The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-11-23
Agrifnltural.
SHALL I SELL MY LITTLE FARM.


Farmers and mechanics as well as proies
sional men, with comfortable homes il
the country, are constantly tempted b,
the idea ofmaking moro money, to abandon
old friends, old associations, and old habit,
Of life, and seek to better their condition BY
removal to the cities and large towns.
Passing by, for the present the sacrifice
Of home feelings and enjoyments which
every man Of mature ago surrcnders when
ever he changes his accustomed homo. we
will now look only at tho financial side o
the question, and see what man, on any
New England farm, great or small gives
up when he leaves II and goes to dwell In
the town or city. We are always com.
planning that we get nothing from our
farms, and we fancy if we could only gel
somewhere where money Is more abun.
dant, where wages are higher. where there
Is more going on, we shall have some chance
to be rich, and live moro independently.
Perhaps there has never been time when,
in this country, farm, or even field or
garlen contributed 30 much to tho inde-
pendence Of family Of moderate means
as in these times Of high prices. The rens-
on Is obvious Il is because all That we
buy. whether rent, or fuel, or. provisions,
costs more than ever before, and all that
we do by way Of labor, produces great
er value in the crops We raise.
You say you get little or nothing from
your farm. ct us consider the matter and
see whether We do not underrate the prof.
its of the homestead. in The first place,
you get your rent, an item OF which farm.
ers hardly think. Go to any large town,
and such house as will be as respectable
for your family ihers as your present one
is here, will cost you In rent some four
hundred dollars II may be newer and
nicer than the old homestead. but Il will be
no more comfortable or convenient.
We say nothing Of its being In some
narrow, noisy street, where you do not
know your nearest neighbor, and where
you must hire watchers in case Of sickness.
That belongs to the sentimental side of the
question, which to-day we leave out Of
sight. ... ..- rl. |.
Next, your farm gives you your fi0L-
you don't know how much, for you never
had occasion to measure u. A farmer 9
family Of half dozen persons consumes
yearly from ten to fifteen cor.ls Of wood at
least. Less fuel would suffice In the city,
with liberal outlay for furnaces, patent
stoves aud heaters hut with coal at ten
dollars ton. ton being equivalent to
about one cord Of the hest harl wood
when kindlngs are paid for, another hun.
drcd dollars would be about used up.
A COW or two affords the farmer all the
butter and milk he can use for his family.
A pound of butter week for each mem.
her of the family is fair estimate, and al,
fifty cents n pound we have for our fam
lily Of six, three dollars week or $3.50 n
year, and if we add only two wine quarts
Of milk daily, at the city price of ten cents,
we have S73 more.
A small patch supplies you will, potatoes,
Of which you require some thirty bushels,
which will cost you ut retail prices as many
dollars, although if you want to sell them
ut your farm they will bring much less.
there being two or three profits between
the producer and the city consumer.
A few trees supply your apples. worth
four or five dollars u barrel if yon buy
them. And any ordinary garden gives the
family vegetables fresh in summer, which
the city will not do at any price.
The small matters of currents and rasp-
berries, and strawberries, and pears and
grapes. all become large matters when paid
for in money. The fowls that give ubun.
dance Of eggs, and supply Of poultry, for
Thanksgiving and Christmas, seem Of lit.
tic account till reduced to a specie basis /;
and two or three porkers grow up with lit
tie cost, and in autumn are worth hun.
dred dollars almost before We know il, and
thus onr hills for pork and lard and iresl,
meat are easily balanced with the butcher.
In the country, everybody has a horse.
We care little about driving, perhaps, but
the boys and girls, at least the boys, ought
to learn to ride and drive, and they do that
and learn how to tend the horse and COW
without going to an agricultural college. In
the city or town, only men Of wealth can
afford to keep horses, and hiring them nt
stable prices is almost as expensive.
So, brother farmer, when you have got
into your hired house, with never wood.
lot, nor a garlen nor potato patch, nor n
COW, nor hen, you may also set il down
that you can have no horse; and if you,
however prosperous IN money matters, do
not sigh for the nesl, pots Of the old home.
stead, come up to the NEw EsoLASD FAR.
hER Office and tell us the other side Of the
story. Neio Engiand Farmer.