The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-12-22
for the farmer.
SELECTING A FARM.


The Ncs.achzsetis PiosghnaR, good authority
on all agricultural matters, soiue time since had
/. Valuable article on the selection of farm,
which we laid aside for publication. and now re-
,,rodnce for the benefit of any who may be about
Ia locate:
oecuoatiou of a farmer. and starts ont TO buy a
farm. upon which his life labor is to be expen-
ded. is TOO often Guided in his selection by tn
.iiu.r circumstances rather than weli-matured
Judgment. Easy terms Of payment, location
near psrticnar friends, or low price, often induce
one TO purchase a farm that, without one or al
of these inducements, wouid be rejected at once.
While these may all be very desirable, there are
many other things that far outweigh them IN
importance.
The first, and what consider of the most
iu,port anee is a healthy location. A farm may
I.I every desirable feature, but if il is an un-
healthy location if sh2uld lie rejected without a
unotnent's hesitation 1T may be said that this
would be a very difficult question to decide; IN
some cases it might; bat there are many sltua-
tons. that very little attention TO the subject
ronId convince any one, would not be a suita-
BILE place 10 live in; for example, basin sur
rounded by elevated land, where all the heavy
focs settle il; a narrow valley between two
large meadows where there IL n constant pas
SAGE of damn air from ono meadow TO another, or
where for any reason, the water is not pure; all
such locations il requires but little thought on
the subject to convince one, would not be heal
thy Ii is important that the part wsere the
buildings are located should be slightly elevated
above the surroundings, with soil that Is san
DIV, or gravelly, that the air may be pure and
the water pass OF freely.
The next important features are the character
of the soil and condition of the land. In consid-
eriug these points there are many to take INTO
consideration. First the crops that 1t Is desred
to grow. Second, the financial condition of the
buyer Third his physical and intellectual con-
dition. If hay or fruits are TO be the principal
crops, then heavy, strong land shonld be seiec,
ted. IL the buyer has plenty OF money he VIII
generally do best TO bay land that has been mn
proved, and is in so9d state OF cultivation; put
if his means are limited, and LIS physical ana IN
teleetual powers large, he may buy cheap, I'M
improved land, and depend on his labor To MAKE
it productive.
If q farm is wanted for the production OF milk
and early vegetables, and the means 10 purchase
with be limited, then soil OF warm sandy loan
would answer the purpose; the hrst Cost OF snch
land Is low, and Tor Indian corn ana carry Nese-
tables it is far better than strong heavy land; 1t
may be said, shat u would not De so good Tor
hay, and pasture lor the cows but experience
has taught, that with limited means young lar
mcr can succeed IN producing mix ana early
vegetables on light land better imam ne can on
heavy, If he keeps his cows IN the winter princl-
pally on corn fodder and corn meal, ana IN the
summer on green fodder crops cut and led TO
them at the barn.
warm loamy soil that Is free from stones IS
50 much easier to work, and VIII stand the
drouth so much better than graHelly lahd, that
for the growing OF cultivated crops the iaria OF
loamy soil, without stones, should always be
preferred. To attempt to grow corn, root crops,
or any kind of vegetables that require cultIva-
tion where the land is full of stones, IS not only
disagreeable work, but 1t Is also laborions, re-
quiring probably twice the amount OF strength
TO till acre, that it would to till one that was
entirely free from stones. II one can nave their
choice, 1t Is always best 10 have a lew acres OF
lOamy land, yet 1t would not be best TO nave all
such land; variety is desirable, IN fact impor-
tant. Some low land for cranberries and for
mnck adds very much TO the value OF farm,
and unless there be corner OF this KIND oi land,
in some portion of the farm, it wonld be strong
reason for refusing TO buy it. hill OF good gra-
vel is also desirable for building roads, and a
few lodges of rocks are very convenient for bui-
ding purposes, il not too large, and in the way
of Improvements. A few acres of woodland for
frewoOd is quite important, and II near village,
a wood lot large enough, 50 that few cords Of
wood can be sold occasionally to pay the grocer s
bill, is quite convenient.
In purchasing n farm, it is always well to look
il over carefully, to see what noNIOus weeds
there are and estimate the expense OF destroying
them. If the moving land is filled with milk
weed, Canada thistle and dOck-root, and the
pastures overrun with hucklebcrry bushes, wild
rose bushes and briars, the land should he Pur-
chased at many dollars less per acre, as it
would cost to kill out these pests of the farm. To
do this, wOuld cost more than good clear land
can be bought, in many farming towns; there
fore, as a rule, farm oyerrun with undesirable
plants, that are difficult to destroy, is of no real
value, except in the vicinity OF manufacturing