i87&] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
4.63 
con, “ sold for $34.60 per acre. Here it would have 
brought $43, to say nothing of the straw. The dif¬ 
ference is over $19 per acre.” 
“But you must recollect,” remarked Charley, 
who is somewhat inclined to go West, “ that to 
raise 41 bushels of wheat per acre here, we must 
underdrain and have our land very clean and rich, 
and then not get such a crop one year in ten.” 
“ We will not,” said I, “ discuss this question of 
whether farming is more profitable at the West 
than at the East; it depends a good deal on cir¬ 
cumstances. No matter where you go, there is little 
money to be made in poor, ordinary farming. Prof. 
Shelton figures out a profit of one hundred per cent 
on his wheat crop. But how is it with the farmer 
who raises only 30 bushels per acre ? Prol. Shel¬ 
ton’s crop cost $13.30 an acre, and the profit is $13.- 
30 an acre. If the crop of twenty bushels cost 
$10 per acre, the profits would be $3 per acre.” 
“Yes,” added the Doctor, “judging from past 
experience, in a year or two we should have an 
unfavorable season, and wheat, instead of selling 
for 60 cents a bushel in Kansas, will bring $1.20. In 
such a year, Prof. Shelton may get only 30 bushels 
per acre, instead of 41 bushels, and many others in¬ 
stead of getting 30 bushels will get only 10 bushels. 
In this case, the profits from the 10 bushel crop 
will be $3.00 per acre, and from the 30 bushel crop 
$34 per acre, or twelve times as much. 
“And so,” said the Doctor, “you are tired of 
talking about farm crops. You think farmers should 
bestow more thought on the preparation of the 
land. This may be true, but still it is well to think 
about particular crops and how to manage them, 
and what varieties to sow and plant. There are 
more good farmers in the world than many of us 
imagine; and let me tell you, that the next ten 
years will see a mighty advance all along the line. 
Think of the enormous exportation of farm pro¬ 
duce, and above all, of the exportation of cattle, 
sheep, and hogs. Think of the great quantities of 
artificial manures that are being used; and the 
farmer who uses one ton this year, will be likely 
to use two tons next year, and five tons the year 
after. This will enable him to farm better and raise 
and fatten more stock. He will keep better bred 
animals and feed richer food, and this will give him 
more and richer manure, and that will make him a 
richer and happier man. So do not be discouraged. 
1 agree with you fully that we must pay more atten¬ 
tion to draining and cleaning and enriching the 
land ; but when this is done, we must also give at¬ 
tention to improved herds of animals and improved 
varieties of plants. Without this, the good farmers 
who improve the land will not get full returns for 
their skill and enterprise and labor.” 
“ That is the right doctrine,” said the Deacon ; 
“ and I do not think the American Agriadturist re¬ 
ceives sufficient credit for the care it exercises in 
testing and recommending new varieties of farm 
crops. I place great reliance on its judgment. Its 
advocacy of the ‘ Early Rose ’ potato, alone, has put 
millions of dollars in the pockets of fanners. It 
was the American Agriculturist that first induced me 
to try the ‘ Peerless,’ and though many have con¬ 
demned it, I feel sure that this variety has been a 
very profitable one in many sections. Until last 
year, it was the most productive and profitable kind 
I raised. The Late Rose that year was decidedly 
the most profitable. But this year the ‘ Peerless ’ 
again comes to the front.” 
“I am glad,” said the Doctor, “to hear the 
Deacon say so much for the American Agriculturist. 
Much more—very much more—could be said in 
grateful acknowledgment of its discriminating judg¬ 
ment in regard to the relative merits of new varie¬ 
ties. It deserves the thanks of every farmer, fruit¬ 
grower, and florist in the United States, or for that 
matter, in every land where the English language 
is spoken. It is a grand and noble paper—fearless, 
outspoken, and eminently trustworthy. It con¬ 
demns the bad and recommends the good.” 
