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Success and Failure on the Farm, <
i
Success or failure upon the farm largely '
depends upon the operation of natural ’
law, or the farmer himself, who <
fails to conform to the require
ments of that law. 01 course there
are laws of climate and other ad
verse influences which are beyond pri
vate power to resist but in the long run
Providence is propitious in meting out the
just rewards to them who gird their loins
with the faith inspired by the experienes
and knowledge bom of energy and faith
fulness to duty. Waldo F. Brown sat sin
the Stockman and Farmer: I have'been
studying the question of success and fail
ure on the larm, not exactly from the
fiancial standpoint but from one closely
allied to it.
What I mean is this, that I have not
been asking what the chances are for the
farmer to get rich and live in a style that
would be thought good among merchants
and professional men in our towns, but
rather what proportion of our farmers can
and do attain to comfortable living, and
are able to go through seasons of financial
depression, like that from which we have
been so recently suffering, without fear of
bankruptcy and without losing credit. 1
also wish to look back of the condition o'
the farmer for the causes which make him
what he i* today:
To get a good understanding of this
matter, it will be necessary to classify
farmers to some extent and I shall speak
only cf what I have seen and known, and
perhaps my opportunities have been better
than that of many others, for even before
the institutes were started I have been
traveling and lecturing to farmers for ten
years and was almost invariably enter
tained at their houses, and in institute
work I have lectured in all the counties of
Ohio but nine, and largely in several other
States. First we have a class of wealthy
farmers, with elegant homes, with musical
instruments, libraries and commodious
and beautifully furnished houses. Such
homes are not rare, and in all of out best
farming States every county can furnish
samples of them- Many of these farmers
have made every dollar of their money by
farming, starting often with no capital,
but in these cases they have usually locat
ea wisely both as to soil and market, and
usually have chosen some specialty and
stuck to it. In all the cases which come
under thia head the success has been due
to the man's head rather than to his
hands.
One principal element of success has
been that after wisely choosing his line of
work he has stuck to it, and another that
he has been exceedingly careful of his
credit, paying promptly every dollar the
day it was due. It often requires more
wisdom and business capacity to dispose
of what one grows than to produce it, and
this is what these successful farmers have
thoroughly mastered, economy of produc
tion, and the best methods of selling their
products. I have met many of these men
and visited them in their homes, some of
them on small farms, some on large ones
of 500 to 1,000 acres, some growing small
fruits, some fine stock, some dairying, but
all giving personal attention to their
business and winning success by superior
management. This ability is to a great ex
tent born in the man, and these men
would be at the “top” in almost any call
ing.
The second class is made up of what we
call “well-to-do” farmers, men out of debt
and who have learned to so manage their
farms as to have an assured income suffi
cient for their wants; who can lay up a
little money in most years, but may find it
necessary to economize in especially bad
years, but who know how to do this and
do it cheerfully.
These men as a rule own but one farm
and live on it and manage it personally.
It seems to me that no class of men in the
world are more to be envied. They have
what Agar prayed for when he said,
“Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed
me with food convenient for me.” They
have not the care and worry that the first
mentioned class has but have all that is
needful and no fear of want. The secret
of their succ-ss maybe expressed in the
one word—Management. They do with
out what they cannot pay for rath* than
to run in debt for it, they pay as much at
tention to keeping down expenses as to in
creasing their income, and do not attempt
more work than they can do well. They
take few risks and as a consequence meet
withjew losses. A large per cent- of our
farmt rs come under this head, and there
are few callings in which so large a share
of those engaged attain to such success
and have such opportunities of a life of
comfort and independence, and it is the
chance to become one of this class which
makes farm life so attractive. Except to
those ambitious to be rich, what life can
offer greater attractions than that of the
farmer, who in middle lite finds himself
out of debt, with a comfortable home, and
whose farm abundantly supplies all his
wants ? We will now descend in the scale
to the third class and under this head I in
clude the farmers who are hampered with
debt, who have burdened themseives with
too much land, and who are continually
undertaking more than they can do well.
