place during 

 the carting, there is time afterwards to get 

 the better of the evil, with having the ma- 

 nure to assist the husbandman's efforts. 



Bland's Agriculture. 



From the American Agriculturist. 



Cost of a Farm, Arc, on the Western 

 Prairies. 



No, no, gentlemen, "your old friend" is 

 not " lost in a cane-brake," nor yet in a snow 

 storm ; although one of my neighbours has 

 been within a week past, and actually per- 

 ished, and that too, in November, in latitude 

 41 lo . He was on a "trip to mill," and got 

 lost on a large prairie on the night of the 



16th inst., and perished in one of the most 

 severe storms ever known at this season, 

 since the country was settled. 



Little do you know in your "thick settle- 

 ments," what the pioneers of these "new 

 settlements" have to endure. Not that 

 there is much danger of being " taken by a 

 bear," as the only one that ever ventured 

 into "these diggings," fell a victim to my 

 rifle. As to my "taking to politics," I can- 

 not tell what may happen, as I have known 

 many instances of insanity, "about these 

 days." You will have received " late in- 

 formation from the prairies," before this, 

 which will tell you that the fire of improve- 

 ment is spreading. The staple commodity 

 of the prairies has always been wheat; and 

 the price heretofore has been so high, that 

 the cultivators have entirely overlooked the 

 necessity of providing, while they may, for 

 a different state of things; consequently the 

 great reduction in price has fallen heavily 

 upon this region. It will not now command 

 over 33 cents in the Chicago market, and 

 although under the operation of some of the 

 beautiful theories of our politicians, coarse 

 wool is equally depressed, yet when you 

 take into consideration that a vast amount 

 of wheat has this season been hauled into 

 Chicago, from 100 to 200 miles, the differ- 

 ence in transportation is so great as to ap- 

 pear at the first glance, vastly in favour of 

 wool. 



But I would not wish to be understood as 

 advising the prairie farmer to turn his atten- 

 tion to wool alone. The farmers in general 

 turn their attention too much to one object. 

 At one time it is wheat — again pork — and 

 so on. And the grand difficulty is the great 

 want of capital. On this account they are 

 compelled to submit to forced sales. They 

 are unable to hold over a crop. In fact, if 

 able, they have yet to learn how wheat can 

 be kept in stack, as at present they are un- 

 able to find storage for the grain after 

 threshing. 



You hear complaints of the low price of 

 beef. Do you know how low it can be pro- 

 duced ? I believe you are advised that no 

 finer beef was ever eaten than that made 

 upon prairie grass. Let me tell you the actual 

 cost. I can buy calves at one dollar and 

 fifty cents each. I have and can hire them 

 wintered until four years old, for one dollar 

 and fifty cents, each winter. Here, then, I 

 can have the finest fat steers four and a half 

 years old, for seven dollars and fifty cents a 

 head — cows, of course, at the same cost, in- 

 cluding a couple of calves. As you are 

 whole hog men, I will give you a few items, 

 and leave it to you to " cypher out" the 

 actual cost of western pork. In the first 



