ieio. 
'THEC RURAL NEW-YORKER 
A NEW YORK HILL FARM. 
Success with Commercial Fertilizers. 
The question often comes up whether a man can 
take some of this cheap land that is somewhat worn 
and (bring it up to a condition of profitable production 
without the use of stable manure. There has been a 
contention that it may be done, but no one has tried 
it about'here on a profit-producing plan to any extent. 
Recently I saw a farmer a little distance from here, but 
on land almost identical with ours, who has worked 
out the problem to a profitable result. In three years’ 
time he has changed a farm that produced next to 
nothing to a production of two and a half tons of hay 
to the acre, and he claims to be able to raise this to 
four tons by making two cuttings. This he has done 
without a particle of stable or yard manure. The 
method is general in its application, and may doubt¬ 
less be varied considerably in its details to meet in¬ 
dividual conditions or preferences. In working out 
the problem, the first thing done was, of course, 
to plow the land. This was thoroughly done, as was 
also the harrowing. A complete fer¬ 
tilizer was applied at the rate of three 
to four hundred pounds to the acre. 
Oats and peas were sown, and when 
they had reached the proper stage of 
growth they ^vere turned under. It 
was a case of put something on all 
the first year and get nothing off. 
The next year oats were used in mak¬ 
ing the seeding, and a liberal applica¬ 
tion of commercial fertilizer was 
again made. This time the crop was 
harvested, and it proved to be a good 
one. The following Spring chemicals 
were purchased, and a mixture con¬ 
sisting of 200 pounds of acid phos¬ 
phate, 100 of nitrate of soda and 50 
pounds of muriate of potash was 
made and applied at the rate of about 
350 pounds to the acre. The result¬ 
ing hay crop was fully two and a half 
tons per acre, and it brought $18 a 
ton. The owner of this farm did not 
say how profitable the venture had 
been, but outsiders told me that the 
farm had been purchased and paid 
for off the land in three years. This 
may be true, but I am inclined to 
the opinion that little or nothing has 
been allowed for interest or labor 
during this time. The farmer told 
me that he will again top-dress this 
Spring with the same mixture of 
chemicals, but perhaps make a little 
heavier application than a year ago. 
He thinks by doing so, cutting off the 
crop early and again using chemicals, 
he can, if we get a wet season, make 
a second cutting which may bring the 
total yield close up to four tons of 
hay to the acre. There are some 
“ifs” in that plan; however, it will 
be observed. 
Doubtless something besides oats 
and peas might be used for turning 
under. I have heard it suggested that 
vetch and rye or barley might be 
sown in early Fall and turned under 
the following Spring in time- to get 
another crop of some sort, thus sav¬ 
ing a season’s growth. Cow peas, if 
far enough south, or Soy beans in 
this latitude might be used, some sug¬ 
gest. Without actual tdst, I am un¬ 
able to say how successful each of 
these may be considered or their comparative value 
for the purposes in view. The application of com¬ 
mercial fertilizer would be needed in any case. The 
plan of the farmer whom I have mentioned seems 
feasible, and has worked out successfully in his 
case. 
This scheme is one for a working farmer, and in 
the case noted it was the experience of a hard¬ 
working farmer. He had already secured his ex¬ 
perience by his dozen or more years of labor on 
the original farm, where he commenced his opera¬ 
tions. He knew his soil and his methods, and he 
knew to almost a certainty what the outcome would 
be. The city man who is without experience within 
recent years should not feel that he can accomplish 
the same result and with no failure. Should he try 
to hire some one to plow and harrow, he will find 
that a good many men do not know how to do these 
operations with the degree of efficiency that is 
necessary for success. The owner needs to get into 
the harness himself, or he needs to be around and 
see to things, and know when the work of fitting 
and fertilizing is properly done. If he depends on 
hiring his profits will be cut down materially. This 
is true in most lines of farm practice in any locality. 
• H. II. LYON. 
R. N.-Y.—The picture at Fig. 250 shows the actual 
buildings on such a farm as Mr. Lyon describes. 
This is not on the farm actually mentioned here, 
but on another, which is a fair representative of 
southern New York hill farms. 
THE FARMER’S SHARE. 
Favorable Conditions in Missouri. 
The discussion of the farmer’s share and the facts 
disclosed that seem to indicate that the producer from 
the soil gets only about one-third of the price paid 
by the ultimate consumer, have evidently been a 
matter of keen interest to the readers of The R. N.-Y. 
Apparently there has been no disposition to dissent 
from the conclusions arrived at by the editor of this 
paper. There is, however, another side of a much 
more optimistic character to this rather gloomy view 
of affairs that T think should be duly presented for 
consideration. To begin with, I wish boldly to take 
issue with the conclusion that the farmer is not getting 
a just share of the price of his produce. Of course, I 
admit that there are exceptions to all rules, and I 
perfectly understand that there are many cases of 
unfair division which call loudly for redress, but, 
however conditions may be in some districts, as I 
look about me here in southeast Missouri, I cannot 
admit that the farmer, on the whole, is not getting 
a square deal. Let us examine specifically. 
