Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-02-17
The Penny and the Pound.
A DIALOGUE FOR FARMERS.


| see you go upon the principle of small
farms and small profits, and console your
self with the maxim that little things are
best 1t may do in some things-but give me
big farm, with liberty TO buy all the land
that lays next to it. | never could content
myself with doing things upon small scale.
A big farm, big house, two stories high,
and barn to match That's my notion a
bout farming. Everything upon magni6-
cent scale-make or break.
Penny-Thank you, neighbor Pound
but | must be contented to pursue the even
tenor of my way, and farm it according to
nv means. and in accordance with my own
ideas of the importance of little things
A good many Titles make mckle; and
while you are skimming over your hundreds
of acres TO fill two story barn with poor
hay and musty fodder, and pitching it up to
the ridge-pole of your three story barn with
out a cellar, and your wife and hired girls
are carrying water and the scrubb;ng ma
terials into the garrett Of your two story
house, two or three times year, to clean up
and set things 10 rights, | will try TO fill my
barn, commencing at the gable end, and
dropping the hay and grain and fodder into
the places of deposit below; and the ma
nure and droppiugs of my little stock of
choice animals, to the care of the pigs in
the cellar of the barn, while my wife and
daughters will be looking after the affairs
of little house well filled And if | do
not grow rich as rapidly as you do, will try
to be con.ented and happy with slow but
sure gains.
Pouad-Bravo, neighbor Penny You
talk like an ancient ilosopher-notli like
modern farmer In these days of steam and
lightning il will never do to move at a snail's
pace, and eternaly be looking after little
things, in a small house and on a small
farm.
Penny-Ancient or modern, farmer or
philosopher, intend to be contented with
small beginnings in small way, and en-
large my ideas and my farm gradually, care
fully and surely. As to moving at a snai's
pace and eternaly looking after things in a
small house, you are quite mistaken, dear
Mr.. Pound. Ipractice upon the maxim of
"a place for everything and everything in
its place" aud assure you, upon my hon
or as a man, deal of time and vexation is
saved by it; besides, you know that time is
money and time in rumagng two story
house, from cellar TO garnet, after lost ham
mer or gimlet, isn't the pleasantest thing in
the world, nor is it the most profitable.
Pound-Well, there may be something
in that, to be sure; but did you mean TO be
personal and hint that because tucked the
sub-soil pillow into a gap in the fence round
my fifty acre lot, and in the spring forgot
it, and my hired man spent few days in
search before he found it, that am not
good farmer, and don't have place for ev-
cry ihingl I'll have you to know, sir, that
do things on grand scale, and on scien-
ti6c principles.
Penny-Nothing personal, Mr.. Pound.
was ignorant of the significant fact you
mention. But how much per acre did you
get, of good hay, from your magnificent
fifty acre LOTT
POuHd--Ch! as TO that, you know the
hay crop, generally, was extremely light
last year and, besides, it takes world OF
manure To ieriilize fifty acres of moving;
and what, with great farm and so many
hired mea 10 see to and to pay, hadn't
tine nos money TO do il justice. Perhaps
the crap wss ton so, 10 the acre, of good
hay. e9r would have been hadn't lot of it
s,oiled in The winrow, and a part Of it
heats IN 'he NOV.
Renay--Sorry your crop was so small
and so poor from fifty acres cultivated, or
fatber carried on, "upon scientific princi-
plef-" MY lot, oioniy hiteen acres, cultivat-
ed on common sense principles, yielded me
pI,nnR ,wo tons to the acre, and not aspear
~ Il was hurt in the winrow, nor did fork
NIL hea. in the baru-bscause. you see, my
Jay was put in the cock over night, and in
be barn over Sunday.
Pohnd-Over Sunday, do you mean to
lint shat | OF my men, unnecessarily work
bn the Sabbath : True, We got in few
hons on the Sabbath, to save 4 from rain
storm in prospect. That was work ofne-
cessity, you know.
Penny-lt may be so, to grea farmer,
on great farm, carried on upon wha, you
call a magni6cen, scaIe-but to ne, it
seems poor economy to work more thaa six
days in the week. Common sense AID
common. observation long since convinced