Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-03-15
4 Living from Ten Acres.

always that the profits are to be meas
ured by the extent of the land Guilt
waited. The more skill that is brought
to bear in the business the greater the
yield from small tract of land. Thus
there are men who produce from one
acre as great value as others do from
100. The crops of market gardeners
and small fauit-growers frequently
amount in value to over $1,000 per
acre, and there are farmers who have
100 acres who do not produce SO much
from the whole farm as 81, 900 in one
year. Now at the present time, under
the present unfortunate condition of
many industries, there are hundreds of
skilled mechanics, who fail to make a
comfortable living, or who can not
make living at all; yet whose techni-
cal skill, intelligence, and capacity for
work are superior to what is usually
found with many cultivators of the soil
who are able to enjoy all the comforts
and many of the luxuries of life with
out dependence upon the will, favor, or
fortune of any person. If these arti-
sans could by any means turn their
trained and intelligent skill to the cul-
tivation of the soil, and procure the
certain possession of a homestead, they
would be relieved from uncertain
ty if not from actual distress.
An inquiry from a correspond
ent, given elsewhere, furnishes a
clew to the problem very seriously dis
cussed in many anxious homes just now.
The writer fortunately possesses some
of the special knowledge required for
immediate success; but success is not
difficult for any intelligent, industrious
man who is not above asking for infor
nation, or who reads newspapers and
books. AS a help to such inquirers as
our correspondent, we outline a plan
for the management of a garden farm
of 10 acres.
This may be divided into four plots,
upon one of which are the house, out
buildings, poultry yard, stable, and or
chard. In place of shade-trees about
the house there should be fruit trees,
plums and cherries being planted about
the poultry yard, and pears and apples
about the house and stables. Thus
ground that is generally wasted useless
ly, so far as salable product is concern
ed, would be utilized. A flock of 100
chickens could easily be kept from
which profit of 800 could be realized.
In addition, their service in preventing
damage by the curculis to the plums
and cherries will be worth as much
more. From the remainder of the two
and half acres should be realized 8 90
for one acre of pears, one acre of ap
Piles, and the plnms and cherries about
the half acre of yards. This lot should
be fenced with picket fence, and only
eight Brahma fowls, which will not go
over a 3-foot fence. should be kept.
One other plot should be planted
with small fruit-grapes, currants,
straw berries, blackberries, and rasp
berries being the most profitable. With
hill culture fine strawberries can be
grown which will bring from 20 to %
cents a quart, or about 81 200 an acre.
Aa acre of Kittatinny blackberries
should be good for $500. We know Of
one acre of red currants from which
were sold last year 5000 pounds; these
should bring, at only five cents pound,
$500. An acre of raspberries should
do as well. At the worst, then, this %
acres ought to produce from $3.50 to
81 900. Another plot may be planted
as lettuce, cabbages, peas, potatoes,
onions, tomatoes, beets, or turnips,
being most salable and profitable. BY
good management two crops could be
grown in one season-one early and
one late-thus doubling the produce of
the % acres, which in all should be
worth from 5000 to S400 an acre at the
least. The remaining plot may be
kept as meadow and pasture for the
cow and horse, and a run for the chick
ems. The produce from this is, there
fore, not counted. The total yield is
81, $50 at the lowest estimate here made,
and out of this comes only the cost of
fertilizers, extra labor, picking crops
and neutrality-suspicious. $3.50 in all
the boxes for marketing being made at
home in the winter months. There is
no charge for rent; no milk, no butter,
eggs, poultry, vegetables, fruit, or use
of horse to be paid for-no out-go, but
for clothing, taxes, groceries, books,
and other necessaries OF this sort. 1t
is certain that all this can not be real
lied the first year; but at least half of
it can; for while the small fruits are
coming into bearing-which they would
do the second year-vegetaoles can o
grown between the rows; and while the
orchard is reaching maturity, small
fruits or vegetables can be grown
among the trees. By growing fodder
crops a cow and horse can be kept
the year round on two and one-half
acres; and there would be sufficient
waste from the vegetables, such as pea
vines, turnip-tOps defective cabbages,
to keep an extra COW. 1t is impossible to
go into such details as would meet every
case; but from the outline here sketch
ed it is not difficult to fill up plan by
which a family of six or eight persons
could be supported in comfort on one
acre for each person. The larger the
family the less outlay for extra help
would be necessary, as much of the
help needed is the lightest kind oflabor.
1t certainly seems that change in our
popular habits is inevitable, that ex-
penditures must be retrenched, that the