The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1855-01-11
THE ONE ACRE FARM
A CURE FOR HARD TIMES.

"How much land have you got here in
your lot, Mr.. Briggs?
Il have one acre.
sOne acre! and here you are taking three
agricultural papers; and all because you
have one acre Of groundl How many such
papers would you have to take you had
hundred acres9'
Il shouldn't probably need any more
than take now; you know Mr., Chapman,
one can ego through all the notions on
one acre as well as on a hundred.
"A man can throw away money without
any, ifhe has mind to. For all the good
you get from those periodicals, you might
as well, probably, throw the money they
cost into the fire, they are nothing but
humbugs..
II pay in all only eight dollars
Eight dollars! enough to buy tip top
barrel offour, and a leg of bacon; and
then ify you read these periodicals, there is
twice the amount Of the money spent in
time, reading them.
i do usually real or hear read almost
every word there is in them, my boys and
l take turns in reading, and one reads a
loud while the rest work
Complete nonsensel no wonder your
shop don't turn out any more boots ina day
than it does?'
Perhaps we don't do as great days
works. some days, as.some of our neigh
bors;but guess that in the course of a
year, We turn out as many according to
the hands at work as most do ..l
i suppose it is out of these publications
you get your foolish notions about so ma
ny kinds of fruit trees. One of my boys
came home while ago and said Mr. Briggs
had got lots of fruit trees and such things
that cost. l don't know how much, and
wanted me to buy some grape vines, pear
trees, and so on. l told him it was all
foolishness, and not to letme hear about
spending money so foolishly.
You have dare say laid out ten or ff-
teen dollars this spring.
yes, nearly as much again; lhave laid
outtwenty-6ye dollars for trees and gar
den fruits
Twenty-Five dollars! l wonder you are
not on the town, or in Jail at least, before
now
II am not afraid Of either. I'll bet you
the twenty-fy dollars, I'll sell you that a.
mount offruit from those things for which
Ipaid the twenty-five dollars, in FIVE years.
" Done! I'll stand you;so your trees will
cost youffty dollars sure, in money, be-
sides the time thrown away in setting them
out, and taking care of them"
''As for the time spent in setting them
out, or taking care of them, it is as good
exercise as playing ball, wicket, or any
thing else. While we were sitting them
out, one Of your boys came to get my boys
to go over to Mr.. Moody's, where he said
there was to bea great time playing ball;
and have no doubt, your boys spend Just
as much time playing, ,as mine do with our
trees and so forth; and then something is
done, butin playing, the strength is all
laid out for nothing
satWelb it don'tco anything to play ball
but trees cost money
The foregoing conversation occurred in
the shop between two neighbors, both
boot2makers, in town not more than twen-
ty miles from Boston.
Mr.. Briggs, in whose shop the conver-
sation took. place, was man Of more than
ordinary intelligence for one of his advan-
tages and circumstances in life. He had
been poor boy, and by industry, observa.
ton and economy, had worked his way
on in life, and reared and well educated Q
family of children, who, like himself, were
industrious ard steady. For the few years
past, he had become interested in horticul
ture; and both for exercise and amusement
had turned his attention to cultiyatiug his