Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-02-12
TERRITORIAL EXPANSION.

TERRITORIAL EXPANSION.
Taking up an old Nea0 England Far
mer our eye rested on the following, which
contains so many grains of sense that
we insert it here for the consideration of
our readers. Too many acres, poorley
cultivated, too much stock poorly kept,
in short spreading ourselves too thin, is
the bane of American farming
The time has come when such books
as ''Ten Acres Enough" seems to be con-
sidered all ''bosh," and we see the notice
of book taking off the absurdities of
such writer's, entitled Give Acres Too
Much"
While the impracticability of the
teachings of these writer's is evident, the
impracticability of making it profitable
to cultivate so much land as we do, is
still more apparent. Another fact is
also ent,-that an entire change in
our farm operations is required to make
farming a respectable business, when
farms are offered at less than their build
ings are worth, and that upon a glutted
farm market; while about every boy
who 'knows enough to go in when it
rains" leaves the worn out ancestral
acres for some mercantile, mechanical, or
professional calling.
have just been reading suggestive
article from an 1866 Farmer. / cant
tell the exact date, as the article was
cut out. 1t is entitled EARNING on a
Small Scale" by which the author, "P.
G. 81 East Bethel, VT, evidently meant
cultivating small surface; as | judge
the profits we're larger than most of our
Charge farmers" can obtain. ''P. G. S.
did not give his neighbours name, as thai
modest individual preferred hiding his
light under bushel. But here is what
he says: "His farm consists of only
seven acres, yet the produce of that sever
acres" Che says nothing about pasturing'
''last winter, carried through, in the bes
manner, forty sheep, two COWS, one horse
and he thinks he had hay enough lief
to have wintered two COWS more Thi
winter he has ffty-two sheep, one horse
one COW, and one yearling, while on
acre of his land was laid down to gras
so late in the spring, that it produce,
nothing, no grain being sown." And h
goes on with some of the details of hi
management. Wouldn't it be we'll t
republish that article, Messrs. Editors
And wouldn't it be we'll to hear fro1
4 you, noa0, Mr.. ''P. c. So" "Such farm
ers," says Remarks ''are the pride q
New England"
In the September No of the Atlantt
Monthly, an article entitled ''Confuciu
and the Chinese, the author, probabl
Mr.. G. G. Coffin, says: EARNS al
small, of one or two acres; and eac
family raises ON its farm all it consumes.
In regard to the strict correctness of a
these statements, doubts may be entel
tanned by some; and no one wishes th
people of this country to come down I
the Chinese standard of living. Still, i
the main, these statements are doubles
correct, and it requires something to liv
even in China; and instances can /
pointed out in every town, where in
mense crops are raised from small farm
with more profit than is obtained fro
much larger ones.
However, the question is not altogetl
er "what size shall farm be" but rath,
''to how high state of fertilization ar
) cultivation should farm be carried ?
:, One man may be able to carry on adval
tageously hundred times more busine
than another; and one piece of Lar
may have a soil which will make higl
er state of cultivation more proftab
S than another. A very leachy soil ma
+ in some cases, be MANFRED less heavi
than more retentive one, for the got
r reason that the fertilizing properti
:, contained in the former are more like
: to be carried below the reach of pla
e roots. Such soils may be manure
lightly and often, and medium crops O
A tanned with greater profit, than by t
/ process of very heavy manuring, al
y larger crops. At the same time most
our cultivated soils may be made to pl
e duce very heavily, with more profit frc
/ an acre with double crop, than from
single one.
e. Now suppose I have three acre L
u the soil being alike throughout, saatur
y ly; and with full average capacity
the production of grass. Surprising
+ lot to be equally divided into three par
e e we will say that one of the acres yiel
u two tons of hay, while each of the otl
two, yields only one ton; that is, t
tons to both. Meanwhile the porporti
G. of the different elements contained
k the fertilizing materials used is the san
ne and such as to fit the soil for the grow
a. of grass, and also to produce permant
ed fertility of the soil-not like some of {
ut concentrated manures, which cause |
ar production Of u few immense crops,
s. the injury of the land.
d. Then, suppose | cultivate the soil
he the different parts of the whole field
IT. a long term of years, maintaining ca
In It's present state of productivene
annually taking my two tons of
r. from the best one acre, and the sa
from the other two; which, l ask, wol