Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-02-06
TIE ONE ACRE Farm.


Dir. Eriggs?"
81 have one acre.
'One acre and here you are taking three agri'
cultural papers; and all because you have one acre
Of ground! How many such papers would you
have to take if you had hundred acres"
81 shouldn't. probably, need any more than
tax, now; you know, Mr. Chapman, one can ego
through al the motions" on one acre, as well as
On a hundred"
GA man can throw away money without any,
II he has mind TO- For all the good you get
from these periodicals, you might as well. proba-
bly,, throw the money they cost into the fire, they
are nothing but humbugs"
81 pay in all only eight dollars"
Eight dollars! enough to buy tip top barrel
OF flour, and leg of bacon; and then If you read
these periodicals. there is twice the amount ofthe
money spent in time, reading them"
al do usually read, or hear read, almost every
word there is in them, my boys andi take turns
in reading and one reads aloud while the rest
work.
''Complete nonsense! no wonder your shop
don't turn out any more boots in day than it
does"
"Perhaps we don't do as great days work,
some days, ss some of our neighbors, but guess
that in the course Of year, we turn out as many,
according to the hands at work, as most do"
81 suppose it is out of these publications you
ge your foolish notions about SO many Kinds oil
fruit trees. One of my boys came home awhile
ago, and said Mr.. Briggs had got lots of fruit
trees and such things that cost, don't know how
much, and wanted me TO buy some grape vines,
pear trees, and so on. told him it was all fool
ishness, and not to let me hear him talk about
spending money so foolishly."
you have, dare say, laid out ten or fifteen
dollars this spring."
ayes, nearly as much again; | have laid out
twenty-five dollars for trees and garden fruits"
Twenty five dollars! wonder you are not on
the town, or in Jail, at least, before now"
81 am not afraid of either. If I'm not mis-
taken III sell YOU twenty five dollars worth, of
fruit from those things for which paid the twenty
five dollars, in five years"
"No you won't: I'll give give twenty-five dol
lars, if you do. Your trees will cost you twenty
five dollars, besides the time thrown away in set
ting them out and taking care of them"
GAS for the time spent in setting them out, or
taking care Of them, it is good exercise as play
ing ball, wicket, or any thing else. While we
were setting them out one of your boys came to
get my BOYS to 90 over to Mr. Moody's where he
s1id there was to be great time playing ball;
and have no doubt, your boys spend just as
much time playing, as ours do with their trees,
and so forth; and then something is done, but in
playing the strength is all laid out for nothing.
I'll get your twenty-five"
"Well, it don't cost anything to play ball, but
trees cos. money"
The foregoing conversation occurred in the.
shop between two neighbors, both boot-makers,
in town not more than twenty miles from Bos-
ton.
Mr. Briggs, in whose shop the conversation took
place, was man of more than ordinary intelli-
gence for one of his advantages and circumstan-
ces in life. He had been poor boy, and by in
dustry, observation and economy, had worked his
way Up in life, and reared and well educated fam
ily of children, who, like himself, we're industri-
GUS and steady. For the few years past, he had
become interested in horticulture, and both for
exercise and amusement, had turned his attention
to cultivatng his "one acre farm" His attention
was first called to this, by means of back num-
Der of the New England Farmer, which was put
round some things bought at the store. Mr..
Briggs found this so interesting that he purchas-
ed another at the periodical depot, and then he
became regular subscriber. His sons became
interested in the same direction and the interest
of the father and sons increased TO the pitch ind-
Gated in the foregoing conversation.
In time, every inch of the acre of ground was
brought und r the spade, and almost every best
variety of fruit had place there, and the father
and son found pleasu and profit in the garden,
after being cooped up in the shop till the 'stent'
was done, and the exercise was far more profta-
bic than the spasmOdic, violent exercise taken in
games.
Mr.. Chapman, the other neighbor, was a man
of the common stamp. He looked upon every
thing new or uncommon, as 'folly,' and nonsense,
and was ready to sneer at every one who stepped
aside from the common track. 1t looked simply |
silly to him to see man stay at home from mus |
ter, or training, or Shows and spend his time
in cutivatng garden; or instead Of lettering a
way the evening at the store, smoking, and hear
ing telling deal of nothing, or worse, tospend
the evening at home, reading such nonsense as |
the Farmer and Horticulturalist affords.
Years pass, and Mr. Briggs 'one acre farm |
shows that he and his boys have not read che pa
pers' in vain. They have learned how to set out |
tree and how to take care oft after it was set
out Every thing showed it received the right |
kind of food and care, and straghtway began to |
bring forth fruits meets for good cultivation. In |
short time the wants of the family were more |
than supplied, and the surplus found ready mar
ket with the neighbor5 at good prices.
Those early apples, so rich andtemptng, when |
all other apples were so green and hard! And |
then such pears; they went as fast as the sun and
house could ripen them, at three, four and five |
cents apiece Then such rich, ripe grapes-too
tempting for the coolest to pass without water
ing mouth. Mr.. Chapman'S family were almost
the best customers for the tempting fruit-irst
having learned their excellence by the Gberaly
of Mr.. Briggs, who never failed to send speci-
men OF his best 10 his neighbor.
The fifth season came. II was a fruitful year.
Apple, pear, peach, plum, and all other trees were
loaded with fruit Keeping in mind his converse
ton with Mr.. Chapman, Mr.. Briggs, had directed
his family tn set down every cents worth of fruit
sold to Mr.. Chapman and his family. This year
as it happened, was year Of extreme hard times
The boot business was at its worst ebb; little
work and very low wages-and yet the price of
every kind Of provisions were up to the highest
notch and money extremely tight
But there was one family that did not seem to
)e the least affected by the hard times, low pri-
es of labor, high prices OF provisions or the scar
i'y ofmoney. Mr. Briggs and his two Oldest |
ons all of whom had little spare change to let
N short time, with interest tie their needy neigh
'ors.
One day Mr.. Chapman, who was short, applied
o Mr.. Briggs for a half for quarter meaning
fifty dollars for three months
Eyes" said Mr.. Briggs, 81 have a 'hali,' or a
whole, juft as you like
"What hundred dollars by you these times!
don't see how it comes You and your boys {
ont work any harder than [ and my boys do,
nd we can hardly get along; are as saving I
nd pnching as can be, too; times are so dread I
Il hard, and every thing family has to buy isso
readful high, and wages so low; potatoes dol
zloIl aaC nrp- CIV