The interest on their indebtedness eats up
their profits, and their attempts to increase
their income too often only result in get
ting them deeper in debt. The man who
undertakes too much on the farm is at the
mercy of circumstances. Ten days of
rainy weather which keeps him out of the
crop will get him so hopelessly behind his
work that he can never catch up with it
If, as is too often the case, his farm is
overstocked, the first year of short crops
will bring disaster, for either the stock
must be sold at a sacrifice or kept at a loss.
He is attempting to “make auger holes
with a gimlet,” and the result is hard
work, worry, andjpoor pay.
Let me lay it down as an axiom that
farming is not a business to be run with
borrowed money. Give me ten acres of
good land paid for, and I will make a re
spectable living en it for my family. My
tex6B and my expoMcs will bo small
and the farm will supply nearly every
thing we need, poultry and dairy pro
ducts, vegetables and fruits, and all of
our work can be done on time. But put
me on a quarter section farm in debt three
or four thousand dollars, and I shall be
gin a struggle which may end in bank
ruptcy and which * n y ?
struggle for many years with debt and
discouragement. I know farmers who if
their debts were paid would, not have
one thousand dollars left, but who pay in
terest on three or four thousand
uollars and taxes on five thousand.
One of the dismal features of thia
load of debt is that the farmer finally gets
discouraged and careless, and begins to
make promises that he cannot keep, and
bis credit and business standing are de
stroyed, and with them gees his self-re
spect and the man In this condition loses
his moral fiber, and it would seem has lit
tle to live for.
I write earnestly on this subject, because
I have seen so msny examples of it, aad I
wish to warn our young men against going
heavily in debt To those who are in debt
I would say have the moral courage to
practice self-denial in order to keep your
credit good.
Never promise money unless you can
meet it. I would rather live on corn bread
and bacon and keep my credit good than
to feast on the delicacies of the market
and not be able to look my creditors in the
face.
An Urnament Anywhere.
Mr. Myers Medlin of Monroe, N. C.
bought one of our sewing machines
and volunteers a recommendation
which we give below. If any of our
subscribers should want direct testi
mony regarding the machines we sell,
they can get it by writing to anyone
who has purchased a machine of us,
letters from a number of whom are
printed in this issue. If you write to
them, they will tell you how well we
do all that we promise. In such cases
it will be well to inclose a stamp for
reply however as such persons can
have no interest other than a desire io
do you a good turn by telling you how
we have saved them money.
Here is what Mr. Medlin says:
Monroe, N. C.
The Southern Fabm,
Gentlemen:-The machine I bought of you
gives perfect satisfaction to my wife and
daughter. It is an ornament to any Lady's
room. It runs light, sews just as well on heavy
goods as on light one's, ana is just as good as
recommended by The Southern Farm.
I also believe The Southern Farm is as good
and reliaole an Agricultural Journal as is pub
lished in the Southern States. lam a firmer
by trade, have been trying to farm for myself
for twenty three years and what I really know
is by experience. The experience I have had in
agriculture enables me to say you have as able
writers on agriculture as can be found. There
Is something more than theory about The
Southern Farm, and I delight to read from
the pen of men of experience, knowledge, and
truth. Yours Respect,
Myers Medlin.
Florida Ants and Earthworms.
The Florida ants will take out the let
tuce and other minute seeds from the soil
in which they are planted and actually de
stroy the beds, says the Farmer and Fruit
Grower. They will suck the life out of
acres of young cucumbers and melon
plants, uproot strawberry plants or cover
the buds with earth to such an extent as to
kill them. They will get into pie, pickle,
sauce, syrup, sugar, on meat, in hash;
will riddle a cake or fill a loaf of baker’s
bread till it is worthless.
All remedies failing, I took to baiting
them near their neats with slices of meat,
bones, apple and pear parings, and when I
had from 50 000 to 100 000 out, turn a kettle
of boiling water on them. I have killed
during the last week over a million in the
space of a quarter acre lot, and I have al
most whipped them out. I had to do this
to secure any lettuce plants, and many un
observant farmers complain of seedmen
when they should attribute their troubles
to insects.
