Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-07-05
Il GREAT FARM,


from the Agricultural Review
The largest farm in the world is Mr..
Hiram Sibley's 4O,OOO-acre Burr Oaks
firm. It is situated in Eastern Illinois,
about sixteen miles east of the Chicago
ana Alton railroad, one of the best or
gained and equipped lines in the State,
and about 100 miles south of Chicago.
It Is what was formerly known as the
Sullivant farm, and has the most ex-
tended reputation of any in the country
It's original proprietor, Mr.. NJ. L. Sulli-
want, removed from Columbus, Ohio, to
Champaign county, Ill, about 1860, and
there started the Broadlands farm of
$4,000 acres. In 1861, having previous
~ located quantity Of land in Ford
county, that State, where Burr Oaks is
mainly situated, he sold the Broadlands
farm to John T. Alexander, who subse-
quently failed, and, removing thither,
established himself in a small hut and
commenced operations He added to
the tract, by purchase, until he had Sc
cured over 10000 acres. Some of the
original land was bought as low as 80
cents and $3.50 an acre.
NJ. SuIlivant had conceived the idea
tL,.t he could produce corn at a cost of
l. cents per bushel, and he devoted all
his energies to its realization. He be-
gan at once to break up the land, en-
ploying large force Of men and teams,
and planting it as fast as men and
means could DO it, until he had at one
time $4,000 acres in corn. One crop,
that Of 1871. aggregated 100000 bushels
and required 1000 cars to carry it to
market The work on the farm was all
done 10y hired labor, as many as 400
men being employed at time, all of
whom were lodged and fed on the
premises in buildings put up for that
purpose. His ambition was to be the
largest grower Of corn in the world. rs
well as the greatest farmer, and he
would allow no settlement on the place
nor hire out any Of the land. The
policy was a mistaken one: no man
could farm on such Il scale successfully
by hired labor His interest account
on borrowed capital was enormous: the
breaking up Of the land, draining and
erecting buildings required large ex-
pe2ditures, and increased the original
cost greatly, while land bought later,
costing from $15 to $25 an acre, togeth-
or With the improvements, made still
higher interest account, so that the
largest results from the land were nee
essary. His system only interested
himself. Manufacturing and many
branches of industry may be conducted
by single mind where the principal
instruments are machinery, but in farm
Ing there is more necessity for intelli-
gent thought, and only small quantity
Of land can he properly managed with
one mans brains.
These influences, together with three
successive bad crops, caused Mr.. Sulli-
wants failure in 1877. The estate was
carried on two years by his assignee,
and then Mr. Siblev, who had for many
Years supplied Mr. Sullivant with
money to improve the farm, became the
owner. He had advanced over $500
00G, and before the assignment Of
fered to throw off 100000 of the
amount and back interest if Mr. Sulli-
want would pay the remainder, but he
could not. Mr.. Sulliyant died in 1879,
and Mr.. Sibley made an arrangement
by which his widow was able to retain
5000 acres, although the estate was
bankrupt. He practically gave her
$4,000 by releasing his second mort
gage on her land, and made her COM
Portable for life.
About three years ago Mr.. Sibley be-
came the proprietor of the farm from
circumstances beyond his control.
Instead Of hiring all the labor, Mr..
Sibley adopted the plan of interesting
as many as possible in the working of
the farm by apportioning off parts of it
into tracts Of eighty to $50 acres, erect
ing a house and barn On each, locating
good men with their families on them
and giving them a share Of the crops for
their labor, he furnishing the land.
buildings and seeds and directing the
method of cultivation. One hundred
and forty-six farmers are thus engaged,
and 1874 houses and barns have already
been erected for their use.