Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1881-02-10

This Cla8B-uOfe IMAM one WOulu tuluh
there would be-and the legitimate re-
suit of their lack of interest and discon-
tent is generally this: Their farms and
homes become poorer every year; their
children grow up and leave them, and
when they die their farms are run-Out
and deserted. ! know Of more than
dozen farms in this county now in this
sad condition, waiting for race of
young farmers Of more pluck, energy
and stability.
There is another class small per-
haps-that might be called speculative
farmers. They buy to realize on their
investment, and sell as soon as the COW
eted opportunity offers; consequently
not dollar is laid-out for fertilizers or
extra dressing; no repairs of couse-
quence are made, and no permanent
improvements effected. / know of a
farm in this vicinity, considered once
one of the largest and best in the town
ship, all cut to pieces and sold of, and
nearly ruined by the different parties
through whose hands it has passed
since the original owner became dissat-
isfed and moved away. The last pur-
chasers-two brothers have lived on
remnant of the old farm for several
years, but not one dollar has been laid
out for repairs or Improvements, and
yet they ask more for the place now
than when they bought it four or five
years ago.
There is another class who buy, not
to speculate upon, but to make all the
money they can from the farm with as
little outlay as possible; and they can
not be made to see that the course they
pursue is q ruinous one both to them
selves and their children. AS an in
stance. / will relate briefly what actual
ly happened: About twenty-five years
AGO man of iron constitution and iron
nerve purchased one of the largest and
best hay and fruit farms in this neigh
borhood for the sum of seven thousand
dollars, l think, or nearly that. de
was an honest, Woodworking man, an
early riser, and one who never let the
grass grow under his feet; and if any
man could possibly make anything or
get ANYTHING out of a farm he could.
When the farm passed into his hands it
was in excellent condition, and pro-
duced annually from seVenty-hVe to one
hundred tons of hay In good years he
would sell from $500 to 81, 900 worth of
hayF 1t was naturally splendid grass
land, but he was so greedy OF gain that
he would put little or nothing back,
and the consequence was he soon rode
a free horse to death. In other words,
he run the majority Of the farm all out;
and when he died, making no will, the
farm had to be divided among the heirs
three boys and two girls. More than
one-half Of the land, though not the
best, had to be sold to pay off the claims
of two of the sons; while the remainder,
including the buildings and what is left
of the orchard, is in the possession OF
the other son and two daughters. But
the land is terribly run out; the build
ings are in a shabby and neglected con-
dition, and the orchard nearly gone. A
large and beautiful fruit and vegetable
garden has entirely disappeared. Such
is the condition, and the parties now
owning want to sell, but cannot; that
is, they cannot easily find a purchaser
to take the farm at their price, $500:
The old gentleman had the name OF
being a tremendous worker, and the
son IS a good deal like him, smart and
active, but terribly slack and sloVenly
in his style of farming; never makes
any improvements; never lifts his finger
to saw out dead limb from an apple
tree, or sucker from around the
trunk. When the tree topples over ne
will remove it, if it be in the way OF the
moving machine.-Cor. Germanto'0''
Telegraph.