“I find that this difference in different years, 
which the Deacon alludes to, is true of other varie¬ 
ties. Last year ‘ Compton’s Surprise ’ did not do 
anything like as well as it has this year. The ‘ Snow¬ 
flake ’ is also better this year than it was last year, 
and I do not think there was a rotten potato in the 
field of this variety, or the ‘ Early Vermont,’ ‘Jones’ 
No. 4,’ and ‘Genesee Co. King.’ ‘Compton’s Sur¬ 
prise’ suffered somewhat,and ‘Brownell’s Beauty’ 
still more. The latter, however, were very large, 
and yielded well, and after all there was probably 
not over five per cent of diseased potatoes. They 
have the advantage, too, when they rot, they rot 
right through and have done with it! ‘ Perfection ’ 
yielded wonderfully well. This is the first year 
we raised it, and have not yet tested its quality. 
‘Jones’ No. 4’ we have raised for three or four 
years. I have not yet made up my mind in regard 
to its value. This year it has done remarkably well 
for such a poor season. It produced more bushels 
per acre than any other variety. It is as handsome 
as the ‘ Snowflake,’ and much more productive, but 
the tubers are small. One of my men says that 
years ago we had a variety called ‘ Thousand in a 
Hill,’ and thia reminds him of it. If planting it 
early on rich land would increase its size, it would 
be a very profitable variety.” 
“ But of all the varieties we have raised,” said 
Charley, “none are quite equal to ‘Genesee Co. 
King.’ There is not a man on the farm but thinks 
it decidedly the best in yield and quality. It was a 
pleasure to dig them. They resemble the ‘White 
Peaehblow,’ but yield three times as much. They 
are a late variety, grow vigorously, and the bugs 
do not injure them half as much as they do the 
‘ Snowflake ’ and other kinds that have smaller 
vines. We ought to plant all of them next year.” 
“ You manured part of your land, and part not; 
did the potatoes rot more on the manured land ? ” 
asked the Doctor. 
“No, not in the least; and I am perfectly satis¬ 
fied that we must manure our land for potatoes— 
either with good, rich, well-rotted barn-yard ma¬ 
nure, or with artificial fertilizers, or loth. With 
both, would probably be the better plan. I would 
draw out the manure this winter, or very early in 
the spring, and spread it broadcast on the land, 
and plow it in. The longer it is exposed spread 
out on the surface of the land, the better I should 
like it. Then apply some good artificial manure in 
the ridge or hill. We must give up the notion that 
manure rots potatoes. Now that we have to fight 
the bugs, we must plant potatoes on our best and 
richest land; plant the be't and most vigorous 
varieties, and take good care of them. There is 
much money in potatoes, if we can only raise good 
crops in unfavorable seasons ; and this we can do 
if we select good land, manure it well, plant early, 
and take good care of the crop.” 
About Agricultural Fairs. 
The writer of “ Among the Farmers ” apologizes 
for, and almost falls in with, those who think that 
fairs can not be conducted successfully without the 
usual horse trot. Yet he quotes the N. Y. State 
Agricultural Society as not recognizing their neces¬ 
sity, though it holds one of the most successful 
fairs—in all that constitutes success at an agricul¬ 
tural fair—held in the country. Another example is 
The Orange County Fair. 
Until this year the Orange County (N. Y.) Agri¬ 
cultural Society had thought trotting to be the thing 
to draw the crowd needed to pay their expenses. 
This year, however, it voted to hold the fair at a 
place where there was no track, and trotting had 
no place on the bills. The result was, larger receipts 
than in several previous years, and a more success¬ 
ful exhibition in every respect. This fair also illus¬ 
trated some other facts in regard to fair-grounds 
in general. As no trotting'was to be held,a long track 
was unnecessary. A field of 35 acres was rented, 
which was bounded only by a low stone wall. On 
one part, where the ground was smooth, a short 
track was staked out with no expense for grading,for 
showing carriage and draft horses, colts and stall¬ 
ions, and saddle and walking horses. On the other 
portion, tents and temporary board structures suf¬ 
ficed for the show of implements, poultry, fruits, 
and field products, flowers and domestic articles, 
and pens for the live-stock. A few special police 
around the borders of the field kept out intruders. 
