Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-01-26
miscellaneous.
THE ONE ACRE FARM
A CURE FOR HARD TIMES.

Glow much land have you got here in
your lot, Mr.. Briggs"
81 have one acre"
"One acre! anf here vou are taking four
agricultural papers, and all because you
have one acre of ground How many such
papers would yoa have TO take if you had
hundred acres?"
al shouldn't probably need any more
than | take now; you know, Mr. Chapman,
one can go through all the motions on one
acre as well as a hundred"
"a man can throw away money without
any e he has a mind to. For all the good
you get from such periodicals. you might
as well, probably. throw the money they
cost into the FIRE, they are nothing bu.
humbugs"
81 pay in all only eight dollars"
Eight dollars enough to buy Tip top
barrel Of -four, and leg Of bacon; and then
if you read these periodicals, there is twice
the amount of the money spent in reading
them"
al do usually read or hear read almost
every word there is in them; my boys and
l take turns in reading and oOe reads aloud
while the rest work"
Complete nonsensel no wonder your
shop don't turn out any more boots in a
day than it doesl"
"PerhaPs We don't do as great days
works, some days, as some of our neigh
bors; but guess that in the course Of the
year, we turn out as many according to the
hands at work as most do"
Il suppose it is out of these publications
you get your foolish notions about SO many
kinds of fruit trees One of my boys came
home awhile ago and said Mr. Briggs bad
got lots and lots of fruit trees and such
things. that cost, don't know how much.
and wanted me to buy some grapevines, pear
trees, and so on told him it was all
foolishness. and not to let me hear him say
anything about spending money so foolish
by. You have, dare say, laid out ten or
fifteen dollars. this spring"
"Yes, nearly as much again; have laid
out twenty FIVE dollars for trees and garden
fruit"
"Twenty-fve dollars! I wonder you are
not on the town, or in Jail at least before
now"
I'm not afraid of either: I'll bet you the
twenty-five dollars, I'll sell you that amount
of fruit from those things for which l paid
the twenty Eve dollars, in Eve years"
Done I'll stand you; so your trees
viii cost you iifty dollars sure, in money,
besides the time thrown away in setting
them out, or taking care of them.
"As for time spent in setting them out
tor taking care of them, it is as good exef-
else as playing ball. wicket or anything else
While We were sitting them out, one oi
your boys came to get my boys to go ovel
to Mr. Moody's where he said there was tC
be great time playing ball; and have nj
doubt your boys spend just as much time
lplaying. as mine do with our trees and 81
forth; and then something is done, but il
playing, the strength is all laid out for moth
ling"
'Well, it don't cost anything TO play ball
but trees cost money"
The foregoing conversation occurred il
the shop between two neighbors, both boo
makers in town not more than thirty
miles from Boston.
Mr.. Briggs, in whose shop the converse
ton took place, was man of more than or
dinarv intelligence for one of his advanta
ges and circumstances in life. He had bee
poor boy, and by industry, observation
and economy, had worked his way on i
l ll;r. II - = - Ill od,,ootoJ n For,;l
of children, who, like himself, were indus
trious and steady. For the few years pas
be had become interested in horticulture
and both for exercise and amusement, har
turned his attention to cultivating his "on
acre farm" His attention was 6rst calle
to this, by means of back number of tn
New England Farmer which was pu: owe
some things bought at the store. Mr. I
found this SO interesting. that he purchase
another at the periodical depot, and the
he became regular subscriber. His son
soon became interested in the same direC
ten, and the interest of the father and son
increased to the pitch indicated in the fore
going conversation.
In time, every inch of that acre Of groun
was brought under the spade, and almo'
every "best" variety of fruit had a plac
there, and the father and sons found pleas
ure and profit in the garden after bein
cooped up in the shop till the "stent" wa
done, and the exercise was far more prof
= table than the spasmodic violent exercise
taken in games
Mr. Chapman, the other neighbor, was
man of common sense" He looked upo
: everything new and uncommon as "folly
and "nonsense," and was ready to sneer q
every one who stepped aside from the CON
mon track. i looked simply silly TO him I