The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-03-21

a Small Farm inc MO0els
What we mean by this heading II
hat q small farm is the best, as q rule.
and often 3 model in cultivation and
productiveness. The great drawback
in many sections of the country, and
especially in the West, is that the farms
are now too large. The result in many
instances is poor culture, bad crops and
little or no profit. For q man deficient
in rare executive ability to tplan and
manage, and capital to execute, can
not farm hundreds of acres success
fully This has been time and again
demonstrated in every part OF the.
country where it has been undertaken.
Our own notion is that small farms,
well cultivated, are always the most
profitable, and hence believe-what we
have before asserted in this journal
that if many farmer would sell half
the acres he now occupies and poorly
tills, and devote his entire labor and at
teation to the remainder, he would de-
rive more profit with less annoyance
and vexation Of spirit. f
Our attention has been drawn to this
subject by a paragraph just among
our scraps-author unknown-the sub
stance of which we give. 1t AYERS that
the United States has many farmers that
are '.land poor" they have so much land
they cannot make living upon it.
When they have learned that it is not
economy to own more land than they
can till in the most profitable manner,
so that it will pay for the money ex-
pended in keeping it free from taxes,
weeds and membranes, they will
have solved the problem of ease in a
farmers life. The happiest and thrift
est farmers we have ever known, lived
on farms of only ten to one hundred
acres, every foot of which was made to
count. On the other hand, the farmer
who has so many broad acres that he
cannot walk them over daily-where
rods of fence corners are never cultivated
or made any use OLIVES life of anx-
iety and worry. His taxes are heavy and
his crops light. He cannot give season.
ably thorough cultivation to so much
land. Now. if the farmer who owns
one hundred acres of land will sci! half
of it, and expend the money received
for it in cultivating the other fifty, get
ting blooded stock, poultry, fertilizers,
etc., he can make each acre produce as
much as two acres are doing now. His
taxes will be less, his cares less, and his
gain vastly greater.
Though the West abounds in large
farms. there are some small ones in that
vast region which are models in both
neatDess and prOductiveness. For ex-
ample, the Keota Qowa) Eagle tells OF
Western man who is satisfied with
fifty-acre model farm-Mr. ARENAS
Fisher, near that place. The Eagle, in
relating the story of his management
and success, says that he keeps one
team of horses, three f;rst-class mich
cows, and nice little drove of the best
hogs. He milks his cows for the cream
cry, and they made him nearly $500
last year; will, perhaps, do better this
year. He will sell $500 worth of hogs
this year and have thirty stockers TO
keep over. He has $500 worth of flax
seed to sell; has an abundance of hay
and grain TO keep his stock in first
class condition during the winter. He
keeps everything in apple-pie order
about his farm; his cows revel in the
clover up to their eyes; he attends to
feeding, watering and milking as regu-
larry as the clock strikes, hence he gets
the best results with the least possible
feed. He keeps his stock under cover;
and never allows any animal to shiver
in the fence corners. He has
a barn that is model of convenience
and economy. 1t is snow proof and as
warm as the old kitchen. He has a
first-class selection of fruit-not a large
orchard, but choice selection of the
varieties that thrive and bear the best
in the locality. Everything about the
farm bears marks of intelligence, thrift
and economy. Besides making living
for himself and the ''old lady," he will
sell at least $500 worth of stuff off his
fifty acres this year, and not be exceed
ing former years, either. There is no
rush nor hurry about this model farm.
Everything goes along quietly and reg
ularly. The expenses are small and the
gains sure.
If perchance any of our readers are
trying to bore augur holes with gimlets
to cultivate large farms with alto
gether Inadequate means-they are in
vited to carefully study the two preced-
ing paragraphs. They are full of
meaning and wisdom. Instead of en-
deavoring to purchase ''all the land
that joins them" we believe it would
be the part OF wisdom for many farm
ers to sell some of their broad acres and
concentrate their efforts and means up
on limited area. This is a good time
for those interested to reflect upon and
decide the important qdestion-before
arrangements for the active operations
of the ensuing season are completed
Tribune and Farmer.
A1wayS Hits sEm