Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-11-04
Agricultural.
From the Farmers Cabinet
What will an Acre Of Land Produce?


In 1892, enclosed an acre of land in the vi
cinity of Wilmington for the purpose of tryin,
this experiment. | erected upon the ground
small house, and leased it to gardener to worl
for one half the produce. The ground was en-
closed in such a manner as to leave an exact a
ere under cultivation. 1t was first pIougheC
deep, the stones all carefully pitched off, ther
highly MANFRED, and afterwards worked the frs
five years with the spade. furnished the gar
dcner with about forty dollars worth of manure
annually, and sent man, horse and cart, twice
week to draw the produce to market Every
means was used to raise the amount of sales tt
the highest point; seeds of the choicest kind o
vegetables were procured, forcing beds erected
and the produce rpened early and sold in the
market at high price.
The average produce of my share for the first
five years. was $l74,20 per annum, consequent
ly, the whole amount produced by this acre Of
land was not less than S34S, 40 per annum, be-
sides the vegetables used in the gardeners fam.
lily.
The gardener and his little family, consisting
of three persons had other pcrquisites, by which
they obtained 300 dollars annually, in addition
to their share of the garden by which they were
enabled to live in comfort, and could have indul.
ged occasionally in some Of the luXuries Of life
if they had chosen so to do But like most 9TH
er workmen of the soil in this country, they want
ed more land and till it with plough and horse
In order to CRAFTY this disposition, | enclosed
them another acre, and lent them horse, and
occasionally man to work it, and continued the
same outayings in manure as in the former case
The consequence of this change was, that
received less per annum for the second five years
than the first
The family now became dissatisfied with Their
situation, nothing would do but more land the,
complained of their labor being increased anc
their income diminished; they had sometime,
to hire and they had no money to pay the labor
er they had many other difficulties to encounter
all of which were ascrbed to the smallness o
their farm was now as much dissatisfied as
they were, for we could not agree about the cause
of our unsuccessful efforts but as no other wa,
opened at the time, enclosed about two acres
more for third five years experiment. which ter
minated in my receiving less income than in thu
second five years, and not much over one hal
the amount of the first five. So much for in
creasing the size Of farms without being kind t.
the soil
The result of these experiments correspond
with all the known facts thst have come unde
my observation for the last thirty years upon thu
subject of the profits of capital expended in ag
ricutural pursuits.
| at first adopted the opinion that the secret Q
gathering money out Of the soil lay in sma
farms, but extended observation of facts an
! mature deliberation has changed this conclusion
| now believe the quantity of land has nothin
to DO with the profits of the capital expended
that 1t altogether depends upon judicious selet
: ton OF soil, the facilities for obtaining manure
and the proper application of it as food for pant
4 and most of all upon The quantity of the he,
$ and most nourisning kinds of manure mon III
+ mainly depends the profits of capital expende
for agricultural purposes.
found $4,000 expended npon 100 acres
poor land in the neighborhood of Wilmington
would not produce, after paying all expense
$ more THAI five per cent upon the capital, but /
i doubling the amount in expenses fer manur
:, and making the sum laid out, $4,000 it wou
c more easily nett 81 200 per annum that is, II
+ the profits of capital laid out in lands produce