Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-06
A MOdeI Farm,

A MoaeI Farm.
Why should farming not be scientific7
Because the manufacturer labors in q
sclentlhc way, his profits are greater and
surer than the agriculturist who has Meth
er machinery nor system; but it is the
unreasonable custom of many to sheer at
all innovations. and to look at all method
ic variations upon the old usaoes sc tba
iancltul and improbable schemes of Wis
lonar1es with more money than common
sense. 1t is the people who sheer that
are usually the most deficient in the latter
quality, however; AID had they little
more OF it they might perceive that care
ful bookkeeping and the adoption of i'm
proved methods and implements are az
necessary IN farming as in any other bust
ness.
In side hollow OF that hill from whice
Lltchtield first became visible to nc Gov
eral very distinct echoes can be obtained
ana TINS responsiveness of the "purple
glens1 gave name to this farm. 1t is
Echo Farm-a pretty and POLITICALLY sup-
gestlve name, indeed, which coniures up
VISIONS of loneliness and sets one to
dreaming OF entertaining vines knitting
oAh Pi1oht leAulllS anu SWeGr-ScenteQ
leaves through the hospitable porch and
open lattic; the cbeckerd orchard of fruity
abundance; the garrul us brook that
never tires of its own monodv; the re-
verberant trees that appease li1e's turmoil
with their easy unduIations; lofty barns
messy with age; and GATHERING mills down
In the seclusion of grasy hollows.
But, alas dear reader. model farmino
is not ldyllic or Arcadian; il is infexibly
unitarian; it keeps all its buildings in a
perfect state of repair; it subordinates
the picturesque, if il ever recognizes it:it
pulls down the old mill because that ven
cradle is in the way of the rectangular
new dairy; 1t dlverts the brook from its
1erny course into the most commonplace
OF earthen pipes; it tears away the vines
that obscure the light, and it looks upon
every thing with prir OF the most prac-
tlcal eyes sci In head that weighs, meas
ures, audlts, analyses with chemical ex-
actness. The proprietor of Echo Farm
conducts 1t as mandatory. A record
Is kept OF the milk and butter produced
by each COW for each day, each month.
each year; all the feed is weighed and
the quantity enterd upon books, both that
purchased and that produced; and sep
crate account is kept of the yield of each
held. Nothing is wasted, nothlng is
done by guessing, and nothing passed
unrecorded. The empIiments are of The
latest or most approved model. Three
sets OF "horse' hay-forks are in use by
which hay is unloaded at the rate of a ton
IN four forktuls and in four minutes, in
GUIDING IN some instances the carriage of
hay 100 feet. The other machines also
embody some novel labor saving princi
pies. No manure or fertilizers are found
necessary, except the 1900 loads made
upon the farm, and sort of muck, of
which there are several beds.
The history of the 1arm is interesting.
A gentleman of education, intelligence.
and wealth came to Litchtield some nine
years ago IN search of a summer home.
He had the most superficial knowledge
OF farming, and entertained no intention
OF entering that business But having
purchased sixty-six acres and cleared
them, he purchased additional tracts,
which became the nucleus of Echo Farm.
whose area is now about 400 acres. His
interest was enlisted in the raising of
choice stock, and beginning with a herd
OF five, he gradually increased the num-
Der to 100, all the herd being pure Jer-
seys. with authentic and valuable pedi-
grees. The rocky fields were cleared.
laid out, and inclosed by massive stone
walls. Old and inadequate buildings on
the consolidated land were demolished.
and lew ones Of improved pattern erect
ed. In 1878 barn &C feet by % was
built; an addition, 100 feet by 40, was
made the following year; and in 1875 an
other addition was made, of 191 feet by
35. These three buildings from the three
sides of the barn-yard. They are built
of pine upon massive granite foundations
about two feet wioe, which are laid in &C.
ment. All the wood work is painted
soft drab color, even the proprietor's res
lcence, and the telegraph poses that line
the roadway.
A desire for simplicity and durability
in preference 10 ornamentation or showi.
ness is visible everywhere; there is no
litter, and there are no gaps in the tences
or walls, which are from eighteen inches
to twenty-four in thickness, every crevice
being rilled like mosaic with stone
that exactly fits it. Care, thrift, and in.
genuity have acted like three charms.
When the fields were being cleared, such
large quantities of stone were gathered
that some perpleNty arose as to where
they should be put Many hundreds cf
loads were used in foundations of the
buildings, in the fences, and filing ra-
vines, but more remained, and these
were deposited upon several sterile hill
locks OF no value, where masses Of swap
grass were laid over them, and covered
with a light dressing OF soil Grass seed
was sown upon the soil, and it took we'll,
soon transforming the barren heaps to
verdant knobs, whose blades are remark
ably hardy. 1t was not so much for the
sake of the land gained that the stones
were thus disposed of, but it was rather
to prevent the formation of nurseries for
weeds, shrubs, AMI brambles, which the
would have quickly become.
Two and half acres are planted with
beets which are the only roots feed to the
cattle, the crop averaging 1000 bushels
an acre, and more than 5000 tons of hay
are housed a year.-W. II Ride5ug, in
Harper's Magazine for October.
A German oculist rented cottage at
Gapa Nov on1 coop found 49,