Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-03-13
In A. ID. lS42.


Raising over Two Thousand Dolisrs worm
~ rrouuct ON an Eleven Thoufnnd
Dollar Farm.
Somebody has furnished to tho German
town Telegraph tho following copy of an
interesting lotter, dated Lancaster Co, Pa,
Nov. 22, 1912, which tolls tho state and
profits Of farming operation in this county
over forty years ago. Tho writer OF the
letter says:
In fulfilment of an old promise, am
going to give you what Information l pos.
soss relative To tho cost, management an d
yield of n Lancaster county farm, with u
view to the question Is IL better FOR q
person with moderate means and grow
Ing family to settle in city or In the
countryp
Limestone land in this county ranges
from eighty to ono hundred and twenty
dollars an acre, according 10 tho quality Of
soil, state of cultivation, location and
kind or improvements. A farm we'll con.
ditioned iu these respccts may be had for
1l0 Per acre, say all 900 for 100 acres,
that being tho medium aud q very convo
nicpt size Such u ono will DO substanti-
ally enclosed with post and rail fence, Quo
bad thing, your agricultural society to tho
contrary notwithstanding, and divided
into fields by worm fence. IL will have n
stone, brick or frame dwelling house Of
two stories, and probably eight chambers,
exclusive of kitchen, garret and cellar.
The barn will be of stone, or the lower
part to contain oil the cattle and all the
produce Of tho farm except tho cornfod.
der, which is always stacked out. Attached
to IL will be straw house, wagon shed, and
corn cribs, hog pens, smoke house and
spring house. Thoro will also be garden,
orchard and tho necessary yards, with
water Ia them for stock.
Tho farm will probably bo laid off into
six fields for cultivation, so arranged, II at
all practicable, that thero shall DO running
water in each, or, at least, that cattle may
have access at their will to water from
each. Often the number of fields is seven,
especially !f ono Of them Is capable OF
irrigation, for the production of natural
grass, being what wc call u watercd
meadow. But six is tho most common
number OF arabic fields, suitiDg best, az IL
does, our course of tillagc, thus
The first year We plow down our sod for
corn without manuic, except probably q
light dr. ssiug of plaster Of Paris, or some
times full coat Of lime (Irom fifty to one
hundred bushels to the acre); the second
year oats or barley IA roHn, but generally
the former, without mauuriug the third
year Cor rather in tho fan Of the c0nd)
we put on q full dressing OF stable manure,
being not less than five four horse wagon
loads to the acre, and and SOW wheat, with
timothy and clover seed, IL tho land Is not
in good heart but il IL is, as would BE-
tho case with tho kind of farm / am de
scribiug, q second crop Oi wheat, with OI
without, or a crop Ofryc, without manure,
would be sowu tho fourth year, with grass
seed in either case. Tho fifth year the
field should DO moved, for moving grass
instead of pasturiug it tue first year after
grain ceauEps the field of all noxious
weeds by Cnttiug them off before they
have shed their seed. The sixth year the
field is in order for pastuTiug, and thi'
completes tho routine. This course gives
two fields for spring graininR, two for fall
grain and two Tor grass 1t Affords to eacl
field % rest from the plow of two years il
six. IL also cquali2.s the draft upon the
soil by taking tive crCIS !Tom tho clover
sod, that being equal to dressing o.
manure, two from the dressing of stable
manure, and then gives two years of res
In clover, TO prepare for tho rccommeuce
mCut Of the same course.
In this way the operations OF tho year
will be, yield No. |, corn No. ,. oats;N
3, what No. 4, wheat (or rye) No. o
grass for hay; No. 6, grass for pasture
Each field will contain fifteen acres, OK
elusive Of fences, or ninety in all, leaving
ter for roads, fences, buildings, garden
orchard and yards.
All this labor can DO performed By ont
full hand and boy OI eleven or twelv,
years Of age (except in seed and haryes
times, when the number of hands requis
ite will depend greatly on the state o
the weather, aud therefore cannot b.
estimated) and four or five horses, will
tho proper farming utensils The stock o
cattle will probably be ak mllch COWS, auc
ten Western steers or young cattle equiva
lent 10 them. The steers are laid in poo
alter harvest, annually, stall fed, end sol
fat the following winter, or kept over an,
sold fat off the grass tho following sum
mer, which is the better mode, as it save
graziug. In tho latter case 10 calves ca
be raised, in the former u few may.
dozen OF sheep and proud SOW or tw
with the progeny viii complete tho liv
stock.
Tie yield of the farm will be as follow!
takiu4 tho fields in their order
bush.