Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-23
More About the Profits or the Reverse,
Of Farming near Washington

January, 1875. i
E,'i'or %or:-Your correspondent from
Montgomery county strikes the nail on the
head when lac shows the profit made by
farmers IN their operations. imagine that
uine-tenths Of the community. were they not
withheld bv motives of pride could show the
same result in their experience AT farming
such, az least, is mine. and / propose to
show, by facts and figures that would satisfy
Mr.. GradgTind himself, that farming upon
''Old-time principles is not only q waste of
time. but serious loss of capital invested
OF health. of heart and hope. lido not address
my remarks To "A practical farmer. nor yet To
one VINO l. born and raised on q farm. and
who i used 10 hard work and steady labor
The year round. but / intend this for those
Who, rai>e,l IN some other profession, have
changed their business, and with bright
hopes their mind filled with alluring
visions OF rat cattle. blOOded stock, acres of
lruit, tine gardens, and heavy crops. and 1.-The
wilderness that shall blossom like a rose"
all unmindful OF the constant. severe labor
from bluShlng morn to dewy eve; the many
bitter diSappointments, the thousand little
VeNatiOn> that the farmer above ali others
has To contend against; the daily drain upon
his purse, the little incidental expenses that
sum up 20 a fearful aggregate; and write
too Tor the benefit OF other young men like
myself. who commenced farming with a
determination TO succeed. if success was pos
Sible. After three years of close attention to
the practical workings OF the farm, large
amount of theoretical knowledge gained from
reading-Which / am bound TO say did me
more harm than gOOd-as sean the pages of
my farm diary. and note what gTievOuS mis-
takes / iabOred under, and how dearly |
bought my experience, / see now the secret
OF farming, and shall divulge il. Before
doing So. / shall copy some experiment. aud
prove that raising the cereals don't paw in
the vicinity of Washington:
March % ~ped > bushels at Sc per bushel Sl6 "a
hire 81 hands 10 ~
PIoughiue snd narrowing erouud.-... -. % N
Cutting ihra-hing and hauling TO market. p ~
sI2i
ii ~. p.g bE-hel ......-...... ~ -
Straw worth - - 81 10
Lo,, Oh cat eroP...........-........-...... 50 "A
Pee. q IS-s-PIoughing up forty acres sod
lsut % put IA corn IN spring, cost II laborS o.
June D. lSIi-to-t up O. date for narrowing
is} ing "a aui planting c0Tn..........-.-.. - %
Twelve bushels seed corn nue variety at -
Aug In-workiug. ploughIng and replautiug
SePt- s5-PsiI hand, Tor pulling fodder AMI cut
O,t. Io-tu.ting and ,hucking corn...... g ~
80 3t-fsll r -huckIng cgrn.-- - -
Total -.--,. "a o.
80 hsrr-;- corn at $40 per Dbl sen -
"''t- anu t'i-.----..---------.----- 40 - GO %
Leaving only the small sum of : 30 %
MOI counting ones own labor. the rent OF
the ground, the wear and tear Of implements
the Use of the horses and the interest of the
money invested.
: 's-i one p-gk peas........-...-. ..... IS Z.
Two bushels potatoes, seed and expenses . 10 D,
Planted on acre in cabbage ms. b.,r - "
bed. seed ant working ......--.... Is %
Planted htrs s-r. tonItf,.- I1 -
sod ia market whole crop for..--.....-.... 50 %
Making iy-- Of - SsO
Wheat makes a worse failure than any OF