The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-02-10
VOLUME 46.
A Farm of 25 Acres.

A. n. Kent Of Bucksport, believes that
farming will pay even on small amount
of land. He gives the results in the Maine
Farmer OF the past years operations on a
farm OF twenty-five acres Ne quote 1t,
not as anything extraordinary but mere
ly showing results no greater than many
others have achieved under equally favor
able circumstances. 1t is evident that
this farm, though small, is rich one.
Mr.. b. +. Farnham of Bucksport, has
small farm of 25 acres, five in tillage
and the rest in pasture lie cut the pres
ent season eight tons Of good hay, and
raised from eighty-nine rods of land, 250O
lbs of squash. 50 bushels Mangold Wurt-
Eel beets, 40 bushels carrots, 40 bushels
potatoes, 5 bushels beans, 60 bushels ruta-
baga turnips, besides sweet corn, pole
beans, green peas, Nc, for summers fam
lily use.
The first ten rods was planted with
squash, hills s feet apart, made broad and
deep with the spade, and potatoes drilled
between the hills, from which he raised
2500 lbs. squash. and 10 bushels potatoes.
Twenty rods in Wurtzel beets yielded so
bushels; nine rods in carrots 40 bushels; !;
sixteen rods in potatoes % bushels; tWen-
ty rods in turnips 60 bushels; fourteen
rods in beans bushels; seed planted. SIX
quarts. No fertilizers were used except
stable manure, and he believes we should
make our own fertilizers in our own stab
les. He has used phosphates in years past
by ways of experimenting but believes
good hard wood ashes as valuable as the
phosphates we generally purchase.
fta,, a co.. |,
seed, about all the work and wedding is
done with Harrington's patent seed sower
and hand cultivator, OF which Mr.. Farm
ham speaks in the highest terms. After
harvest, his land was thoroughly plowed
and cultivated, and laid down to grass in
November. Mr.. Farnham keeps two cows,
from which he had sold the present sea-
son, $50 worth of milk two calves for 81
and made 240 lbs butter, besides what
milk and cream has been used in his fam
lily of five, and they are good livers.' y
He believes cows do quite as well in win
ter on good hay and roots, as on oil cake,
cotton seed meal or shorts, which no farm
er can afford to buy we can raise roots
much the cheapest. In feeding Mr.. Farm
ham changes in roots each day, feeding
turnips, wurtzels, and carrots alternately
His pig killed at the age of eight months
and twenty-one days, weighed 406 lbs.
asked Mr.. Farnham why he did not tell
the farmers through some agricultural pa
per how he raised his pig, and give them
the benefit of his experience, he replied
Farmers would laugh at me, Il black
smith OF 20 years, to try to tell them how to
raise a pig. But have been experiment
ing for four years on the best way to raise
Il pig, and have found by termenting all
the food he eats after the age of six weeks
we can get the best pig for the amount of
labor and food consumed. All food but
refuse potatoes, beets, squash, &c, is fed
uncooked. and in all cases termented be-
fore feeding. | have a tub where sour
food is always kept, and when his morn
ing food is taken out his dinner is put in,
and when his dinner is taken out his sup
per is put in. Food should not be allow
ed to get too sour in hot weather All
vegetables are cooked and soured in the
same way. My pig has had only ten BUSH
els of meal with small potatoes, squash
and beets, &c, with what milk we had to
spare 1T must be remembered two
calves were kept to the age of four weeks
ana lZUO qtS. ot milk sold, besides what
was used in the family, which would take
the milk of one COW at least. He has
made two cords OF excellent manure from
his pig, which was applied to the land be-
fore laying it down to grass in November.
The pig was Chester White, crossed
with the Suffolk, obtained from one Of our
best breeders. Mr.. J. Cunningham, who
from nine sows has raised 40 pigs this sea-
son. lie tries to breed for the best pig for
the amount Of food consumed at the age of
about eight or nine months. How well
he succeeded the scale will tell. as in past
years very many will tip the beam at over
500 lbs. at that age.