Connecticut western news., 1879-11-19
The Best Managed Farm.


 A few years since, says an agricultur- al editor, we were called upon to award the premiums offered by an agricultural society for the best managed farm. MT. John Smith-as we will call him-was one of the competitors for this premium, and on visiting his farm, located on the top of the Taconio range of mountains, we found it large, and on the whole, productive, but evidently managed with an eye to the s'main chance," as Mrs. Smith, who seemed to be the man of the house, called making money. The house was an old, onestory structure, unpainted and dilapaidated. There was no air of comfort about the premises. The pigs were running around the door, and 8 large flock of geese were grazing on what should have been the lawn. On entering the house there was so much | filth and such @ vile odor that we could but think of typhoid fever, but were a little treasured when we discovered that a part of the bad smell originated from the cheeses which were being cured in contiguous room, originally designed as @ parlor. These cheeses Mrs. Smith showed us with great pride, and called our attention to the economical manage ment she exhibited ju curing them in the parlor, where they could be kept warm in cold weather from the kitchen fire. The appearance of the mistress of the manse was very much in accord with that of the premises. She looked stout and healthy, but her dirty dress, coarse shoes, and unkempt hair were repul- sive. We ventured to suggest that her premises would look better if the geese and pigs were not allowed to run around with such freedom. "Ah, but you see, she replied, ''the pigs pick up the bones and scraps that are thrown ont of the door, and, as for the geese, their feath- CTS bring me in $50 year, and at each Christmas I sell $20 worth of goose meat, and wouldn't you tolerate flock of geese around your home for $50 year ?" This she seemed to think was an unanswerable reply to our sugges- tion, and her eyes snapped when we said five would not object to the ln- come, but thought it might be secured from the pigs and geese without allow ing them to be such nuisance" Her sharp answer was, "You call pigs and geese nuisance, do you? l suppose you call sheep and COWS nuisance, too' don't you? We'll, it is by tolerating just such nuisances as these that and my man have laid up $20,000 in thirty years, and if this don't prove that we know how to manage 8 farm l don't know what will" Wishing to change the topic, ard to get @ little further ln- sight into this strange, but evidently smart woman, we asked her if she ever went to church. The reply was, "When we first bought this farm l used to har' ness my horse and drive down to church every Sunday as regularly as any on 'em who live right under the droppings of the sanctuary, but do you suppose l would leave all this property now and go off all day2 The cattle would get into the corn, or some damage done sure. I have not been to church for dozen years." Have you not some chil- dren or hired help with whom you could trust the care of the stock ?" we asked. ooh we had two children once, but as soon as they grew up they were discon- tented, and went off to seek their for tunes, and as for hired help, we don't keep much, and if we did, would not trust them" To her polite invitation to stay to tea and try some of her but ter and cheese our heart responded kindly but our stomach utterly refused. The parting salutation was "Now, remember, gentlemen, l have $20, ,00O al interest made on this farm, and I don't believe you'll find in the country an. other instance of such successful farm management" The committee hoped they should not, and their hope was re- alized, but she did not receive pre- mium. The unanimous opinion was that she was better money-maker than farmer. There was nothing about the farm, either. in the land, fences, build. ings or stock that indicated superiority and it would have been a shame if we had awarded premium solely for hel success in laying up money-a success evidently gained with the loss of society
 children, comfort, and all that goes tc make life desirable. The not overdrawr case of Mrs. Smith is an extreme one but it well illustrates the folly of mak , ing money the criterion of success il , farming. This world was never intend F ed to be such savings bank as some are inclined to make it. Man is mor than money, and to sacrifice manhood for pecuniary profit in running 8 farn , is sacrificing the greater for the less F and cannot properly be called successful 1 management.
 3 ON CAPITAL of $900,000 the cottol s mills of Augusta, Ga., pay a dividend t of twenty eight per cent.
 | FRANCE had 21,992 vessels, with