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Vol.  T.XXV 
Rules  for  Selecting  a  Farm 
Facts  About  Different  Soils 
Will  you  state  the  relative  values  of  different  soils 
from  a  farmer’s  point  of  view.  viz.,  clay  laud,  sandy 
loam,  dark  loam,  etc.,  or  mixed  soils?  IIow  would,  or 
rather,  how  should,  a  man  judge  farm  land  when  there 
is  no  time  to,  nor  means  of.  consulting  expert  judges? 
Will  you  give  a  general  outline  of  points  that  should  be 
considered  in  the  purchase  of  farms  in  New  York  State? 
Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.  J- 
ARM  REQUIREMENTS.— When  my  father  em¬ 
igrated  in  1X47  from  ‘‘down  East”  (Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.)  to  “out  West"  (Monroe  County,  N. 
Y. )  lie  settled  on  a  clay  farm.  In  those  days,  wheat 
was  the  staple  money  crop;  and  although  that  clay 
farm  was  a  stiff  proposition  to  handle,  he  made 
good  and  paid  off  the  mortgage.  Rut  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years,  conditions  began  to  change,  and  a 
greater  variety  of  farm  crops  began  to  lie  profitable. 
He  then  traded  the  clay  farm  for  a  farm  in  another 
township  which  was  made  up  of  a  variety  of  soils. 
This  proved  to  be  a  very  practical  and  profitable 
and  puddle  as  does  a  heavier  roil.  For  the  market 
gardener  must  gather  his  load  for  the  market  ir¬ 
respective  of  weather  conditions;  and  the  tramping 
of  such  soil  when  wet  does  less  injury.  Poultry 
does  not  give  the  best  results  if  the  soil  ho  heavy 
and  damp.  It  must  have  good  drainage  and  surface 
drainage  does  not  fill  the  hill.  Laud  of  this  char¬ 
acter.  s<,  located,  usually  commands  a  high  figure, 
so  a  man’s  capital  and  resources  must  be  consid¬ 
ered  here. 
IIHAVTEIt  SOILS. — If  more  general  farming  is 
to  be  followed,  a  heavier  soil  will  he  better.  There 
are  very  few  of  our  farms  where  general  farm  crops 
are  raised,  where  the  soil  is  all  of  the  same  char¬ 
acter.  I  will  cite  my  own  farm.  It  is  rolling  laud 
in  what  we  call  the  Genesee  Valley,  the  soil  running 
from  heavy  clay  in  a  few  spots  to  heavy  sandy  loam 
in  other  parts;  so  it;  is  adapted  to  clover.  Alfalfa, 
wheat,  potatoes,  corn,  beaus,  oats,  apples,  etc.  A 
small  dairy  in  connection  with  the  crops  mentioned, 
proves  a  good  combination.  As  we  are  situated  nine 
our  present  improved  roads,  as  can  also  the  grain 
sold.  Such  farms  can  lie  bought  much  cheaper  than 
the  others  mentioned.  I  do  not  believe  that,  there 
is  another  part  of  our  State  where  there  is  better 
opportunity  for  a  man  to  select  good  productive  soil, 
adapted  by  location  and  cost  of  purchase  to  his  par¬ 
ticular  line  of  agricultural  pursuit  than  right  in 
Western  New  York,  where  market  facilities  are  the 
best. 
SOIL  NEEDS. — In  considering  the  soil,  color  is  of 
secondary  nature,  while  texture  and  humus  content 
are  of  first  importance.  Most  of  our  soils  contain 
a  supply  of  potash  which  is  rendered  available  un¬ 
der  efficient  management  and  by  means  of  organic 
matter  applied  in  the  form  of  stable  or  yard  ma¬ 
nures  or  cover  crops,  followed  by  thorough  cultiva¬ 
tion,  to  furnish  the  amount  required  for  general 
farm  crops,  while  gardening  and  fruit  require  an 
additional  supply.  Often  a  dark  soil  having  con¬ 
siderable  muck  in  its  combination,  may  be  found 
producing  very  poorly.  After  au  application  of  sta- 
Double  Cropping  in  a  Camden  County,  N.  J.,  Peach  Orchard.  Fig.  451.  See  page  1126 
change.  But  the  man  was  a  born  farmer,  bred  in 
the  bone.  lie  followed  those  practices  that  gave  the 
best,  results,  which  in  these  days  we  call  scientific 
farming.  A  man  must  not  only  adapt  his  farm 
practice  to  the  demand  of  the  times,  but  he  must 
be  both  insistent  and  consistent,  in  season  and  out  of 
season.  To  he  profitable,  his  business  must  spread 
itself  over  the  whole  12  months  of  the  year.  As 
this  latter  comes  under  the  head  of  farm  manage¬ 
ment  I  will  leave  it  and  take  up  the  second  point. 
