The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-17
Concluded from First Page. !
Mt the stupid ones on the farm and spoil

advertisements of Farm Agencies, so called ..
real estate brokers who have seemingly :
perfect FARMS in all respects, at minimum
of price? Good farm of so acres only 500,
200 acres for $1700, and the like ?"
Undoubtedly they have farms which will
very nearly answer the description they
give, which they Can sell at such prices.
In many sections of New England, manu-
featuring, clerking, teaching. or other oc-
equations have attracted the young men
away from the parental homestead. in hope
of finding other business lighter or more
remunerative than the drudgery of the farm,
as farm work used to be before the intro
duction of so much machinery to tighten
labor and hasten it.
Now the old people having passed the
age when they are able to manage the farm
as they used to, and having enough to i've
on to the end of their allotted days, think
of giving it up and going to live with John
or Thomas or Betsy, and the old home
stead is offered for sale, or 1t may be they
have passed away, and of the children none
can take the old place One IS in such bu-
siness that he cannot change without grea,
sacrifice. Another has wife who could
not live in the country. The third woald
like to but cannot raise the money to buy |
out those who want to put their snare
where they have what they have now.
One thinks he has forgotten all he ever |
knew about farming, and could not get his |
living at it, while another likes his present |
business so well that he has no desire for
change, and some sleep in the church yard,
or upon the battle-fields of the south, and
SO the farm will pass into the hands OF
strangers, and often at price that Will not
pay for the buildings on it, or the walls, or
the drains, or other Improvements that the
fathers made. This is the history of many
Il farm in New England.
in buying farm would it be safe to
buy through a broker? 2" Not without care
full examination of the property by some
one who has knowledge enough of farming
to decide whether it is suitable for the pur-
pose to which you design to put it, aud
whether there are any serious defects that
are not mentioned in the advertisement,
for although | have said the property will
usually very nearly correspond with the
description, ct they do not usually enlarge
upon its little drawbacks any more than
you would upon the defects of any goods
which you have to sell upon your counter.
q address YOU as the representative OF
class who not too apt to point out flaws
in their own merchandise | will, II you
wish, allow that you are more conscientious
than the rest The fam may be worn out
by neglect, or foul th weeds the loca-
ton may be unhealthy; the neighborhood
unpleasant Tie schools distant the taxes
heavy; or there may be some defect in the
title ; or some one of score of faults that
| might mention, but the broker would not,
that would make it much less desirable as
bargain than it would appear at fist.
Perhaps all would be rs represen'cl. or
perhaps the fault would be no fault in your
eyes, or could be easily rcmedied by proper
management, and little outlay, but find
out what it is before buying. Distance
from neighbors, or from the highway or
railroad, would be a serious objection to
some, and to others a recommendation dis
lance from schools would not count much
to a childless man. Proper drainage would
remove the liability to disease Proper
cultivation would fertilize the land kill the
weeds, but don't buy your 'pig in Il bag"
trusting to the broker, who may be as hon.
est as you and l, and may not Better pay
some honest skillful farmer to go with you
and examine the whole thing carefully,
and give you fair statement of his opin-
ion, than buy upon your own judgment, If
your Judgment and his do not agree, after
he has given you his opinion and advice.
1t is you who will have to pay for the farm
and live on it, but his knowledge may point
out defects that you would not see, but once
seen would materially change your views.
1.-TWO heads are better than one you
know, and the price of his days work may
rave you from great loss. "Who pays the
brokers' commission, buyer or seller y The
seller nominally, but the buyer in reality,
usually, though like most of middle men
they cut little both ways, but they are
useful in bringing you together, and they
care not how they are paid for doing so.
"Iou, see, rent a farm. Is it good
way to begin ?" Not if you have sufficient
capital to buy with. Upon a rented farm
| must work at a disadvantage for lack of
many improvements in land or buildings,
which / could and would make as fast as |
could get the means to do with, if / had a
lifetime in which to get the returns for my
investment of money or labor, but which
| cannot afford to make upon lease; and
do not feel any part of the time as If had
home. live here, and have lived here
some years, and may live here years longer,
but am liable to be required to change at
the within of the owner, or upon change
of ownership, and to go, | know not where.
Do not hire, if you can buy, even as an ex-
pertinent, for it is no fair test. Hundreds
would keep poor upon a hired farm, that
might do well upon a farm of their own.
The very feeling of insecurity and lack OF
interest in the improvement of another per
sons property would prevent you from do
ing your best, while the profit of the sue
cessful farmer consists largely of the i'm
provements made in land, buildings, stock
and tools.
SIN the work of a farm how much land
can one man and horse cultivate and cul-
tivate nell? In hoed crops, such as pota.
toes, onions, corn and turnps, on average
Massachusetts soil, by a reasonably smart
man, allowing not more than ten acres tC
moving, and not much stock to care for ?
Now, my friend, you have got me. | will
give that up, and let you ask me two easy
ones. l could no more guess than | could
guess how far you can swim, how high you
can Jump, or how many dollars worth OF
goods you can sell in day. Much would
depend upon yourself, how fast you work
and whether you take your work. the east.
est way or not how late you sleep in the
morning, and how late you work at night
the character of the land, and its weed
ness and the character of the crop. On
ions and turnips would require about foul
times as much labor as corn and potatoes
to the same area. Let me give you a wore
of advice. Don't trouble yourself with thai
problem now, or hereafter, cultivate all
that you can manure WE'LL and if your la
Dor is not sufficient to keep it clear OF
weeds, and harvest it at the proper time
hire help to do it. Hire them just before
you get behindhand with your, work, an(
hcCp tnC MOIh So ucul ~ uOuc Ill lHc lllnt
that you are afraid that you will get out o.
work next week, instead of afraid that you
will not be able to do what will need doinl
next week.
have answered you thus fully becaus,
l look upon you as representative of, a.
you say, 'many shop-worn bodies who ex
pect to get the homestead some time, bu
know it as yet but in the cloud pictures o
dream land"
sympathize with you and them; hav
been there; / have been as weary of day
book and ledger as have of dog grass ant
parsley; have weighed and measured AM
charged day after day, and longed to b.
upon the farm though the heaviest of tn