The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-20


is singular that man, apparently so sharp
as this Vermonter, should not have seen
that Gideon Truesdell illustrated the most
difficult phase of farming of any country,
that of vesting a large amount OF money IN
improving and fitting up farm. with all the
most improved and expensive machinery
running it by a foreman with hired labor
making IL pdy Scren per cent. upon the
whole Investment, with ocer ST. 900 surplus
for his supe,intendence.
IL this does not prove that money in
vested in farming may be made to pay,
then no proof can be sufficient. But he
wants more modest pictures, and these are
close at hand.
THE SUCCESS OF GEORGE SISSON.
The Holland Land Company owned
large part of Western New York, covered,
in Erie county, with huge forest trees, that
would turn out so to 100 cords of wood
per acre. These great giants OF the forest
the settlers had to cut, log and burn,
simply to get them out of the way, with
no compensation except few shillings for
the salts made from the ashes. These
lands were sold to the early settlers at 81
t. So per acre, with little or no payment
down.
Young man, of firm resolution, and whip
cord muscles, had assisted one OF the early
settlers for something more than year be-
fore his majority, and for this service re-
ceived deed of 45 acres of this unbroken
forest. much of it rough land on the north
side Of Clear creek. This was in 1888.
Without team, tools or stock, this young
man. ssrelying upon his MUSCLE" worked
by the month to buy him yoke of steers
and some tools. and soon began to deliver
his manly blows in telling the forest.
Taking to himself wife, this young pioneer
builds cabin, and as
"He hewed the dark old woods away,
And gave the virgin fields to the day.
grass springs up, and the gentle cow brings
plenty to the house, and turns that grass to
gold. He soon adds another 80 acres of
land, partly cleared, and more cows, and
this, with constant industry, beth OF HIM
self and his hopeful wife, enables him to add
rs acres more land, making his farm, in
1850, 40 acres.
This looks like genuine thrift and pro-
gress in farming under difficulties. When
we contemplate the present comparatively
high prices of dairy products, and then go
back to the period of 1888 to 1850, and find
to II cents per pound, we can partly APP
preciate the industry, economy, and good
calculation that was displayed in support
ing family, and adding l25 acres to the
farm in II years, under such scale Of
prices.
In the meantime, Mr.. S. observes that
the land on the south side of Clear creek is
warmer, deeper soil, better adapted to
clover and the grasses generally, carrying
more cows to the hundred acres and, hay
ing good opportunity, he sell his 10 acres
and buys 226 acres on the southside, pay.
ing some S15 per acre more than he gets.
This farm he has held ever since, anC
from it has procured the means for paying
the debt upon it--for improvements in un'
der-draining, erecting good buildings-set
ting up two of his sons as farmers, one o
them now having farm under good cult
walton and buildings with all the recent i'm
provements.
Mr.. Sisson has not accomplished all this
without that niggardly economy which
sometimes characterizes the farmer but liz
has taken the broader and more liberia
view, which holds that generous treatment
of land and stock gives the larger return
In good seasons, such as 1860, he is able t.
produce $50 pounds cheese to the cow, be-
sides selling 5S4 pounds of butter from tn.
herd of 32 cows. 1t required an average
that season, of only nine pounds of milk fol
pound OF cheese, and if we estimate p
pounds of milk to pound of butter, this
would give yield Of ,166 pounds of mill
per COW, or 1872 pounds of milk per COW
per day for 300 days. This was exclusiv,
of the milk and butter used in the family
Such result was not reached without lib
eral feeding.
HE GREEN SOILS.
lie feeds largely of corn sown for fodder
and finds much profit in it. Discardine
the old system of using three to five acre
of pasture per COW, devotes only u acres
making up the balance of feed, before Au
gust. in middlings, corn and oat meal !; af
ter that in fodder corn till cold weather
In 1860 he used only SO acres of pasture
and fed S400 worth of bran, finished mid
dlings, corn and oat meal through the sea
son. to 80 COWS. His cows averaged hin
SS5 81 per head, and after deducting tn
$500 for extra feed, averaged, net, S73 3
per COW. Here it appears that with les
than half the ordinary pasture he was abb
to purchase feed to make up most gene
rous diet, and with handsome profit be
side. In his experiments that season h
tried corn meal made into a thin pudding
then finished middlings compared with
medium quantity of bran, and, after
thorough test, came to the conclusion tina
bran will produce the largest quantity o
milk, and is, therefore, cheapest. But h
thinks if he had fed one-third more his pro
fits would have been still greater. How
aptly this case illustrates what the bes
feeders assert, that all theprofit comes from
extra fceding-a lesson more needed thai
any other among dairymen.
On visiting Mr.. S. recently, we founC
pastures in his region suffering from wan
of rain, but the needs Of his herd were me
by three pounds Of corn meal per COW
made into thin pudding, and fed upon ha,
at evening. He uses corn meal, becaus
that is pIentier and cheaper now than bran
although it does not produce as much milk
Yet his thirty-four cows, then IN milk
were yielding each over twenty-five pound
per day. Mr.. S., who has reached tn
age of tifty-thrcc, IS still hale and vigorous
and watches every important matter dali.
on the farm, but is now inclined to taxi
life easier, and cultivate the social virtues
more than farmers once thought practica
BILE. Although in his early life the com
mon schools offered few advantages com
,,aro1 to thoca of the t,rasent vet he i