It is very curious and instructive to see
how promptly the ants which escape the
scalding will go to work taking out the
dead, and, after piling them outside first,
then go to excavating again and rebuild
ing their cells and run ways. This being
done very quickly, the next work on hand
is the laying in of a supply of food, by
hauling the dead bodies of the hot water
victims into their storehouses. You may
see a small black ant hauling and tugging
at the carcass of a red ant twenty times its
weight; and he always succeeds, in the
end, in landing it in the warehouse of the
colony.
Next you may see a sort of ambulance
i corps searching for the disabled. These
• are taken carefully to the underground
house, where the surgeons and nurses are
in waiting. Then, too, yen may see the
i timekeepers and bosses directing this one,
. or turning another back on some errand
> or to some other duty. Thera is not a
i moment’s delay, no haulting feet, no idle
i hands, but all move as if it was their last
t day on earth, and this is the only hour
i left in which to redeem a misspent
i life For lessons in industry
i and perfect government go to the ants
The above is from a letter in the Savan
i nah News, but the writer omits to men
i tion another minute creature which fel
' lows in the footsteps of man equally with
. the ant and Is friendly to him; and that is
» thee arthworm. The Florida earthworm is
> two or three times as largo as the earth
- worm of the Northern States and twice as
> active. Its presence is an indication of
» rich soil, of which it is partly the cause
t and partly the effect. Their hearing is in
» tensely acute and when they hear the ap
i proach of the mole burrowing through the
earth with its powerful paws, they wrig
i gie out on to the surface with the great
i esc haste, preferring to take their chances
: with birds and fowls rather than with
, their hereditary onemy underground,
i They are constantly engaged in going up
I and down in tne earth, from the surface
to the lower strata of the soil, carrying
; down leaves and vegetable matter to rot
i and enrich the ground. Their minute
t galleries penetrate the soli in every direc-
■ tion, admitting air and moisture; in fact,
' cultivating the soil to better purpose than
I man often does. The earthworms working
• under the friendly cover of mulching are
■ as good as a prong-hoe.
• BROWN’S IRON BITTERS
Cures Dyspepsia, In
! digestion & Debility.
THE SOUTHERN FARM,
Mixed Farming on a Small Area'
Breeds for an Amateur.
A correspondent of the Ohio Journal
says the idea is a good one to combine
fruit, garden produce, milk and butter
with poultry. In fact, when feasible they
should always be associated, as one helps
the other.
With six acres, one can be devoted to
poultry, one garden ana orchard, and the
other four will be little enough for two
cows.
By dividing off the acre with a movable
fence, three-fourths of it could be planted
with carrots, parsnips, squash, pumpkins,
also permanent shrubbery, such as cur
rents, gooseberries, grapes, eto., plum and
cherry trees, too, which would yield large
ly and make the best of shade until the
time of ripening, when the fowls could be
moved to other runs, or chickens that
could os cooped put in their place so as
net to destroy the ripening berries, etc In
this way you could utilize the whole
place and make it profitable. By the ex
ercise of your own judgment you would
hit on a plan to prevent the grown up
chickens and adult birds injuring the
ripening products and until then they
could occupy the places where such pro
ducts grow.
One hundred full-grown fowls could be
nicely kept on an acre of land, but one
hundred fowls should not run together on
that acre. It is best to divide a flock of
one hundred into four small flocks, giving
each flock its own roosting place and run.
Os coarse two hundred chickens could be
raised every year besides for market or
one’s own use, and to take the place of
old hens or poor layers. White Leghorn
and White Plymouth Rooks are two es
the best breeds you could choose for
your purpose. Buy a pair or trio of each
this fall and from them you can raise two
nice flocks the coming fall. It is not
necessary to buy high scoring birds unless
you intend to sell thoroughbred stock to
customers at a fair profit; but for market
use alone a fair quality of each breed that
is robust and healthy will suit you well
enough so such purpose.
By raising a good deal of your own
roots and vegetables the cost of keeping
your poultry will be greatly reduced.
There is no question that under intelli
gent management five to ten acres of land
can be made to support a small family by
planting it in most any of the fruits and
raising eggs and poultry and milk and
butter in connection with the fruit Indus-
This is the secret of the great wealth of
France.
