The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-08-25
Henry Ward Beecher's Farm.


Mr. Beecher's farm consists of thir-
ty>slx acres, and is carried on strict
scientific principles. He never puts
in any part of crop without consult
ing his book.
lie blows, and reaps. and digs and
soWs according to the best authorities,
and the authorities cost more than
the other farming implements do.
az soon as the library is complete.
tne Iarm will begin to be profitable
investment. But book-learning has
Its draw-backs. Upon one occasion,
When 1t seemed morally certain that
the hay ought to be cut, the hay book
couldnot be found. and before it was
f0undit was too late, and the hay
was all spoiled. Mr.. Beecher raises
sorlqof the finest crops of wheat in
tt country, but the unfayorable diff
ference between the cost of producing
1t and its market value after it is pro-
dued, has interfered considerably
VIII its success as commercial en-
terptse. His special weakness is
hogs,however. He considers hogs
the bet game farm produces. He
buys tie original pig for S1.50, and
feeds HIN $40 worth of corn, and then
sells hin for about 50. This is the
only crolhe ever makes any money
on. lie oses on the corn, but he
makes S7.a on the hog. He does not
mind this, because he never expects
to make anything on corn. And any
way it turnsout, he has the excite
ment of raisilg the hog, whether he
gets the wortl of him or not.
His Strawberries would be a COM
Portable success if the robins would
eat turnip, butthey won't, and hence
the difficulty.
One of Mr.. Becher's most harrass-
ing difficulties in his farming opera
tlons comes of the close resemblance
OF different sorts OF seeds and plants
to each other.
Two years ago his far-sightedness
warned him that there was going to
be great scarcity of watermelons,
and therefore he put in a crop OF
twenty.seyen acres of fruit. But
when they came up they turned out
to be pumpkins, and dead loss was
the consequence, Sometimes a por-
ton of his crop goes into the ground
the most promising sweet potatoes,
and comes out the infernalest carrots
though l haye never heard him ex.
press it just 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 TO much
concentration was the idea.
So he gathered those eggs together
and put them all under one experienc.
ed old hen. That hen roasted over
that contract night and day for eley.
en- weeks, under the anxious perso.
nal supervisor of Mr.. Beecher him.
self, but she couldn't 'phase" those
eggs. Why? Because they were
thoseinfamous porcelain things which
are used by ingenious and fraudulent
farmers as "nest eggs"
But perhaps Mr.. Beecher's most dis.
astrous experience was the time he
tried to raise an immense crop Of
dried apples. He planted $1,50(
worth, but never one of them sprout.
ed. He has never been able to un.
derstand to this day what was the
matter with them.
Mr.. Beecher's farm is not a triumph
1t We uld be easier on him if he work.
ed it on the shares with some one
but he cannot 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 very inferior farmer when
he first began, but a prolonged and
unflinching assault upon his agricul-
tQyal difficulties has had its effect al
last, and he is now fast rising from
affuance to poYerty.-Mdrk 1500i1a
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