8o4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
DEC 7 
and the second growth of clover when 
plowed under have always shown excellent 
results. 
Years ago I used to try to save all the 
clover possible for hay. Then I fed it out 
during the winters in the way by which I 
could make the most out of it. Such ex¬ 
periences as the above have for some years 
made me—particularly as there was so little 
to be made from feeding any kind of stock 
—let as much of my clover as possible go 
back to the land without coming to the 
barn. I have only put in this year 20 or 
25 loads, against a possible 90 or more. We 
shall, however, take the seed out of about 
half of the 70 loads—four large stacks. To 
leave 25 loads of hay to rot on the surface of 
our fields many would think wasteful. It 
might be in some localities: but I doubt 
whether I could do as well in any other 
way. My newly-seeded clover—after wheat 
this year—was mowed twice, when from 
eight to 14 inches high each time, and the 
crops were left to mulch the surface. I 
wish every reader of the Rural New- 
Yorker could walk with me over the field 
and see what a thick, strong growth can 
be made in this way. The practice not 
only thickens the clover and kills the 
weeds but mulches the surface so thorough¬ 
ly as to greatly benefit it. I fully believe 
that this clover has brought me more clear 
money in the end than I could have got 
out of it by cutting and feeding it, and 
much more than by pasturing it. 
Twenty years ago last spring, I sowed 
my first clover seed, on land that was con¬ 
sidered so poor that my tenant refused to 
plow it and plant it for all the crop. I also 
began buying manure in town and drawing 
it over two miles to bring up another lot. 
For some years I thought, with the writer 
of the above letter, that I must re¬ 
turn as much plant food to my soil as 
I took off to maintain its fertility and 
more in order to bring it up. Trials of 
clover and manure side by side for years at 
last opened my eyes. I began to see that 
clover might be so used that it would pull 
me out of debt and into comfortable cir¬ 
cumstances, so I gradually changed my 
farming, sowed clover for all it was worth 
and made money at a rate never before 
dreamed of. In a few years I began pushing 
the claims of clover for the benefit of 
others. It seemed as though every one was 
against me, and the papers were full of 
“ clover sickness,” ‘‘soil exhaustion,” etc., 
etc. Men who knew nothing about it tried 
to prove that my farm had run down, that 
my potatoes were yielding but little, and 
that their quality was very poor and that I 
was going to the dogs generally. For two 
or three years I did draw pretty heavily on 
clover and tillage ; but no drafts went to 
protest! I had got all out of debt and 
wanted some new buildings. They were 
built and furnished at a cost of nearly 
86,000. All of the outlay was paid cash 
down. Then I eased up in my drafts on the 
clover fertility. 
All the battles I have fought for clover 
have been to help others who needed help 
as badly as I did years ago. What is the 
use, my friends, of pulling away at the 
horns and tail (nitrogen from the air or 
not) while some one else quietly gets the 
milk? It may be only a ‘'question of 
time ” ■when clover will fail us. Oh dear! 
so it is also when our oil and gas wells and 
coal mines will give out; but who fails to 
work them on that account ? Don’t buy a 
horse or cow or tool: it is only a “ques¬ 
tion of time” when they will fail I It is 
well to be reasonably cautious, and to look 
out ahead; but too much worrying on such 
points isn’t wise. Better make the most of 
what God puts in our hands to-day. When 
clover fails, how do you know that some¬ 
thing better will not be found out ? The air 
is loaded down with nitrogen : may not 
God endow some man with sufficient brains 
to find a way by which this can be fed to 
crops when there is a necessity for it ? 
The writer was brought up near the ocean, 
and well remembers how old men used to 
worry in their day about what their chil¬ 
dren would do for oil when the whales gave 
out. Haven’t we something far better 
now ? And before that gives out electric¬ 
ity, almost equal to sunlight, will be light¬ 
ing most of our houses. 
I do not worry a bit over my clover farm¬ 
ing. Why should I ? It has brought a 
run-down farm up to productiveness. We 
have got out of debt and comfortably fixed. 
