The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-01-27
$bs $Ioom6'ID Sin'ss.
HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
Profitable Farming.

The Reading( Pa.) correspondent OF
the Philadelphia Ledger furnishes the
following:
Farming as general thing, is not
considered very profitable employ
ment, nor do farmers In many sections
of the State retire upon fortunes made
by tiling the soil; but there are some
farmers who accumulate a good deal of
money by producing variety of articles
which years ago were not considered
part of their business. A visit recently
to the farm of Mr. Christopher Shearer,
five miles north of Reading, gave me q
good idea of progress. This farm con-
tains 100 acres, and has upon it an
orchard of Bartlett pears, which occu-
pies 10 acres; there are also 40 acres In
peaches and apples, and another apple
orchard which occupies IS acres of land.
From 10 to 20 acres are planted in tobac-
co, and the balance of the land is plant
ed in potatoes, rye, strawberries, arti-
chokes, willow trees for baskets, and
nursery of peach trees. There is also
large pond for gathering ice, 10 supply
an immense refrigerator, in which the
Fruits stored and kept until the market
is favorable for its sale.
"The crops gathered this year were
1000 bushels of pears, which sold at an
average of 50 per bushel the peach or
cbard, which is quite young, produced
400 baskets, which sold for 81 per bask-
ct. From the apple orchard there were
picked 1000 bushels, which sold from 81
to $1.5O per bushel. The apples that fell
from the trees, and those not considered
worth sending to market, were sent to
the cider press, and from them 200 bar
rels of juice were obtained, which Is
now In large watts, to remain until 1t be-
comes vinegar, selling at 10 cents per
gallon. The patch of tobacco yielded
from 500 to 1000 pounds per acre, and
sold at Is cents per pound. In addition
to this 100000 of tobacco plants were
sold at ST per 1000; Zoo bushels ofJe-
ruselem artichokes were raised, for the
purpose of feeding cattle, but most of
them were sold in New York, at from
s.. so to So per barrel, for picking pur-
poses, most of them being used in res
taurants and bar-rooms as appetizers or
for lunch. The sale of willows produc-
ed 500 this year, and from the nursery
$500 was obtained by the sale of young
peach ahd apple trees. Last spring four
acres were planted in Strawberries, and
1t is expected that next year at least 10,
600 quarts will be gathered. Notwith-
standing the long dry spell in this Sec
tion of the State, grapes enough were
gathered to make 600 gallons of wine,
which readily sells for 81 per gallon.
Mr.. Shearer also bought grapes enough
from his neighbors to make 500 gallons
more. On the other portions of the land
there were gathered 35 tons of hay, 400
bushels of potatoes, and $50 bushels of
rye. There was also sold 5000 worth of
ice, the pond yielding more than was
necessary for supplying the refrigerator,
and 5000 was received from other farm
ers for storing fruit, &c., in the ice house.
The entire cost of farming the land in
cluding fertilizers, was for the year,
$4,000. The products amounted to over
$4,000, quite respectable profit on 100
acres of land"