Daily globe., 1883-07-07
HENRY KARD BEEC8ER'S FARM.

MIR. Beecher's farm consists of thirty
six acres, and is carried on on strict
scientific principles. He never puts in
any part of crop without consulting
his book. He plows, and reaps, and
digs and sows according to the best al.
thorities, and the authorities cost more
than the other farming implements do.
AS soon as the library is complete tho
farm will begin to be profitable invest
ment. But book-learning has its draw
backs. Upon one occasion, when It
seemed morally certain that the hay
ought to be cut, the hay-bcok could not
be found, and before it was found it was
too late, and the hay was all spoiled.
Mr.. Beecher raises some of the finest
crops of wheat in the country, but the
unfavorable difference between the cost
of producing it and its market va.re
after it is produced has interfered con-
siderably with its success as a CONNER
clal enterprise. His special weakness IS
hogs, however. He considers hogs the
best game farm produces. He buys
the original pig for ST. so, and feeds him
$40 worth of corn, and then sells him
for about 50. This is the only crop lie
ever makes any money on. He loses
on the corn, but he makes $3.50 on the
hog. He does not mind this, because
he never expects to make anything on
corn. And, any way it turns out, he
has the excitement of raising the hog,
whether he gets the worth Of him or l.o1.
His Strawberries would be a comfort
able success if the robins would eat tar
nips, but they won't, and hence the diff
fcuItr.
One Of Mr. Beecher's most harassing
difficulties in his farming operations
comes Of the close resemblance Of dif-
ferelt sorts Of seeds and plants to each
other. Two years ago his far-sighte5-
ness warned him that there was going TO
be q great scarcity Of waternelons, ard
therefore he put in crop OF twenty
seven acres Of that fruit. Dut when
they came up they turned out to lie
pumpkins, and deal loss was tna con
sequence. Sometimes 4 portion of his
crop goes into the ground the most
promising sweet potatoes, and comes
out the infernalest carrots though I
have never heard him express it just in
that way. When he bought his farm he
found one egg in every hens nest on the
place. He said that here was just the
reason so many farmers failed; they
scattered their forces too much concen-
tration was the idea. SO he gathered
those eggs together, and put them all
under one experienced old hen. Thathen
roasted over that contract night and day
for eleven weeks, under the anxious per-
sonal supervision OF Mr. Beecher him
self, but she could not "phase" those
eggs. Why? Because they were those
Infamous porcelain things which are used
by ingenious and fraudulent farmers as
"nest eggs" But perhaps Mr.. Beech
er's most disastrous experience was the
time he tried to raise an immense crop
Of dried apples. He planted 81, SD
worth, but never one Of them sproutel.
He has never been able to understand
to this day what was the matter with
those apples.
EIr. Beecher's farm is not triumph.
It would be easier on him if he worked
it on shares with some one; but he can
not find anybody who is willing to
stand half the expense, and not many
that are able. Still, persistence in any
cause is bound to succeed. He was q
very inferior farmer when lie first be
gan, but a prolonged and undinching as
sault upon his agricultural difficulties
has had its effect at last, and he is now
fast rising from afiuence to poverty
Mark TtOaj1l.