We shall have enough to put in the savings 
bank this year to buy almost as many acres 
as our crops grew on. “ By their fruits ye 
shall know them.” This is a better rule to 
go by than to pay too much attention to 
analysis and science. “ We know in part.” 
Science has frequently been caught prov¬ 
ing (!) that a thing couldn’t be done just at 
the very time that practice had accom¬ 
plished it. What is science, any 
way ? Why simply our best present 
knowledge, which may be found wrong at 
any time. Our greatest scientists are very 
cautious about saying anything positively. 
When we hear some of the small guns 
shoot on the clover and nitrogen question, 
it reminds one that “ a little learning is a 
dangerous thing.” 
I ought to say, perhaps, that my farm 
was originally good land ; but it had been 
abused until it would produce almost noth¬ 
ing. It is better adapted to clover-growing 
than some of the clay soils. However, I 
have some heavy clay, tile-drained, where 
clover does about as well as on lighter soil. 
The trouble with many in growing clover 
has been that they haven’t given it as pood 
a chance as they should. They have sown 
Timothy the fall before, or pastured the 
young clover, or let the weeds choke it, or 
let it stand too long. It cannot take all 
sorts of abuse and still do its best for the 
farmer. 
Summit County, Ohio. 
DOES A CLOVER CROP ENRICH 
THE SOIL ? 
A LETTER FROM SIR J. B. LAWES. 
Does a clover crop enrich the soil ? 
There is no evidence, so far as I know, that 
it does. A very rich soil where we have 
grown clover for more than 30 years in suc¬ 
cession is greatly impoverished. But 
better crops of grain are grown after clover, 
although it is true the clover hay has car¬ 
ried off large quantities of the food con¬ 
tained in the soil; and, further, we have 
satisfied ourselves that the soil for the first 
nine inches from the surface is richer, i.e., 
more competent to grow a larger crop of 
wheat than it was before. Part of this in¬ 
creased food is certainly derived from the 
subsoil; whether all of it is so derived 
there is no evidence to show. Mr. Terry 
grows clover, potatoes, and wheat, export¬ 
ing the grain of the wheat and the pota¬ 
toes. Why not ? Because he is exhausting 
his soil; would it not be better to say he is 
reducing its fertility, and is not all econo¬ 
mic agriculture based upon the removal 
of fertility ? I suppose that no other per¬ 
son has tried so hard as I have to exhaust 
my soil, and yet what is the result of 50 
years’ experience ? That upon a soil which 
has no pretension to be called a rich soil, 
the bulk of the fertility is still there. 
Rothamsted, England. 
farm Copies. 
Abandoned Farms 
WHY 
QUIT FARMING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE? 
WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH 
EASTERN AGRICULTURE? 
For the past few months the papers have 
been full of accounts of the “ abandoned 
farms” in New Hampshire and Vermont. 
If one were to take these reports just as 
they are written, it would be safe to pre¬ 
sume that these States are being gradually 
depopulated ; that whole sections of good 
farming land are going back to the original 
wilderness and that the old New England 
farmer, that sturdy type of Americanism, 
famed in song and story, is passing com¬ 
pletely out of view. Certainly this is the 
impression prevailing at the West, and the 
R. N.-Y. has received many letters from 
Western farmers asking why it is that 
farms located within 50 miles of great 
manufacturing centers and within 150 
miles of large and prosperous cities cannot 
be made to pay. Is Eastern agriculture 
doomed ? Is the West to supply all our 
food ? These are the questions asked by 
those who hear only one side of this matter, 
not knowing of the thousands of prosper¬ 
ous and intelligent farmers in these very 
States of Vermont and New Hampshire 
who succeed where others fail. We have 
heard too much of the “ abandoned ” side 
of this matter. Those who have these 
farms for sale are very anxious to find cus¬ 
tomers. The State governments are in the 
land agency business to the extent of boom¬ 
ing these deserted farms. It is not strange 
therefore that we hear all about them. 