This was ail. The Society owns no expensive 
grounds or buildings, and so has no debt on its 
shoulders to encumber free action. The small field, 
which the no-trotting allowed, was convenient to 
the highway, and so compact that one could visit 
every part in a short time and not be weary and 
foot-sore from the long walks so often necessary on 
a fair-ground where the exhibit must cover much 
6pace, a3 a sexton scatters a small congregation in a 
large church, to give an appearance of fullness. 
The rent of the field, and the expense for tents, 
and police, etc., were less than the interest would 
be on the cost of large grounds with track, build¬ 
ings, and high board fences. The grounds being 
open to the view of the public from the highway, 
wore a bright and inviting look that must have 
drawn many who would not otherwise have attend¬ 
ed. The fair was such a success, that it was at 
once voted to follow the same course next year. 
A New Departure in Premiums. 
It is the usual custom to offer small premiums of 
$1 to $3 for “ the best cow,” “ the best three sheep,’’ 
etc., of each of several breeds, and natives or 
grades. So it was at the Orange County Fair, until 
this year a “ Friend of Agriculture ” offered several 
special premiums, among them the following: “ For 
the best herd of 5 Ayrshire cows, $10.00,” and the 
same for Dutch or Holsteins, and for natives or 
grades. “For the best flock of 10 or more ewe 
sheep, $10.00; particular attention to be paid to 
mutton qualities as well as to wool bearing.” “ For 
the best acre of wheat harvested the present year, 
$6.00 ; competitors to exhibit a bushel of the aver¬ 
age product of the field, and to furnish a sworn 
statement as to cost, yield, and methods of cultiva¬ 
tion.” “For the best collection of implements 
exhibited and kept for sale by any dealar within 
the county, $15.00; second ditto, $10.00.” The 
donor argued that any man might have one 1st prize 
cow in an otherwise poor herd, while it is for the 
interest of agriculture to encourage the keeping 
and exhibition of good herds. For sheep the same 
argument holds; and it was desired to create the 
impression that mutton production is as important 
as wool in sheep husbandry. The amount offered 
was concentrated in a few things which were of 
most importance to the agriculture of the county, 
instead of dividing the money among an endless 
number of comparative trifles. Milk records and 
pedigrees were asked for in connection with the 
cows exhibited, on the ground that the cow’s his¬ 
tory and performances were as important as her 
looks. The result of those special offers was the 
calling out of 156 cows—far exceeding the usual 
number—and about 60 sheep. The total amount of 
these premiums was only $90, but they were dis¬ 
tributed in such a way as to be influential in what 
constituted a large portion of the exhibition. 
Many believe it desirable to have a great variety 
of premiums, so as to eidist and interest the largest 
possible number of persons, and to encourage small 
farmers. Others aim for ample permanent grounds 
and buildings. We describe this particular fair, be¬ 
cause it presents the other side of the subject, and 
may be worth}- of the consideration of the hundreds 
of Societies that will soon be making plans for the 
next campaign. Of course modifications will be re¬ 
quired to suit the needs of any particular locality. 
What Under draining Bid, 
One of my neighbors made <fn experiment In 
underdraining seven years ago, with very satisfac¬ 
tory results, which are worthy of record. The soil 
was originally good, but had been much neglected 
for many years, and yielded small profit under the 
old style of management. The lot selected for 
drainage comprised eleven acres, the lowest part of 
it a swale, sloping to the north, and the east and 
west sides heavy moist land that yielded weeds 
and coarse grasses. It was estimated to be wortlt 
not over five dollars an acre when taken in hand. 
A main drain of six-inch tile was put through this 
field, four feet deep, with lateral drains of two-inch 
tile, twenty-five feet apart and two and a half feet 
deep. The whole cost was about $50 an acre, os 