We have a local market here of 12,000 people, and 
as a fruit grower of some years’ standing, I must say 
I have no complaint to make. Prices have always 
been fairly good. The farmers of the district haul in 
their produce and sell part to merchants and part to 
consumers. As a fruit grower, I do the same. The 
merchant buys to make a profit of from 20 to 40 
per cent, but he is not getting rich rapidly, judging 
from appearances. There is a considerable percentage 
of loss in the handling of some lines. On butter, eggs 
and such things the merchant sometimes offers to 
buy in trade at the same price at which .he sells, 
making his profit on his imported goods. On the 
603 
produce of the fields the farmer does better. Wheat 
sells sometimes as much as 10 cents a bushel under 
St. Louis prices, sometimes much less. By organizing 
the farmers could get full city prices. Corn is going 
at 70 cents. Recently a merchant competed with the 
millers and forced the price up to 80 cents. Then 
you should have seen the long line of farm wagons. 
They came rolling in till far into the night. Back in 
the country districts wagon scales have been put in 
at small stations and buyers advertise for corn at 
excellent prices. Live stock is all selling high. You 
would have to ride far to find a dissatisfied farmer. 
Most certainly the condition of the farmer does not 
call for commiseration in this country. Looking from 
here at conditions you have described, and that un¬ 
questionably involve injustice to the producer, it ap¬ 
pears to me that in most cases the farmer has the 
remedy in his own hands and that remedy is organiza¬ 
tion. This the farmer is often naturally averse to 
do, because of narrow business ideas resulting from 
his isolated life. In this county spasmodic efforts 
towards organization have been made at various times, 
but never with lasting results. At the 
county seat an association of farmers 
acquired a small warehouse, so they 
could ship their produce if local prices 
were not satisfactory, but after that 
exertion they have never been able to 
cooperate to the extent of selling $5 
worth of produce, and the warehouse 
stands idle year after year. At the 
same time, they will individually ad¬ 
mit that an intelligent and active util¬ 
ization of the warehouse would result 
in a gain of maybe as much as 10 
cents on every bushel of their wheat. 
And so it goes. Too many of the 
farmers lack business instincts, and 
arc content to plod along in the old 
lossful way. Such a condition does 
not call for either sympathy or indig¬ 
nation, but an energetic movement to 
establish agricultural schools where 
business methods should have the 
same importance as crop-raising 
methods. 
When it comes to shipping to large 
cities and consigning to commission 
houses, there is always bound to be 
more or less complaint when the law 
demands no surety of responsibility, 
and it is open to anyone to rent a 
room and advertise for produce. Here 
again the farmer should protect him¬ 
self by organization, and be prepared 
to exercise some supervision over the 
market end of his business. Last Sum¬ 
mer 1 made my first shipment of fruit 
to St. Louis. I selected a commission 
house of prominence that I felt must 
be among the most trustworthy, but at 
the same time wrote to a large retail 
and wholesale grocery firm, describing 
my fruit, and asking for prices. A 
prompt answer stated that they were 
unable to give quotations on such stuff, 
as not enough had yet arrived on the 
market to establish them, but promised 
to give* me fair returns on the basis 
of their sales. I then shipped a small 
lot simultaneously to both houses, and 
when returns came, I found that the 
grocery house was giving me the same 
price as the commission house, but 
minus any commission charges. Very 
naturally, the grocery people got 
the rest of my shipments, and the 
season closed to our mutual satisfaction. I also 
shipped some other stuff to local towns, first writing 
to grocers and making prices and terms. My con¬ 
clusion is that when the farmer comes to regard his 
vocation as a profession and dignifies it by'studying 
its science and sending his sons-to agricultural schools 
with the same conviction that he would send them 
to a medical or law college, he will become just as 
capable of protecting and defending his interests as 
any other business class. l. r. Johnson. 
Cape Girardeau Co., Mo. 
R. N.-Y.—Mr. Johnson takes an exception and puts 
it up as a rule. In his comparatively small section 
farmers may obtain more than 35 cents of the con¬ 
sumer’s dollar. We can give many cases where grow¬ 
ers close to a market haul their produce and obtain 
90 cents or even more. These cases are the exceptions, 
and do not furnish the general rule by any means. 
There can be no question about the need of strong 
organization, but something outside of an education 
at an agricultural college is needed for this. 
Even in a closely settled community local growers 
often find it difficult to market their produce to the 
best advantage. 
BUILDINGS ON A FARM IN SOUTHERN NEW YORK. Fig. 250. 
A ROCKY HAY FIELD IN NEW ENGLAND. Fig. 251. 
