Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1864-06-24
The Largest Farm in the cOuntry.

ed BY that sterling ola patriot. bonesi
fsrsseE Fsak. whose characteristics sp.ech
m the last session Of the Illinois Legisla-
tHre. Is very generally rensusbered through
cot the country -
Fortunately a. NC - eat On eur dav's
trip. Ne net Mr.. Funk In Bioomincton.
bound hoEscward. and had the pleasure e.
riding with bin in his plain farm wagon.
In the familiar coDVersation on the wav.
ne learned from him the history Of has early
HE. his struggles with poverty. and his
gradual success. from the time be emf
grated to Illinois. nearly fo-ty years ago.
until nov. when his landed estate covers
an area Of fall forty square niles C25.s5s
acres
We have space for but sew OF the more
interesting items. Mr. Funk arrived In
Illinois. and oom1enccd work in Is24. In
iss6 be gathered up 10 bad OF cattle.
and started With them to a market IN Ohio.
about $50 miles distant. much Of the route
through the woods Of Indiana and Western
Ohio They we're thi-ty-one % thsrtv-two
days on The road. The driver rode on
horseback. Carrying Sbrir provision and
camping cut with the drove. The fr,t
realized for The cattle ~ss 60 IS pr head,
and ater~ari il gradually rose 20 So %
and then 70 SIS. AM droves we're Increased
from eooto $50 head. To make Up these
droves several settlers turned 10 their
cattle. and rcerivcd an agreed price or
proportion ofthe sales on tie rrtarn Of tb.
crover.
As fastss the results q these enterpris-
IS. and Of raising and feeding cattle. fur
nished the means. Mr.. Funk purchased
land al the government price OF Al p rer
acre. and a t0ui one third q his present
estate was secured on these terms. The
ether two thirds have been purchased %
Others Al prices ranging from $40 TO So
per acre. Mr. Funk hss paid the Illinois
Ceniral Railroad Company alone SON.
$4,000 Tor portions OF their and living
adjacent to lis Origina lpurcbases. We en-
tercd upon the msin farm some Sax or seven
miles from Bioomington. This consists q
1910 acres. IN one tract. longest from
east 70 west sith farms owned bv oib.r.
Jui'ing INTO u Al several points. CTbe
balance. about 5000 acres. = located east
and northeast at Bloomington The gen
erAi character oftbe main farm ) p-airie.
but there Is abundan; timber along Su-ar
Creek. ~hich runs through the estate is f.
southwest direction. and Which. with Is
branches furnishes an abundant supply q
hving water for tie stock throughout DIV
seasons The surface j. rolling and the
sloughs pronounced sioos) are 90 located
thar nearly the whole can be drained. Tins
feature. tosclher with the woodland. ilsc
running. water srd tie general fertility.
render the whole tract one % the best IN
The S;,fe
A5oat three tLousand acres are s...t..s
% corn. ard snail portion % Other ~-o-.
inclading improved grasses. tie Great
baik is nsturai grass Ts.ta-e. The corn
land is mostly DO out on shares. The cul.
tNafors usually return tWo-ffths Of thi.
crop for The use Of tie land. inciudirr c,,-
tam other privileges. and Mr. Fusk then
buys their three-hfths. This j. rrne-aHy
taken in ihe fed. snhusked. 4 few Az
erage shocks are selected ~ the two p,--
ties. ard huskei. and the Who'll ---rt.-
o. shocks are then cooHtci. and reekoned
in bushels By tLe prodaet az the hu,kes
ones The prioc Is fixed rs tha aver.r-
priee Of corn in thc coantrv. fo- cirht
or Ten nilcs around. or 40 two or three
cents per 5ushel below the valse Of .b.r,5
corn a. The nearest market town.
he main business q thc farm = tie
pasiurage and feeding % cattie for t..f
Isese are Purchased f-on tae .a-r,r,s Id.
country. pRsturri ior a season. f..l u;,b
corn iu The winter. and fbe ne1t season.
sod % dealers 90 goto distant markell
usually 20 New York eity. NJ Punk .s,.
b. hnds it most prcftabie 20 buy ori, H..
best cattle. Generally. hourser. D. a.
obliged 20 take them in lots In ftis ~,..
the best are Sired for fhe market srst. and
snnaiier ard poorer animals ~ kept = year
ionger. a - cattle ere -ai.e9 on the
farm We noticed ' lizzie bunch Of 80
c7vs Eith their calves TIE c,f,e. -..-
vHa Their dam s1d have aH the uHs
~! s'oa oo@s are asri ''r th.s purpose.
'le 'ires u-ed arc thrre-fourths or seven
snin' barhauls (.hort. horn) C.re-,r.
"'. 'u'' ra'tle fo sse sp mos, Of bi.
Pa'inraee. Bot sometime. WIEN .,t,r. go,
A'sh' and o. future pri-e of bsef osits g-.
certain. b. takcs hsnired sr 4, -,
oau'e 70 pasi1rc. at tLiry To- fsv r.-,.
e'oh T''t month. Iie Keeps four band,,s
or hTe handred hogs. or jast enough =, -.