Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-08-25

Here are few facts and figures which
ought to be of interest and service to a large
number of our readers, women as well as men.
In the special bulletin issued by the Census
Bureau recently, showing the size and num-
Der of farms held in the states, the total mum
Der was stated to be zoos, 907. OF these, on
ly 139 2l1 were less than ten acres in size.
That is to say, only 1924 persons have
thought it worth while to cultivate, for profit,
patches of ground of less than ten acres. The
fact is almost incredible, but it is fact How
many thousands of women and tens of thous-
ands of men are struggling now for life in
our great cities who could rent these small
farms and make a healthy, comfortable living
from them But how? Let us look into the
matter moment and see The reason why
any man or woman shall IL eed information on
the subject is that Americans have the misfor-
tune of living in an enormous country and
dealing with large stakes in life. Their eyes
and ideas are used to sweeping over such i'm
mense spaces that petty business with pet
ty profits seems to them contemplate.
Farming" to most of our readers, means a
vast sweep of land in Minnesota given up to
wheat or few miles in Texas or Colorado
with tens of thousands of cattle; or at the
least, couple of hundred of rich acres in
Ohio and Pennsylvania, all of which are to
be controlled by the owners eye, but with
Such chances fall to very few. But how
many men or women could cultivate from one
to ten acres, growing the kind of vegetables
or fruit for which they can find the most
profitable market Take cucumbers for ex-
ample. The average crop is from so, 600 to
600 per acre Ready sale for them is
found in this market or to picklers at from
Sl.bO to 81 per thousand. Yet cucumber
raising is not considered one of the most
FDr ,,,It;
vate the finer fruits the berries, the better
class of pears or grapes, if he wants to make
marked success and high profits. The finer
the grade of crop, and the more skill and in
tellgence which are put into the work, the
better it will pay of course. Flower and herb
raising are industries which are only Just be-
ginning to attract notice in this country they
are especially suited for small plots of ground
and for women. A quick wit will find new
paths in this trade as in any other The first
man who grew mushrooms in a cellar for this
market made his fortune.
Bee keeping is another exceedingly profta-
BILE use of a small farm which our people are
just finding out. The report of the Bee
Keepers Association shows that during the
seven years ending with 1879 the average
yield per hive was 80 pounds weight. Twen-
ty-five hives are allowed to each acre. Our
readers who well know the average price of
money In the nearest market can estimate the
probable profit Poultry raising is a business
which on few acres can be made to pay
well. One woman we know who, beginning
with ten dollars worth of eggs, in eight years
possessed forty yards of the finest stock in
the country, which yield her a competency.
Mr.. Gladstone for three years has been
urging on the small propretors of England
| increased attention TO what is there called
villa farming cultivation of every inch
of tillable ground in small patches in the rails
| ing of food supplies. 1T" says a recent
number of The Estates Roll "every acre in
England was carefully farmed what an i'm
mense difference there would be in our i'm
ports and exports returns! !" The same argu-
ment comes home forcibly to us now when
the price of every kind of farm product is
almost doubled.
But, argue the timid, what if our crops fail,
our bees are frozen, our poultry die ? Such
mishaps are not unlikely. Failure is proba-
bio in every business. The only remedy or
prevention is constant care and hard work.
Farming, and especially small farming, re-
| quires more than any other employment the
actual personal attention of the owner. 1t can
in no case be done by deputy. That personal
care ensured intelligence and industry will
| pay, we believe, in this work as well as in
any other.-Ne,o York Tribune.