The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-10
something to Cheer the Hearts
of Southern Farmers.

II we see the phenomenon of double
--7uS-a crop of grain and vegetables
lowing under a crop of trees. The
Trmandy popular trees are from an
n 70 three feet in diameter. They
are planted thickly, but give no shade.
Tfey are trimmed within six feet of the
,1ns The boughs, which are cut off
eyary year, make fagots enough to warm
Tr9nre. We often see men and women
lrrJr.ng wheat or hoeing beets in the
m.Ist of a wood giving M shade. When
,ol look across the country, the tall,
lerrhless trunks look like black streaks
,a-rted against the sky. They make
lie view very picturesque. Our far
me~s on the prairies could plant black
walnut trees where they want fences.
trim them to the tops. preventing shade,
and then string barbed wire on the
,rslks for fences. At the end of fifty
ears the black-walnut trees on a mans
,rn would be worth more than his
.,rm! Wood in France is sold for a third
nfa cent Il pound. 1t is worth as much
~ corn in Kansas by the pound. So,
uhen the Kansas man burns corn, he is
5n more protiigate than the Frenchman
who burns fagots. The French farmers
would never think of burning wood to
heat his house. He sits in the cold all
the winter long, only using wood to
cook with. The average former does
not know enough to buy coal or kero-
sence yet. He has no home comforts !;
poverty and ignorance are his compan-
IONS.
France is literally one large garden.
Every inch of soil is cultivated. In
riding from Paris to Dion. $50 miles,
We counted only thirty cattle. We saw
no sheep or hogs. The farms have
usually from one to ten a>res, and some
have as many as twenty acres. They
are usually from 80 TO 500 feet wide and
rom 1900 to 1000 feet long. There
are no fences between them.
When l asked a French farmer how his
farm happened, like all the rest, to be
SO long and narrow. he said:
1t has been divided up so often.
When a French father dies, he divides
his farm. and each one of his children
has an equal share. He always divides
it lengthwise, so as to give each one a
long strip"
How large is your farm 2" L asked.
My fathers farm was 800 feet wide
and 1000 feet long. When he died my
brother had half. Now my farm is $50
feet wide and 900 feet long. 1t is quite
4 large farm. There are many farms
much smallar than mine.'
What do you plant nit?' l asked.
See over there" he said, pointing to
what seemed to be a gigantic piece of
striped carpet, lis a strip of wheat 60
E-- Er5Aa THhnp cnntnS n Strin nf nnfo
toes 25 feet wide. Then come 40 feet
of oats. then 10 feet of carrots. 90 feet
Of alfalfa (luzerne) 10 feet of mangel-
E~lrzelS, ) feet OF cabbages. and the
rest IS in flowers, peBs, %currants, goose
berries. and little vegetables
"Cal you support your family on a
farm $50 feet wide and 1000 feet long?'
l asked. Support my family" he
exclaimed. why. the farm is too large
Tor Us. 1 rent part of it out now"
But your house," l said, ''where is
that?" ''Oh, that is in town. Five
families of US live in one house there.
~ wife and l come out every morning
to work and 60 in at night
Does your wife always work in the
fe.d:" Yes. My wife," he continu-
ed, pointing to a b~arefooted and bare
headed woman, at least six feet around
the waist. .'she can do more work than
can. She pitches the hay to me on
the stack. ALI French women work in
the lield. Why not? They have moth
iug to do at home I"
This is true. The wife Of a French,
English, Irish or German farmer has
nothing to do at home. They do not
keep house, like the wives of American
farmers. They live in the same build
iug with their horses, hens, and pigs.
They never wash a floor. There is
never a table-cloth. They live like
brutes. The handsome farmhouse off
dens, does not exist in France. French
farmers always congregate in little,
tumbledown villages situated about two
miles apart. The roofs are moscow
cred, the houses are dirty, and remind
one of a country pOorhouse IN New
England.
There are millions of farms in France
containing from a quarter OF an acre to
TOUR acres.
| find that an acre and a malt is about
all the most ambitious man wants The
rent for land i always oue-half the crop.
The land is worth about $500 an acre; or
II in grapeyiue-. $500.
This is why France Is like a garden.
II England there are 227, 900 landowners;
II France there are ! 900, 600 landowners.
The Frenchman on his two acres, with
his barefoOted wife cutting grain with a
sickle by his side, is happy and content
ed, because he knows no better. Such a
degrading life would drive an American
farmer mad. Frenchran thrives because
ne spends nothing. ne has no wants
beyond the coarsest food AID the wash
lngs OF the grape-skiUs after the VINE is
made. Yes, he is thrifty. He saves
money, too. The aggregated wealth OF
10000, OOO poor. degraded, ~baretooted
PEASANTS makes France rich The lgnor-
ance OF the French farmcr Is appalling.
l never saw a newspaper In a French
iarm village. The Faenchman eats the
e~Oarsest food; about the same as he feeds
his horse. He will eat coarse bread and
wine for breakfast; soup, bread aud wine
Tor dinner, and perhaps bread and milk
Tor supper; be does not know what coffee
or tea is. Tae negroes of the South live
Ike kings compared to a French farmer.
Stu, the F~renchmau is satisfied, because
he knows DO better.
When | asked a French farmer, who
Vas cultivating his farm $50 by $4,000
II he saved any money, he said:
oh, not much. | go to all the fetes.
aid BY 500 francs Sl00l last year. l
put II IN the CalssecP Epargue."
What is that" | asked Of the land
lord.
hat Is the Government savings bank,
4ne Government takes the money of the
poor, up to 1000 francs. and gives them
;: per cent. for its use. The peasant
farmers of France have nearly $500, 900,
MN II l-A-. Aanlr ~