The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-08-04

When we speak Of "A small farm, says the
New England Farmer we mean small for
New England for these things 20 by COM
parison, and what would be regarded a.
large here wOuid, ia tine extensive West, be
considered as very small In state where
farms are measured by entire districts or
township. q farm Of 400 or 500 acres be-
comes small hut a. it j. here, III New Eng
land, where farms Of the last named size
are large aud where the average farm con
sists oT 100 or 100 acrc-, then a small farm
must be defined IN order TO give the reader
an understanding Of It's exact dimensions.
BY a small farm we mean one Of from for
ty to fifty acres, not over fifty. There are
many such IA New England, and their num-
bers must naturally increase a. the country
becomes older. Is tine towns aud the villages
multiply and grow IN area, and a changed
methods in farming become necessary IN con
sequence OF au increased population and a
greater diversity of pursuits. Is such Il
farm desirable? Can II be managed profita-
bly,, and will IT support IN comfort, the aver
agc farmers family, and yet have something
over mere support for profit, interest, and
that "rainy day" 10 which 80 many look
forward
The desirabiity of such farm depends
altogether upon the character of the man
who Is 10 occupy 10 and the kind of farming
he il 10 follow. There are farmers who
would not be tisted with a farm OF only
fiftv acres-they would feel stihed on such
a farm, feel as though they could not
breathe, or turn round without hitting their
neighbour fence post. Even here, where
we have farms comparatively small IN size,
and where fatms of 300 or 300 acres, though
small, are really large, lots of men are not
satisfied thl they have farm of 1T least
800 acres aud then they want to own all the
land adjoining them. But on such farms
how many acres OF really waste and unpro-
ductive land. suppose you, there are? And
how much better off many such farmerswould
be- did they not have 60 60 over so much
land for Indifferent crops, and really snall
profits, but instead, had smaller and better
cultivated farms. II is not always the large
farms aud the large farmers thar pay the
best OF that show tine greatest -eturn..
There are hundreds Of localities III New
England where small farms are desirable,
where they can be more advantageous
handled than large ores, where greater pros
perity would come To the farmers from such
a system of farming as would naturally fol-
low if small farms were common.
/. Understanding, then, first of all, that the
man u fitted for Il small farm, what does ii
offer in ih., way of advantages 1t demands
economy, elezg culture the occupation and
profitable improvement of every rod of l. nd,
and the personal oversight Of the business.
What does a man get on fifty ceres of land ?
Fifteen acres IN permanent meadow. as 10 Is
called or moving. This will yield thirty
tons of hay il may seem eXtravagant, but
when It Is remembered that on many large
farms now that are highly manfred ia spots,
two or even three tone j. not an uncommon
Weld, it j. very safe to reckon Oh this crop.
In fact we know of many small farms which
cut on an average TWO tons of hay per acre.
Put down, then, thirty tons of hay. Next
twenty acres IN p9sturage. This may be
more than is necessary for the stock which
a farm of this size will carry for with "A sys
tenn of sOillng or partial soiling the area fol-
pasturage could be much reduced. Next
five acres of arabic land two for wheat, one
for corn, one for potatoes and one for early
crops, vegetable garden, etc. II the location
is one near to q good local market, where
what is called garden truck" or small
fruits find Il ready sale, more land may prof
itably be devoted to these last-named crops
and less 70 grain or the hoed crops OF tn,
field. This must he decided by the crcum
stances of location. nearnes5 to market, etc
There are Lett of our fifty acres, ter acres fo
wood-lot, and this, il of good heavy groTtl
and carefully managed. viii be sufficient 70
the demands OF a small family OR, if nea
a town, or on a farm where land Is 700 val
liable for purposes of growing fuel, the te.
acres We have reserved As = wood-lot ma,
be depbnded upon, put into other crops, T.
provide Uood or coal for the yearly @ant
of the family.
On this farm Of fifty acres may be KEEP
one horse, heavy eGough for some farm
work aud Of good style foe family riding
or two horses, if necessary. There ma
also be kept eight cows, six shoats an.
twenty-five hens. This stock will yielt
sufficient dressing for abUpdantly manurin!
the twenty-five acres in crops and moving
once in five years. From the wheat. corn
potatoes and garden sufficient amount 9
crops and fruit may be grown for the want
of an average family. There will be lei
tons of hay TO be sold annually, which ma,
be carried from the farm without injury -
long as plenty of manure is used, and thu
land well kept up by a short rotation.
will be an easy matter for our readers dur
ing one OF these evenings of early autumn
TO figure out ior themselves in accordanc
with their own ideas of cost of living am
cost of carrying on the farm, as well as c
the profits 10 be expected from is manage
ment, and see which way the balance Wil
appear.
We have only limited in this article of TIL
most general features OF a smell farm. Fo
various reasons we leave our readers I,
think ont others for themselves. and 4
draw their own conclusions from this brie
outline. The fact i, the capacity of fifty
acre farm, put to the test, well manured
wei managed, and carefully hrsbanded, ha
never been fully appreciated. Farmers wh'
have felt delighted at the thought Of 0wnin,
a large iarnl. three-fourths of which ha
actually been waste land, who have though
no one could get living from fifty acres
do not really know in what profitable farm
ing consists. They have yet 80 learn 4 te'
simple lessons in profitable farming, and tn
nature of those solid comforts which com
from
a little farm well titled.