That small country is divided up into
many thousands of small farms that are
conducted in the most intelligent manner,
every square yard being made to make its
full returns.
It is quite possible to make five er six
acres in plums even yield enough for the
needs of a small family.
Profitable Cotton Growing.
The trouble with Southern farmers lies
in the fact that they attempt more than
they can accomplish, plant more laud than
they can give the proper cultivation, says
W. E. Collins In Prairie Farmer.
The principal underlying good farming
is in the thorough preparation of the soil
before the seed is sown. This is more than
half the battle.
A well pulveriz'd field, after deep
breaking, is an absolute necessity to a
perfect stand. Here the preparation
counts, and epunts big at that, for no field
can grow a perfect crop unless the stand
is perfect to begin with.
The time spent in such preparation is
well spent. There is nothing ever gained
by undue haste.
Cotton is an easy crop to grow, and if
treated as it should he, will certainly pay
for the extra care. The land should be
broken deep and be well pulverized before
the seed is sown. If this ,is done, a per
fect stand is certain and will cer
tainly be independent of rains. Tne advan
tage of thorough preparation of the seed
bed will be iu the perfect stand and early
germination, thus allowing the plant to
get an early start, ahead of weeds and
grass, ihat give so much trouble whenever
the land is half prepared.
My rule is to take time and begin right,
having learned that this course saves
many hard licks in the after cultivation.
It matters little what implement is used
in cultivating, if the land was in proper
condition when the seed was planted
Any shallow running implement will an
swer on loamy soils; but if the crop be
planted the usual way, that is on cloddy,
shadow, half-plowed land, and especially
if this land be a “buckshot” soil, it will
be best to cultivate it with a tarn plow,
running deep at the first working and
shallow afterwards.
Our “buokshot,” a stiff, black clay,
packs after every hard rain, or rather
it runs together and eannol be
successfully worked except with a plow.
To those who own this character of laud
I would say, plow it as early in the winter
as possible, and plow deep enough to turn
about one iuch of soil, below the last year’s
depth; any deeper than this will do more
harm than good. Let thia stand until
time to plant, say April Ist; run a harrow
ahead of the planter, to kill out the young
grass and weeds just starting. If the
weather is favorable, the seed will germi
nate in about 10 days (later planting will
be up in less time ) Let the drat plowing
be deep and well done; the succeeding
cultivation should be shallow, but done
with a plow (on this character of soil). A
cultivator or sweep does more damage
than good. He it understood that tide
course is advised for the “buck
shot” .soil, not sandy loam. When
ever this “buckshot soil is aul
tivated with sweeps, it fails to make
paying crops; if you do not believe this,
try it. There is, of course, times when
the sweep may be used to run around cot
ton one farrow, provided the middles are
thrown out with a plow or “middle split
ter;” for any other use, the solid sweep
is harmful, as it leaves the
ground bare of loose dirt that is so
necessary to retention of moisture.* Pos
sibly a moderate use in seasons of exces-
sive rains might be tolerated, but never
in dry weather.
The cotton crop should be worked rap
idly and worked frequently in the early
stage of its growth; ii this has been done
and well dene, I am convinced that the
sooner laid by. the better. This will be
about the middle or last of July, when the
plant should be large enough to shade
every inch of the field on which it is grow
ing. ’
In conclusion let me impress upon cot
ton farmers the great importance of start
ing the crop right. Get the soil ready be
fore the seed is planted. If fertilizers are
to be used, the time and method of appli
cation will depend greatly upon the soil
and climate, as well as the character of
the fertilizer used. Here we nse none,
since we find that to nse it on land that
will produce 500 lbs. of ginned cotton
(lint) without its use, is not profitable; the
increased yield does not justify the cost.
Issaquena Co., Miss.
Uinta on Horse Weeding.
The manner of feeding horses is a very
important matter, but one which is often
sadly neglected, says the Farmer’s Advo
cate. If a horse is required to do more
work than usual on a given day, it is a
common custom to give him more food.
