Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-07-30

The following are some OF the fig
ures of the monster farm of Illinois.
We believe there is no like farm in
the world for size and production.
Three years ago it excited the admir-
atiou of an English company, who
offered $l,5OO,OOO for the land and
improvements, which was declined.
The hard times have thrown it into
the hands of II. w. Sage, Of New
York, who has an interest in it Of
about 100000. 1t cost $4,000 to
put in this years crops:
The Sullivant farm in Ford county,
Ill.,, about 100 miles from Chicago,
is now in possession of Hon. Hiram
Sibley, Of Rochester, and is the
largest farm in the country, il
not in the world. OF these 10000
acres, $4,000 acres are planted in
corn, 5000 acres in oats, flax and
other crops, all the rest being III grass
lands, say 1900 acres. There arc
200 miles in hedge. The farm has
land equal to ga miles in length by
one mile in width. The land is Iii
vided into sections, and covers 8
miles square, with boulevard running
along each two miles, so that there is
but one mile of road to the boulevard.
The railroad passes through IA miles
Of the land. There are now $4,000
acres Of the land in crops, and the
rest of the land, except 60 acres i'll
groves, is all in timothy. 10 take the
corn from the cribs to the corn shell
Ter, reorires ll3 wagons. There are
coal lands near at hand, and the coal
costs but SO a ton. The working
stock consists of Ala mules. Each Of
the 8 grand divisions is divided in
to 8 subordinate divisions, so that the
men and beasts are fed within a
a mile of each other, and no one has
to 90 over one mile from the field to
find food or rest. There is large
central Office where reports are sent
daily of all work done. Each of the
corn cribs holds 5000 bushels. 1000
bushels Of corn are shelled each hour,
and put in cars ready for movement.
The corn shelter necessary for the
work cost $4,000 and is not worked
by steam. The work is all done by
mules, and $4,000 bushels of corn are
shelled each day.
Mr.. Sibley has also the largest farm
in this State, which covers 1000
acres of land. The statistics on the
Illinois farm are simply immense, and
almost incomprehensible. 1t is not
yet settled that such farming will
pay, though it is reported that the
famous Alexander farm of 1900
acres has paid well at times. Taking
into consideration uncertain weather
and crops and wages and markets,
the work is greater than most men
would like to handle. The elephant
is often too big to manage.
As an incident OF the times, we re-
greet to learn that in many parts of
the country great and small farms
are being foreclosed. Capitalists
have made large advances upon them
and been obliged to foreclose. Our
insurance companies are full of evil
dence of these sad disasters, and they
are the result of unwise investments,
living beyond ones means and ex-
pecting too much. Agriculture will
pay like other professions, III good
hands, but it is also attended with
the chances and risks which belong
to trade and commerce. Farmers,
like other people, have their good and
bad years, and with them, as with
others, mistakes, alike in manage
ment and expectation, yield their nat
ural losses.-N. y. Observer.