The Red Cloud chief., 1881-06-16


l -
have recently had occasion 10 cx-
arnine some farm accounts which have
been kept fifty years. some notes
which I send YOU, which show the n
formity of proii Ut the farm. and the
stability of the business The farm
| contains 200 acres. besides sufficient
wood land. and the price OF q fifty
ycars ago was siO.OOo. The prcsen;
owner. who inherited n small part OF IL.
was To have it at that price IL he could
pay for it. The price OF the stock and
tOo,s Of the farm was Sl.l32. 80 the
! capital invested was sii.lS2. The ac-
counts have evidently been kept with
accuracy aud in y proper manner. Civ
ing all the income of the farm. whether
from sales or from use by the family at
the owner. and giving all the eN-
penSeS Oi the farm not Of the family
-includ NJ the cost of boarding the
laborcTs.
IL appears that from 1851 TO 1871
(that is. the first ten years. the aver
| aye net annual income WAS -, iJO.ji.
For the second period Of ten wears the
annual net income Vas nearly the same
From 1851 10 1861 il was Sl,526 a.;
from 1851 TO 1871 il was 2 .2j9.s9 and
from 1871 TO 1851 il was : 2,26l.si 1t
does not appear that there was a yaria-
ton Of more han twenty-five per cent.
! above or below the average. in ans ten
wears. IL shows that, in the first twenty
wears. the net income or profit OF the
farm was almost exactly ten per cent.
on the capital invested. besides any in
crease IN the value of the land In
the last twenty years the net annual in
come has been ten per cent ON So
COS. 80. which would be considered a
full valuation of the land. sxck and
| implements. Ii must be considered, in
looking ut the value of the invest
ment. that money at the beginning was
at seven per cent. and now ut tive per
! cent.
The increased value Of the farm and
stock ONE partly from the general in-
crease of values. and partly from the
improvement Of the farm and stock.
And the improvement of the farm has
been partly in the reconstruction and
additional convenience of the dwellings,
which make them more valuable 10 the
family, but do not add othc net income
Of money. OF course the use of the
family dwelling and its surroundings.
and of horses and carriages for tue
family, are not counted in the fore
going figures Of net income. although
they are really a very excellent part of
The profit of a farm, in addition To the
10 per cent shown by the figures. l
am happy to be able TO send these fly
urcs. because they answer the question
whether farming pays. The whole
account is in actual figures, and is kept
in the simplest manner. | do not sup
pose that this is an exceptional case,
but only one of hundreds of examples
of profitable farming. II differs from
them only in its reliable testimony.
There was no specially favorable con
aitiOns Of capital, or lucky bargains. or
physical strength. There were no
special crops raised IN the farm-such
as hops, tobacco and fruit but ouly
such as are common in the State OF
New York. The figures of the record
show the principal sales to be of wheat.
corn, oats, beef. pork. wool. sheep and
products Of the dairy. Nine-tcnths of
the capital used. and nov invested, has
come out Of the profits, and the results
have been attained without excessive
labor, or ~unbccoming frugaiity, OF any
neglect OF the duties and cniovments
of social life. The progress in the i'm
Drovemcnts and in the attainment of an
~unincumbered title, was rather slower
perhaps han necessary, but IL WAS safe.
Ii will surprise many 10 find from these
figures that the profit of farming has
been SD uniform for fifty years. and it
ought To inspire n confident expectation
for the future. They seem to show
also that the best investment for the
farmer is in the Improvement of his
estate. This farmer seems to have re-
ceived his 10 per cent on go, 900 IL
certainly as on 81, 600. and | suppose
As easily. Perhaps this tells something
on the question whether n large oil
small farm is best. There is no argu-
mcnt here in favor of n small farm.
Now l suppose the great capitalist
will smile ut our discussion of an inter
est of 500 or go. oO0. Why. he
makes that in 4 day sometimes, and
here is n farmer who has spent the best
part of his life in gaining an estate of
S22.0 600 or S23,000. Well, i give it up.
| do not run in the race with him. /
take the attitude of an apologist when
| discuss the matter with him. IL IS n
moderate income, ever ten per cent
surprising the majority OF good farmers
get that. The average capital of the
farmers in the whole country is less
than SIC 5000. | conclude then that the
average income is clearly less than
Sl,C0D. A smart clerk gets more than
that, and the country minister who does
not have n salary Of $1,000 must be
very careful of his expenses.
Farming is confessed to be a slow
way Of making a fortune. but the figures
which we have been looking at prove
that the capital in farming IS a good
investment. When we want to set our
business in contrast with the money!
making occupations, WI make another
issue and plead for the safety and per-
OF the business; and we try to
show how 4 family can be rich without
much money. and how they can have
the best thing which money can get-a
home.-COr. Country Gentleman.