Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-10-09
lQ(ortrstrr Daily Spp.
From the Maine Farmer.
How some Farms Pay.


A common idea is, that the great desider
alum upon farm is the strength and ability
to perform great amount of labor. That no
one should be a farmer unless he is a healthy,
strong man, capable OF great endurance and
hence we frequently hear the remark, that
person sold his farm because his health was
poor. Now health is very desirable and
strength very useful on farm, and yet farming
is the very employment in which all should
embark, or remain in ii already there, who are
destitute of both. Skill and intelligence are
quite as necessary as health and strength to
successful farming and the want OF skill and
intelligence is more valid reason tor aban-
doning farming pursuits, than the want Of TO
bust health ability to perform large amount
of labor. | have case in point.
Being on a visit to Wilton, my former home,
for the purpose of seeing sick daughter,
awaited myself OF the opportunity OF calling on
my old friend, Major Josiah Willard, and
taking a look over his fdim. Now some per
sons who want to own ali the land that Joins
them will laugh at the idea that Mai Willard
has a farm, when l inform them that it consists
of eleven and half acres, and a small rocky
pasture, wholly unfit for moving or tilage-
The tillage and moving land is in two fields
one of seven and half acres is nearly on the
top of high hill, having an easterly can't
originally rocky, and some of it quite wet. 1t
Is what is usually called, "hard, stony land"
The other is more gravelly, not so elevated
and naturally not SO fertile or productive
Many years ago Major Willard paid twenty.
five dollars per acre for this land he has re.
moved nearly all the stones from the surface,
unterdrained it wherever it was necessary,
and enclosed it with a permanent wall. How
much these improvements have cost it is I'M
possible to say, as it has been done in con.
nect:on with the labor of cultivating the land.
One OF his principal drains cost torty-two cents
per rod, to dig for short distance as he wished
TO have it large and deep, in order to make Il
receptacle for the surplus stones. Generally
they cost much less.
In making these improvements, and bring.
ing it to its present condition, there has been
no year that the crops did not abundantly re-
pay all the expense bestowed on the land.
His crops of corn have ranged from eighty to
one hundred and ten bushels to the acre in
ordinary years. He has raised at the rate of
SIX hundred bushels Of patatoes to the acre.
HIS hay crop averages three tons to the acre.
He has had four tons. This year his crop of
hay is light, and yet he has some land laid
down last year, which yielded two tons at the
hfSt cutting, and one ton at the second. He
keeps horse, with which he does all his farm
work, except the use of oxen to do his break.
ing up, and occasionally to draw manure, and
his three COWS He sells annually from his
farm, more than fifty dollars worth of fodder
besides keeping this stock. The produce OF
his farm Is worth this year, at least Two hun
dred and siXty-dve dollars, and usually it is
worth more.
Major Willard is sixty five years of age and
has, ever since he has been in this town
labout twenty five years., been an invalid.
For the last three years he has devoted him
self 10 farming, taking care Of his stack, hogs,
&c. He has not paid out tor labor more than
thirty dollars per year and probably is not
able to perform, one day with another, more
than half the labor Of a strong and healthy
man.
Previous to the la t three years, Mr.. vii.
lard kept the public house in this village, and
appropriated his stable manure for some years
to his land. For the last three years he has
used only what manure his stock and hogs
have made, with the exception Of small guam
tity OF leached ashes, lime, plaster, and salt.
1t will be at once seen that Major Willard
makes a living by tarming-and not only
makes living, but, at his advanced age, lays
up money. And he does it not by the power
OF muscle alone, but by the agency Of skill and
intelligence. He knows that it costs no more
to keep one COW than it does another, and so
he keeps good ones. 1t costs no more to keep
good hog than a poor one, and SO lie has a
sow from which he has sold more than fifty
dollars worth ofpigs. He cult, ates but little
land, but what he does cultivate he manurcs
well, and it yields large returns. This land of
his, | suppose, could not be bought for one
hundred dollars per acre A few years ago he
bought it for twenty five dollars per acre. lie
has more than quadrupled the value of his
land, and, at the same time, he has drawn from
IL profit larger than most any other business
yields. His skill is the capital upon which he
has traded in his dealings with mother earth
pecuniarily ii has been worth to him. as it is to
every man, more than health and strength.