Show AilOt111R11 I < iij1C j y I tf il Iii I 1 I ii U W1 101 11 Agricultural Progress The census of 1850 gave the number of farms at 1449073 In that year New York reported 170621 the largest number cf any state Only two other states reported over 100000 Thoy wore Ohio with 143507 and Pennsylvania Pennsyl-vania with 127577 In 1900 the aggregate aggre-gate number of farms In tho United States was 5739057 an Increase In lit ty years of 4290584 farms Tho same period witnessed mi Increase In national na-tional population of 23191870 In 1900 fifteen states reported over 200 000 farms each as follows Texas 352190 Missouri 284880 Ohio 270 719 Illinois 201151 Kentucky 234 CG7 Iowa 228022 i Tennessee 224 023 Pennsylvania 224248 Alabama 223220 Indiana 221897 j Mississippi 220803 Michigan 203201 The total Increase In acreage has been from 293000000 acres In 18CO to 811000000 In 1900 The Increase In valuo of farm property prop-erty during fifty years Is shown by the following census reports 1850 3907 000000 1800 7980000000 1870 8944000000 1880 12180000000 1890 10082000000 1900 20514000 000 Tho average value per farm for each census year was as follows 1850 2738 1800 3904 1870 3303 1880 3038 1890 3523 1900 3574 In 1850 only eight states reported farm land to tho value of 100000000 or over In 1900 there wero seven states each with farm land worth 800000000 or over In 1850 little farm machinery was In uso Cast Iron plows were about tho only plows to bo found on the farms Grass was mowed with a scythe and grain was cut with the scythe sickle or cradle The threshing Implement was tho flail Since that time almost Innumerable farm Implements have been patented Tho value of all farm Implements Including wagons and carriages car-riages In 1850 was 151000000 By I 1880 this valuo had Increased to 100 000000 In 1890 the value was 494 000000 and In 1900 It was 701000 000 The Increased use of farm machinery ma-chinery has been largely the cause of the enormous Increase In agricultural wealth A Good Rotation The rotation of crops has como to be regarded as one of the necessities of keeping upUhe condition of the farm Where farm animals are not kept In considerable numbers the growing of one crop Is sure to reduce the fertility of the farm Therefore the growing of several crops is advisable advis-able One of tho best rotations for the general farmer In Illinois and JI1 < estates e-states Is that consisting of corn cowpeas cow-peas wheat and clover It always pays for the general farmer to havo a few cows to assist him In tho rotations of the crops by pasturing off the crops that can be pastured With the rotation rota-tion above mentioned the cow peas can be sown In the corn at the time of tho last cultivation These will make a good growth and being legumes will add to the soil a considerable portion of nitrogen After the corn Is harvested harvest-ed the cows can be turned into these peas which will still bo green and can be fed upon them until the frost comes Farmers that turn their cows In upon the corn stocks would find it safer to have a supply of cow pea tollage toll-age that the animals may eat of both at the same time Heavy losses have been occasioned by pasturing of the dry corn stocks The cow peas maybe may-be turned under in the late fall or In spring and wheat sown If the wheat Is sown In the fall Immediately after plowing the clover seed can be thrown upon the land at tho end of winter while the snow Is still on the ground If spring wheat Is to be sown the clover can be sown with It This will give a crop of corn a crop of cowpeas cow-peas a crop of wheat and the next year following the wheat a crop of clover and clover seed The clover sod can then be plowed under and corn again put on This will keep the land rich in nitrogen and necessitates only an occasional buying of somo form of phosphate The Presence of Whitetop While visiting Odin III last year and inspecting some of tho meadows around that place tho writer was talking talk-ing with Professor Hopkins relative to the presence of whltotop which seemed to have taken many fields Professor Hopkins made the remark Whitetop never troubles In the clover meadow Ho had a demonstration of this at hand for one of tho fields under his control vas an Immense meadow of red clover that stood twentyfour Inches high The whole field was amass a-mass of green leaves and red blooms and If there was any whltotop there it was out of sight One of the farmers remarked that his brothers farm was so overrun with whltetop that the hay was of little value Whitetop Is a great pest where it is allowed to get the upper hand of the farmer but if a field Is well cultivated and tho clover crop established no whltetop will appear Farmers Review How Much Clover Seed Per Acre It requires in the neighborhood of 15 pounds of clover seed to give the best results In the sowing of land devoted de-voted to the growing of clover only It it is to be seeded with a nurse crop less clover seed will be needed It Is usual to seed on the snow above the wheat field that la already green with the wheat sowed In the fall In such a case eight poundb of clover seed should be enough |