The Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56, No. 2, January 12, 1884: A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and FiresideVarious
Science
The Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56, No. 2, January 12, 1884: A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and Fireside
Various
Agriculture -- United States -- Periodicals; Farm life -- Periodicals; United States -- Rural conditions -- Periodicals
Prof. Sanborn concludes from his experiments thus far that the surface
gains moisture from soil beneath it by capillary action, but gathers
nothing from the air. This is made strongly probable, if not shown;
first, because the soil is warmer by night than the air. (He relies upon
other facts than his own for this assertion.) 2nd. Because he found more
moisture in the soil when covered over night than when left bare. 3d.
Because when hoed, thereby disturbing capillary action, he found less
moisture than when unhoed, in surface soil. Finally, he concludes the
position proven, for, when he shut off the upward flow of water to the
surface of the soil, he found not only less moisture above the cut off
or in the surface soil than where no disturbance of capillary action
had been made, but actually less moisture in the surface soil than the
night before. Strongly corroborating this conclusion is the fact that
all of the tests conspire to show that the gain of moisture in the
surface of the soil by night is traceable to one source, and only one
source.
[Illustration: AMERICAN ASH.--See Page 25.]
The facts of this bulletin accord with the previous ones in showing that
mulching and frequent shallow tillage economize the moisture of the soil
and add new proof of this to those already given.
SPECIALTY IN FARMING.
This subject in my estimation should begin to attract attention,
especially among the large land owners and farmers of the West. If we
study the whole catalogue of money-making enterprises and money-making
men, we find that the greatest success has been attained where there has
been the greatest concentration on a special line of work. True, it is,
that specialists are subject to unexpected changes of the times, and if
thrown out of their employment are not well prepared for other work, and
yet their chances for success as compared with the "general idea" man
are as ten to one.
For an example look at science. How has it advanced? Is it not by the
invaluable aid of men who have given their whole lives to the solution
of some special problem? It could not be otherwise. If every scientist
had attempted to master the majority of scientific truths before he was
contented to concentrate his time on some special branch of science,
science would have progressed little or none at all. Linnaeus opened the
way in botany, and the world profited by his blunders. But to be
brief--it seems to me that the most successful farmer in the future is
to be the man who can so arrange his work that he is led into the
deepest research on some one branch of farming. He must be a specialist.
He must thoroughly master the raising of fine stock for breeding
purposes, for practical profit and the shambles. Attend stock
associations, and hear witnesses testify on every hand to the
difficulties connected with properly rearing calves for breeding
purposes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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