The R. N.-Y. recently received a long list 
of the names of those who had New Hamp¬ 
shire “ abandoned” farms for sale. It oc¬ 
curred to us that these men could give the 
best of reasons for the condition of agricul¬ 
ture that has led to the present state of af¬ 
fairs. We therefore communicated with a 
number of them, asking why they wished 
to sell their farms and why farm lands in 
New Hampshire could not be made to pay 
a profit. 
The following letters tell their own story. 
After reading them one may well ask: 
“ What’s the matter with New Hamp¬ 
shire agriculture ? ” The answer will, in 
the R. N.-Y’s. opinion, be very close to the 
following statement recently made by 
President J. M. Connor of the Granite 
State Dairymen’s Convention : “ The price 
of every kind of labor except farm work is 
going up and the rising generation are 
too anxious for a ‘soft snap’ to linger 
round a New Hampshire pasture long.” 
FROM HALE CHADWICK. 
I have for sale a farm of 500 acres located 
on a clear stream, and the tillage land— 
about 50 acres—is smooth and level and can 
be mowed with a machine. The farm was 
abandoned because of the death of the own¬ 
er and all his family. Another farm is in 
Merrimack County and consists of 200 
acres. The tillage land is smooth and level 
and a good strong soil—as good as any in 
the State. There are plenty of fruits— 
apples, cranberries, etc. It is unoccupied 
by reason of the death of the owner; the 
boys all left the old home for the village or 
city, and the father having died the farm 
was left desolate, like hundreds of others 
in this and other States. 
Merrimack County. 
FROM J. L. DRAKE. 
The farm spoken of is not unoccupied, for 
I cultivate the land and rent the buildings. 
It was left on account of the poor health of 
the owner and an attack of Western fever 
which is the principal reason for the de¬ 
sertion of farms in our section. 
Carroll County. 
FROM J. D. HUNKINS. 
The reason why the farm in question is 
deserted is that the man who owned it be¬ 
fore me is about 80 years old, and conse¬ 
quently not being able to carry it on he 
was obliged to sell. I bought it for the 
wood and pasturage, and as I own another 
farm in the village, the buildings (which 
are in good repair, needing only paint) are 
of no use to me, so in order to sell these, I am 
willing to sell some land with them. It is a 
good bargain for any one who wants a 
home. It has a good location and would 
be a fine place for a summer residence. 
Four good families are living within one- 
fourth of a mile. The depot and post- 
office are only two miles away, and there is 
a good easy road to them. Quite a good 
number of our oldest farmers have died 
within a few years. Aside from the loss 
caused by these, I am inclined to believe that 
farming is carried on as extensively as it 
ever was. We have a hosiery mill here, 
which, of course, gives employment to a 
good many who would otherwise have to 
pay more attention to farming. 
Belknap County. 
FROM H. D. MARCY. 
The farm referred to is owned by par¬ 
ties in Vermont and the man who has oc¬ 
cupied it to" several years did not pay the 
mortgage and concluded to give it up, and 
deeded it back to the parties holding the 
mortgage. They wish to sell and offer it 
as a deserted farm, as there is no one on it. 
It is a good stock farm and is mostly fenced 
with stone walls. It has running water 
and a house and barn, the buildings need 
some repairing and any party who is will¬ 
ing to work can make money by buyiugit. 
It is 1)4 mile from the village, where 
there are stores, a depot, church, etc. 
Grafton County. 
FROM G. E. WILSON. 
I want to sell because I have more laud 
than I need. I have only been here five 
years and the only particular trouble I can 
see is that this town has had a considerable 
amount of the war debt to pay since I have 
been here ; but now nearly all is paid. It 
has made our taxes about double what 
they would otherwise have been, and a 
good many who were shiftless and improvi¬ 
dent and who liked rum and cider better 
than work had to leave their places and go 
to work out and that makes it harder for 
the others. 
Grafton County. 
FROM G. R. STEVENS. 
