Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-01-19
Success on Small Farms.

head, Massachusetts,, in an address before
the state grange of that state at its recent
session, gave some interesting details regard
ing the success of young men with limited
means in farming small areas of land. The
offer of prizes lately made by various indi-
viduals, the publishers Of several papers,
and by our state agricultural college, for
large crops grown by boys, is one of the
wisest and most benefcent experiments ever
attempted for the promotion of agriculture.
The best knowledge that we wot Of, agri-
culturally, is the knowledge how to get
large net increase from small farm. This
knowledge, once acquired, makes farmer
independent in the truest sense. A few
years labor with skillful masters in his
youth will give him the knowledge, and, if
he is prudent, the capital to begin on his
own account on small but sufficient scale,
and he has only to go on in the same line,
with patience and industry, to come out, not
as so many do, at the lille end but at the big
end of the agricultural horn.
So interesting are the cases cited by Mr..
Ware that we reproduce two of them here
for the benefit of our younger readers es
pecially. This matter of small farming is
something we know about personally. We
have been farmer the greater part Of our
life, and our biggest farm has not exceeded
seventeen acres. Yet we have managed to
live as comfortably as the average Of farm
ers. But here are the facts, as given by Mr..
Ware:
THE EXPERIENCE OF BOY IN ESSEX COUNTY.
Mr. Mann Is now but twenty years old, and
when mere boy was compelled by circumstances
to take charge Of and perform the labor of a farm
OF ten acres. Being left an orphan at an early
age, he was taken into the family Of his grand
mother and aunt, whose farm he has conducted
by his own labor. 1t is naturally good land, but
was entirely run down and neglected when he
commenced. Although mere boy, he has exer-
cised the perseverance, industry and good judg-
ment of man in the management Of the farm
has increased his stock from q single horse and a
few hens, TO two horses, seven cows, two heifers,
one hog two shoats, and large flock of poultry
eight by thirty-six feet with well built cellar
under the whole; has underdraned and reclaimed
one acre Of wet meadow; brought the whole into
a good state OF cultivation, and supported the
family Of four persons, all the result Of his own
| labor on ten acres Of land. His sales are OF
market vegetables, apples, milk and poultry. 1t
Is perhaps unnecessary to add, for his works are
| evidences, that MT Mann does not use intoxicat-
| ing drinks, or tobacco In any form, and attend 8
| strictly to his business.
Now, boys, what do you think of that !
Is not Vermont match for Massachusetts
in these things2
THE RxPERrysscE OF ANOTHER YOUNG MAN IN
METHUEN, ESSEN co.
| Mr.. +. S. c. Herrick after graduating from the
Massachusetts Agricultural College seven years
ago, took possession OF seventeen acres OF land,
| upon which was a small one story house OF but
| little value This small farm was principally
| composed of rough stony land which had never
been cultivated, with boulders cropping out all
| over 1t, and bushes, and some wood growing on
| 1t. part of the farm was wet swamp, OF no
use in the condition in which 1t was at that time.
| A small portion Of the farm had been partially
cultivated, or lperhaps more properly described,
skinned; yielding annually five or six tons OF hay
This farm was given to Mr.. Herrick by his father
as seems for the purpose OF testing the quality
OF the stuff his son was made OF, and also to see
| II the Massachusetts, Agricultural Coege.was ed
| ucating its students away from the farm, or
| whether they were acquiring a knowledge ol
| practical, and scientific agriculture, by which a
| young graduate, with no other opportunity Of
learning farming, could get living and make
| himself home on seventeen acres OF land
1Ou0g herrlck went 10 WOrK Win u stout neart
perseverance, and industry. First, to thoroughly
underdrain and bring under cultivation the
swamp In accordance with the principles and
practice learned at the college, and now 1t has
| the appearance of being beautiful lawn, and,
being near the dwelling, Is a fit accompaniment
OF a tasteful home, besides yielding two heavy
crops of hay yearly. He then began on the rough
rocky portion, near at home ian acre or two at a
time) cutting the bushes and trees digging up the
stumps and boulders, blasting those that were toe
| large to move. and picking stones He used the
rocks, thus obtained in building a barn cellar
| wall and also very substantial and ornamental
faced wall, along one side Of his farm. When Q
| lot has been cleared sufficiently for the plow
ne has thoroughly cultivated and fertilized 1t
| with either chemical or barn manure, fitted the
land for any garden vegetable OF root crop, and
then laid 1t down to grass in first class condition
In this way he has gone over about three-fourthi
OF mis- farm. had an opportunity 10 see diferen
sections Of land in the various processes described
above, so that can judge Of the great amount o.
| labor that has been bestowed, TO bring abou
these satisfactory results. But 1t will be asked
Can 1t be afforded to bestow so much labor OF
such rough land, to bring it under a condition fo
cultivation? " Does 1t pay?' Is the question thai
farmers desire to have answered. MI Herricl
hired money to build q very nice barn and suita
BILE outbuildings, such as sheds, tool house, etc
| to accommodate the farm stock and produce
They were capboarded and painted In good
shape. He has also built an addition to the orig
inal one story house, which now forms an attach
meDt to the main and new part, the whole max
| Ing very convenient and tasteful residence fo
his growing family, which doubtless he had IL
view, at the start, and which gave him courage
and persistence in his labor. He has grown hay
corn, market vegetables, and milk, which he SELL
directly to the consumers In Lawrence, one and /
half miles distant. With the products OF thu
farm he has supported his family, made his farm
so far as he has gone, beautiful feature In tn,
landscape, and paid up all the debts contracted
for building purposes And all In seven years.