This is a great mistake. Owing to the fa
tigue consequent to the increased exer
tion, the animal is less able to digest a
large feed, and therefore should be fed
less rather than more. Again, it is deci
dedly improper to give a horse a large feed
just before undergoing any severe strain;
for, if a large feed be given immediately
before active exercise, the blood which is
required by the digestive organs in order
to carry on their proper functions goes to
the muscular system, digestion is impair
ed, and eolic is the probable result. If a
large feed be given immediately after ac
tive or prolonged exercise, the animal is
weak and the blood is drawn upon largely
for the rebuilding of the muscular waste,
and the digestive organs suffer according
ly. A change of food should be made with
caution. It a change must be made, a
smaller quantity of the new food should
be given for several days, and the amount
gradually increased. In no case should a
change of food and work be made at the
same time. A good rule is: Never give
a horse a full feed on a change of food.
With regard to watering, the consensus of
practical experience is in favor of giving
the horse drink before the feed of grain.
How to Treat an Orchard.
After four or five years of corn growing
it is best to seed the orchard to clover and
check the too free growth from that date.
Glover will not check it too suddenly and
will impart fertility to the ground. When
trees go into heavy bearing an annual coat
of manure under them in early winter is
good.
If the soil is very high and thin this can
be applied quite heavily without detri
ment. If the soil is inclined to be rich
second bottom, or wash of humus from
elevations, the application of mineral fer
tilizers is best, such as wood ashes, ground
bone, etc.
After an orchard is in good, vigorous
growth,seeding to buckwheat is still better
than seeding to clover. There is no better
preventive of blight than buckwheat sown
among apple trees, but this crop is not of
so great value for farm use as clover used
as pasture,
An orchard seeded to clover is fine for
pasturing very young pigs, or to be used
as a quiet retreat to turn farrowing brood
sows into. But caution should ba used
not to overstock an orchard, even with
hogs.
The above suggestion from the Home
stead is all very good, th ugh it is appli
cable mostly to the north. To improve
orchard land in the south there is nothing
better than bur clover. The crimson clo
ver and field peas may also be used.
Most ot our orchard land needs more
vegetable matter than it possesses. Some
times, however, we find iruit trees failing
to produce fruit because of too much hu
mus and nitrogen in the soil. In that
case we should exhaust these elements to
some extent by growing a crop of oats in
the orchard and then apply the mineral
elements potash and phosphoric acid. Too
luxuriant growth of foliage is fatal to good
results of fruit, and there is away to cor
rect such a trouble.
Crimson Clover In Tennessee.
This year I sowed crimson clover in a
part of my torn the last week of July;
this is now (August 4) uo nicely and
growing as prettily as could be asked,
says E. L. G. in Columbia Herald. The
corn shades the clover plant just when it
needs shade to protect it, and by the time
it needs more room and sunshine the corn
is out of the way and the elover has the
whole field. It will not only furnish past
ure four to six weeks earlier in spring
than common clover, but will in mild
winters furnish grazing more or less all
winter Crimson clover is a boon to|Bouth
ern farmers, and together with field peas
is destined to play an important part in
reelaiming the many old, worn-out plan
tations of this region.
Here in brief is the rotation that seems
to me the beat calculated to improve our
farms, fatten our purses and enlarge our
manure piles: On red clover sop (plowed
in winter) I plant corn, which is always
kept clean, and the last time I cultivate I
sow winter oats or crimson clover in the
crop. It has.made a rank growth by fall,
and gives an abundance of winter grazing.
Aoout the middle of March the stock are
kept off the oats, and if hay or seed is
wanted, from the clover also, and a crop is
cut from one or both, as desired.
This land is then immediately broken
up and sowed to sow peas, either Olay or
Whippoorwill, and about Oct. 1, these,
having in a favorable season, attained a
growth of two or tbiee feet, are turned
under (root and branch) and the ground
is prepared for wheat, which is sowed
from Oct. 20 to the last of the month, if
Eossible; with it and in front of the drill
oee I sow about six quarts ot red clover
seed, aad thus far have never failed to
get a stand.
DO YOU WANT A SEWING MA
CHINE ‘ r
Do Not Think of Buying Until You
Have First Written Us About
Our High Arm Premium
Machine.
