The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-05-17
FARM AND PRESIDE.
How 10 Make Your Farm Hicb.

An important item in the profits of all
good farming is the increased fertility
and value of the farm itself. During the
years when money wad plenty, and the
price of land was pretty steadily ad:,
vancing, this item was always reckoned
as constituting much of the profits from
holding land, Large tracts were bought,
and either poorly titled or left useless,
waiting until the improvements on adj.
Joining property enhanced the value OF
all. This is still done in come western
states, as il IL pretty sure always TO be in
the settlement OF new localities, But
the profits on the increase in value of
lands from the labor of Others than their
owner have become very precarious, In
old, settled districts, land left alone does
not increase in price. Even at the west
the laws justly discriminate against non.
resident owners, taxing such lands 80
heavily as often to force them on the
market, and nearly always enough to
take all the profits from holding. We
have therefore got down to "hardpan"
in estimating the price Of real estate.
Whatever increases in price is made must
follow real increase in value and pro-
ductive capacity. Land is, ard will be
henceiorth, worth whatever sum it will
pay interest on above the cost Of pro-
ducing the crop. This may be unfavor-
able TO landowners who rely on spccula-
tive values for their profits, but it is Just
what is wanted by the real working
farmers of the country.
While we may not look for large and
sudden increase in the speculative value
of farms, it is certain that improved con-
dition and greater productive capacity,
resultingirOm good management, will not
fail of their reward. The farmer who i'm
proves his land by heavy manuring, I'M
dcrdraining where needed, and clearing
it of weeds, has this decided advantage,
that he does not need to sell in
order 10 reap the profit from his enter
prise and iorethought. Judcious i'm
provemcnt Of the soil is always worth
to the owner good deal more than
it costs or will sell for. Very many
farmers can increase the productive ca.
pacity Of their farms 500 per year by
$500 expended in judicous undcrdrain-
ing. Whoever does this in New York,
has for $500 added moro than 81 400 to
his working capital. In those western
states where money is worth ten per cent,
an improvement yielding 500 yearly is
worth ten times that sum to keep, if not
to sell. Wherever possible all the profits
of the farm should be yearly invested in
improvements such as these. Nothingwill
or can pay 20 well as increasing the pro-
ductivc capacity of the soil. On poor or
wet land, all the labor OF preparing the
ground, planting or sowing the crop, il
poorly requitcd; while, if the land is
improved, az it could and should be, it
will yield profit. With crop Of twelve
bushels Of wheat per acre, nothing is left
after paying the cost OF production. In.
crease the crop to thirty bushels per
acre, and all the surplus above twelve
bushels makes lhc rental value of the
soil. In one case the land is worth moth
ing to hold on its present condition for
producing wheat. In the other case the
land is worth what the price of eighteen
bushels Of wheat will pay the interest on.
These figures are only approximate but
they show clearly enough the principle
involved. Other conditions will modify
the result. Land that produces thirty
bushels Of wheat per acre must be kept
up to that productive capacity OF such
chopping will speedily decrease the value
Of the land Tar more than the profits. On
the other hand the owner OF poor land
may be doing better than his richer
neighbor, if the farm of the first is con
Btantly growing richer and that Of the
other less fertile. Asa rule, however, it
is perfectly safe to say that poor land
tends to grow poorer, while, except under
bad management, rich soil is apt to in
crease in fertility.
1t needs good farmer and man with
plenty of capital to take poor land and
build it up into II fertile and profitable
farm. 1t will take years, besides Il good
deal OF money to make poor land produc-
tive and profitable. No poor man can
afford to buy such land. He needs
farm on which he can ut once begin to
make money. This rcverses the usual
course but it only shows that in farm
ing az in everything else the poor never
do or can make SO good bargains as their
richer neighb0rs. Solomon said thou
sands of years ago that the destruction
of the poor is their poverty. 1t is Just
as true now as when uttered, and is
especially true in farming.
Too much land is the great obstacle
10 improvement in American farming.
Increase of land increases labor and all
expense, including taxes, while it does
not always increase the production.
Many farmer who has bought an adj |
dtional fifty, or one hundred acres, could
have realized far more of profit and
pleasure from the investment of the
same money in improving and beautify-
ing his original farm. A thousand dol
lars will not do much in our eastern
states buying more land but it will &C.
cOmplish wonders in undertaking,
manurng, destroying weeds and repair
ing fences. Most of the improvements
will pay for themselves in two or three
seasons a. the farthest. No matter how
low the selling price of land may go, its
value to own and work will always be
fixed by itsproductive capacity. What
ever judici0us improvements are made on
it can never fail to secure their lust re-
ward.-CahirstOr and Comtry Gentleman.
Number of Eggs Per Annum from the
Principal Varieties OF Poultry.
After repeated experiments with the
different varieties of chickens, and com
parisOn with others who have expert.
mented in the same direction, have
concluded that the laying capabilities of
the principal varieties are about as fol-
lows:
Light Brahmas and Partridge Cochins
Eggs, seven TO the pound lay 100 per
annum.
DARK Brahmas Eggs, eight to the
pound lay 12O per annum.
Black, White, and Buff Cochins-
Eqpa eight To the nnnnl law La nor