ADAPTATION  TO  CONDITIONS. — He  must,  or 
ought  to,  buy  land  that  is  adapted  by  soil  conditions 
and  location  to  market  or  shipping  point  to  the 
branch  of  agriculture  he  is  to  follow.  If  close  in¬ 
tense  practice  is  to  he  the  program,  the  land  should 
he  a  reasonable  distance  from  a  good  city  market, 
perhaps  five  to  10  miles;  and  if  gardening  and  poul¬ 
try  are  to  be  the  chief  features,  the  soil  should  he 
of  a  samly  or  samly  loam  nature,  for  the  reason 
that  it  is  warmer  and  earlier.  Tt  responds  more 
(piiekly  to  manure  applications,  and  does  not  pack 
miles  from  a  big  city,  and  the  station  from  which 
we  ship  milk  is  about  100  rods  from  the  barn,  while 
214  miles  distant  there  is  a  mill,  two  bean  elevators 
and  two  railroad  stations,  our  proposition  works  out 
well. 
CONVENIENT  SHIPPING  POINT.— If  cabbages 
or  potatoes  are  to  he  raised  in  carloads  or  large 
quantities,  it  is  a  great  advantage  to  he  near  the 
shipping  point,  as  the  time  and  expense  of  hauling 
such  bulky  stuff  long  distances  cuts  off  too  much 
of  whatever  profit  may  be  in  sight ;  and  this  year 
with  cabbage  at  four  dollars,  distance  is  prohibitive. 
This  class  of  land  wears  well,  and  with  a  rotation 
of  the  different  crops,  the  soil  is  kept  in  good  condi¬ 
tion.  Such  land,  well  located,  commands  a  good 
price  when  offered  for  sale  and  when  conditions  are 
appreciated.  Again,  if  the  principal  features  to  be 
followed  are  the  dairy,  with  wheat,  corn  for  the 
silos,  clover  and  Alfalfa,  it  does  not  affect  the 
proposition  to  so  great  an  extent,  as  a  load  of  milk 
can  be  quickly  transferred  to  the  shipping  point  over 
hie  manure,  which  not  only  supplies  the  needed  phos¬ 
phoric  acid,  but  has  a  direct  effect  on  the  soil  struc¬ 
ture.  aiding  by  chemical  process,  to  render  available 
the  plant  food  which  is  present,  it  will  produce  sur¬ 
prising  crops,  at  least  this  has  been  my  experience. 
PROFITABLE  LAND. — Now  I  shall  briefly  men¬ 
tion  a  point  which  I  know  will  be  of  no  small  im¬ 
portance  to  the  man  who  wants  to  invest  in  land 
and  strike  a  good  bargain.  I  am  speaking  of  our 
Western  New  York  lands.  The  land  that  is  the 
most  profitable  to  buy,  that  is,  the  land  out  of  which 
you  will  get.  the  must  for  the  money  invested,  is  the 
land  that  has  always  been  too  wet  for  proper  cul¬ 
tivation,  and  has  boon  passed  l>y  as  being  unfit  for 
anything  except  a  little  pasture.  Such  soils  are 
storehouses  of  plant  food  which  has  been  accumu¬ 
lating  for  a  long  period  of  time,  and  has  been  locked 
up  by  the  conditions  mentioned.  Such  lands  con¬ 
tain  the  means  of  paying  for  the  necessary  under¬ 
drainage  and  at  the  same  time  producing  good  pay¬ 
ing  crops.  A  good  outlet  is  of  first  importance 