The farm I have for sale was deserted be¬ 
cause of the death of a childless old man. 
It was sold at auction and I bought it. The 
desertion of the farms here is mainly due 
to the death of the owners who leave no one 
to take their places. 
Rockingham County. 
FROM A. B. DEERING. 
The occupants of the farm have died, and 
it fell to me. Halving another, I wish to 
sell this as I am not able to carry on both. 
It is in a good state of cultivation and pleas¬ 
antly situated. 
“ What seems to be the matter with farm¬ 
ing in this neighborhood ?” The old folks 
have died off, while the younger people 
have gone to the cities. That seems to ac¬ 
count for so many unoccupied farms in N. 
H. It certainly does in this vicinity. 
Carroll County. 
FROM H. B. WHITNEY. 
This farm of 180 acres is one of the best 
and was owned by one family for 100 years. 
It was finally sold because the last owner 
died about three years ago. I bought it 
two years ago. I offer the 180 acres for 
81,200, reserving all the timber except that 
on about 20 acres which is a sugar orchard 
of 1,000 to 1,500 nice Rock Maples on good 
ground. The rest is mostly hard-wood. 
There are about 40 acres in mowing which 
can all be cut with a machine. Nearly 75 
acres are in pasture. The farm is level and 
is fenced with stone walls. The buildings 
consist of a dwelling-house 32 by 40 feet 
an L 10 by 20 feet, with a shed 50 feet 
long for wood and carriages. There are also 
two barns: one 34 by 56 feet, and the other 
26 by 34 feet. Those are in good repair. 
There is a shed 34 feet long attached to the 
barn to serve as a stable. There are also 
a tool-house, a piggery, a corn-barn, and a 
bee-house all in very good condition. There 
are plenty of apples, pears, plums, and 
grapes. The farm lies about 2% miles from 
West Canaan and about the same dis¬ 
tance from Enfield at both of which 
places there are railroad stations. It is 
only eight miles from Dartmouth College 
in Hanover. There is a creamery at West 
Canaan. This is a good farm for a man who 
keeps cows. It is a level farm. I offer it 
at such a bargain because I have more real 
estate than I want. I have one or two 
other farms to sell. 
Grafton County. 
FROM H. O. HADLEY. 
The farm which I have for sale is situated 
about two miles from the village of Temple 
where there are stores, a church, a hotel, 
etc. The former owner of the place sold it 
to me as he had a good chance to engage in 
the grocery business in one of the adjoin¬ 
ing towns. He had bought it about 10 
years before, having paid 83,400 for it. He 
had less than 81,000 to start with, yet he 
paid for the place and had it all clear of 
debt before he left it. It will maintain 20 
cows and two horses the year around at 
present, and could easily be made to main¬ 
tain twice as many. The building consists 
of a good two-story house with brick ends 
in good repair. There is an adjoining L 20- 
x30 feet one story high. It needs shingling 
and a few other repairs very badly. Ad¬ 
joining the L is a shed 20x50 feet and near 
this are two barns. No. 1 is 48x36 feet and 
No. 2, about 30 feet from the first, is 64x28 
feet. There are also other sheds and a hen¬ 
house. It is estimated there are 600 cords 
of hard wood on the place, and there is an 
abundance of apples, pears, cherries 
and grapes. It is about a quarter 
of a mile from school, and 50 rods 
from the nearest neighbor. The nearest 
railroad connection is at East Wilton or 
Greenville, each six miles distant. The only 
reason why the farm should not sell quick¬ 
ly for 85,000 or more, is because the main 
road does not exteud beyond the house, so 
that the place is of course at the end of the 
road. The road is good, however, and 
there are no gates on it and the main roads 
are just in sight less than a quarter of a 
mile away. The only reason why there are 
so many deserted farms in this State is be¬ 
cause the young men of to-day are too lazy 
to work. 
Hillsborough County. 
FROM GEO. MUNSON. 
My farm is not properly on the abandoned 
(Continued on Page 809.) 
