The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-06-07
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
large Profits from Small Farms.

large Profits from Small Farms
We have received from the correspond
ing secretary of the Farmers Club at
Farmlngdale. Queens county, New York, a
copy OF paper read before it by its presi
dent, }. W. DeLee Rec, the design of
which IS to show now living is made
on twenty-acre farm on Long Island. p
The steps by which the conclusion is
reached are here given in condensed
form 1t being promised that small farms
prevailed on the island, thirty acres being
considered enough for farmer TO carry
on, with the help of one or two boys,
and that the larger farms prove TO be less
prohtable than the smaller IN proportion
TO the acreage, 1t is represented that
ordinarily farms of twenty acres, in the
central part of the Island, thirty or forty
miles from New York, are worried in the
manner and with the results following.
When practicable, such farm is divided
INTO seven parts, SIX of which are three
acre lots for tillage, and the seventh is
occupied with the buildings, poultry yard,
kitchen garden, and an orchard OF about
one hundred and fifty apple and pear
trees. Other fruit trees, such as cherry,
are planted by the roadside, and so an
swer the triple purpose of ornament,
shade and fruit. Grass being the great
deslderatum, a good farmer does not rest
satisfied until he makes his fields Weld at
he rate of two tons to the acre the first
year, without much shrinkage for the next
two years. With this view rotation is
practiced, aud usually 3 six-year course,
IN the following order The first year,
corn Is planted on sod ground, with ma
nure IN the hill the second roots, suffi
GENTLY manured to be followed by wheat
the third and by grass the three succeeding,
Halt the eighteen acres is thus kept In
grass, three being broken up each fall
But, if one acre is planted with (say early
rose potatoes, they can be harvested il
season to sow the same by the first Of
August, with turnlps, yielding four hun
dred to six hundred bushels. If the farm
contains twenty-three acres, another lot
and another year added corn being plant
ed two years III succession; If twenty.six
acres, grass seed Is sown when the corn re-
ceives it's last dressing the second year :;
the field is grazed one year, then roots,
wheat and grass follow. On Il twenty
acre farm, titled as above described the
as follows three acres Of corn, 55 bush
els per acre, at 90 cents per bushel, $148.-
81 three acres of potatoes. Cor an equiva-
lent IN roots,) 200 bushels per acre, at 65
cents per bushol, $500; three acres of
wheat, % bushels per acre, Sl.75 per
bushel, Sl3l.25 nine acres of grass, Il
tons per acre, at scope ton, $500; profit
on two hundred hens kept for eggs, SL5o
each, $500 on two COWS S15 each, $3.50:
on orchard, 81 per tree, $500: total, ST.
1895. Outgoes for board of team, at
: per day, 1865 for manure purchased,
5000 interest on farm and buildings, val
ued at $4,000, and stock and tools, valued
at $1,000, 1T per cent, $3.50 taxes $50 :;
total, $3.50. This deducted from S1,7l9.-
, leaves a net profit of SS54T5. Add TO
this the profits from the garden, the bees,
the pig, &c, and it Will give a clear in
come of about SIS per week the year
round. That is, the iudicious and indus
trlous cultIvator of "a twenty-acre farm
receives salary equal to that of first
class mechanic, besides the advantages of
outdoor instead of indoor labor, of great
variety instead of monotoncus uniformity
IN this work, and especially Of being his
oNh Hidctci, NnlChi 70 d person oil lnQe-
pendent, self reliant spirit, Is of no small
account. L. may be thought that, all the
hay beng reckoned at the market value,
the profit on the cows is put too high; but
the straw and corn fodder,ior their avails,)
and what turnips can be raised after
crop of early potatoes, will afford abund-
ant feed for two cows through the winter
There Is 40 cheaper way to keep cows in
first-i ate order than to raise turnips enough
10 feed one bushel per day to each through
the winter. On iSOme small farms as
many as five cows are kept. In that case
less hay Is cut, and what Is chiefly fed out
Consequently more manure Is made and
less bought. But the more cows the more
work IN the house, and as the usual aim is
90 get along without outside help, the
sources from which profits are sought on
the farm are often regulated by the state
otEtbe family IN respect to the relative
affords. The fact is not overlooked that
all small farms do not yield profit equal
% the above estimate; while some are
made TO exceed it,others are made only to
yield bare subsistence. But In the lat
ter case the failure can always be traced
either TO a soil of poorer than average
quality, or 70 a lack of intelligence and
aptitude tor acquiring it,or lack of sound
Judgment, or of industry, or some similar
cause.