Doubtless many of our subscribers
are thinking of buying sewing ma
chines for their families this fall. If
they only knew the kind of sewing
machine which we are selling with
the Southern Farm for $20.00, we
would not find it necessary to write
this article. As it is, we propose to
tell you, and we know that in the end
you will be grateful to us for the
knowledge.
We sell with the Southern Farm
one year for S2O, a sewing machine
which we buy direct from the factory
and which we have to pay cash in ad
vance to secure, in order to enable us
to sell at so low a price. We hold the
manufacturers’ guarantee on each
machine, however, and stand prepared
at all times to make this guarantee
good. K
It is such a machine as any agent
in the country will charge forty to
fifty dollars for, and he will not con
sider it necessary to blush when he
asks it, as it is very handsome in ap
pearance.
Do not confound this machine with
all the common premium sewing ma
chines which newspapers sell for sl7
and $lB, as there is nothing in com
mon between them further than the
fact that they will both sew cloth. To
compare our machine to one of these
cheap premium machines would be
like comparing a scrub cow toj the
finest Jersey—thej are both cows, but
a child can look at them and tell you
which is the finer of the two.
We have sold these machines in
every state in the Union, and have
heard nothing but universal praise of
them. We have never had to take
back a single machine, although every
machine which we send out goes with
the full understanding that in the
event the purchaser does not consider
it as good as any machine which he
can get from an agent for S4O or SSO,
he may return it to us at our expense,
and we will refund immediately every
dollar paid us for it.
We have a reputation for integrity
and fair dealing second to none, and
anyone who knows us will tell you
that we will do all that we say. If
you buy one of our machines and don’t
think it is easily worth S4O, you need
find no other fault with it at all, but
may return it to us and we will paj
return freight charges and will re
fund you your S2O.
We have only one kind of machine
and that is the best. We tried selling
the low arm machine for a while, bu
it did not give satisfaction. Sinci
that time we have sold only one kirn
of machine,and we will sell it withou
personal guarantee.
Now remember:—lf you do no
want to p buy a machine, this artiol
cannot interest you. If you do war
to buy a machine, and do not write
us before buying elsewhere, you w
regret it, as we assure you that we ca
save you half the price which you wi
pay elsewhere.
Aaaress,
The Southern Farm,
Atlanta, Ga.
Tree-Planting in the Fall.
The question is often asked: Which is
the bet ter time to set out trees, the spring
or the fall?
The answer to this must depend upon
the nature of the tree or shrub, the part of
country, condition of soil and climate
where the planting is to be done.
For example, 'in the extreme north or
open prairie country where the thermome
ter may go extremely low, and, what is
worse, where harsh, drying winds may
prevail most of the winter, all but the
hardiest of trees and evergreens are decid
edly safer planted in the spring than in
the fall.
It, however, plenty of roots are taken,
and, what is even perhaps of more impor
tance, a goodly lot of soil is taken with
the roots, allowing no undue exposure of
them to the air, a tree well planted in the
fall is perfectly safe.
Aids to success will consist in evenly
distributing the roots in the new earth, in
compressing soil well about the roots, and
if trees are large enough to be acted upon
by the wind, in placing stay wires to keep
them snug and in place.
Another famous aid is to mulch with old
hay or long, littery manure or leaves,
which prevent a lifting of the soil and the
penetration of the frost too deep therein.
In warm countries, where the frosts
amount to nothing, the fall is the time to
plant, or just as soon as the plants have
come to a state of rest.
Here root action at once sets in to repair
the damages of removal, and by the time
spring time comes the newly planted trees
are fully equiped for a new start.
Nurserymen of the North usually re
serve the planting of their young stuff un
til spring—a pretty good evidence of
where success lies.
As stuff has to be dug or is received from
outside sources in the fall, instead of be
ing replanted at once they are “laid in by
the heels”; that is, they are placed In
rows in the ground, nearly horizontal in
stead ot upright, where they are easily
Protected, if necessary, by a tew boughs
) keep off the drying winds ot winter.--
Exchange.
5