Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 August 1877 — What Next on the Farm? [ARTICLE]

What Next on the Farm?

The close of harvest, so far as the small grains are concerned, by no means ends the farm work for the year. It does, however, give a breathing spell after the hurry, in which farmers may profitably ask themselves, “What next?” This is really the beginning of the new agricultural year, for on the amount of wheat and winter grains sown next month will depend the farming operations of 1878. Through most of the country east of the Pacific Slope, there has been a good wheat crop. The European war assures good prices, and there is a strong temptation to sow more wheat than for several years past; everywhere we hearof preparations to this end. Thedanger is, that much of thle increased acreage will be poorly prepared, and that the resultant crop will be made at a loss. The lack of money to make farm improvements is lesponsible for the greater part of the failure in agricultural progress. To lose money on a crop, especially so important a crop as wheat, means business depression and the stagnation of industry for the whole country. It means the frittering away of advantages won by the hard ana successful toil of the past year—advantages which, properly used, might place the business of the country on the high road to returning prosperity. There is little doubt that in most sections farmers will make some money this year. It is important to almost everybody, as well as to themselves, that they should use this money wisely—that is, In the way to make it produce as much more as possible. Thus it may be made the entering wedge to open a way to better times. With a full view of the responsibilities in this matter, we advise:

Do not sow the largely-increased acreage of wheat that you had nearly concluded to do. It may be well enough to sow a little more than the average, for farmers are hopeful about wheat, and what is sown in hope is apt to be done well, provided too much is not attempted. The European war will also probably create an increased export demand, at fair prices, for another year. We ought to be ready to meet this demand. It Is better to do this by increasing the yield than by doubling the acres. It is not the gross sales of grain and other products which help the farmer’s purse. It is the profit that he makes above the cost of production. Fanners have done tjo much work which gave no profit within the last five or six years. It is this which makes the country poor to-day. ’ There has not been money enough made the last year to warrant speculative movements or any kind. It is not safe to put our little spare cash into any one enterprise. If It fails, we are as badly off as before, and must flounder about in the slough of hard times till Providence sends another good season, with good crops and prices to help us out. Try to do a little in the way of improvement in as many directions and at as slight an expense as possible. During the past few years we have all seen chances where a trifling outlay in money would have surely brought largely increased crops. We have refrained, because the Wfling amount of money could not be easily spared. Now that you have the cash, use it where it will bring the speediest return. Perhaps it Is a short underdrain that is needed to relieve surplus water from an otherwise rich field. Do it at once ; but leave your poorer land, or that which demands a heavy outlay, till you find that there are not other uses which will pay a better return. Try the commercial fertilizer —sparingly tft first, till you find those adapted to your soil. When you get a fertilizer that will repay twice its cost In the first crop, you may

UM it a» freoly M if tome am made you » present of it Too get 100 per cent over and above tbe cost within twelve months after purchasing. , n . Improve the breeds of your cattle, sheep and hogs. Above ail, make your homea beautiful and pleasant, the centers of all that can please the eye and gratify a refined taste. Pill your grounds with flowers and fruits. The life is more than meat and the body ir ore than ralmont. As we can live only once, we owe to ourselves to get as much rational enjoyment from life as possible. Borne spare money spent thus, will surelv be profitably usod It is not any man’s or woman’s right-saying nothing of duty —to live for money-getting. We like to see people making money because they can do so much with it; more now, when everything is so cheap, than ever before. If you have so little money that you can only spare enough to buy a peach or pear tre*or grapevine, buy those. They will grow while you are sleeping, and will, ere you know it, repay many-fold the trifling cost, which is required, during the growing season, to render them healthy and fruitful. —Rural New Yorker.