Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-09-19
: FARMS AND FARMERS.
.,,can traveller saw in
al ah Fraure'

.,.can traveller saw An
,tsi 81 Franre.
from Paris to Geneva, via
d gns IN American traveller, we
81 'a'5 r. best portion of France.
tbf'agdd . 81 miles every inch OF land
baf'l'sJ The abrupt side hills are
alti'sl.suo,. and the fiat land in grain.
ae = ,on Of grain and vegetables
MS I'M a crop of trees. The
rgingg 1D noolar trees are from an inch
raapo't y IN diameter. They are
hfse ALL, ~ but give no shade. They
a'sa ~ j aitbin six feet of the tops.
fIiEl.b which are cut off every
bo''sA f,coots enough to warm
p HNc We often see men and women
-ass ,sbeat or hoeing beets in the
sisa7 ! wood giving no shade. When
lax across the country tne tall,
i l9De t,nnks look like black streaks
o. l.rainsf the sky. They make the
a'e1 = picturesque. Our farmers on
80 80 could plant black walnut
nor they want fences, and then
~ h.rhcd wire on the trunks for
the end of fifty years the
..lsnt frccs on mans farm
= 4, - worth more than his farm
" - = France is sold for a third of a
,oosd Il is worth as much as
y fTaa.as bv the pound. So when
!. !. man burns corn, he is no more
80 &C than the Frenchman who
t,goots The French farmer would
-[iek Of burning wood to heat his
NJ sits in the cold all the win
- oaly using wood to cook with.
sseroge farmer does not know
- 10 6uy coal or kerosene yet. He
"a live as well as the poorest negro
I n south. He has no home com
\. poverty and ignorance are his
a5saions,
g.,oce /. literally one large garden.
- inch OF soil is cultivated. In
n, from Paris to Dion, $50 miles,
9anted only thirty cattle. We saw
I .brep or hogs. The farms have
,0g from one to ten acres. Some
q. have half an acre, and some have
naoy as twenty acres. They are
.ng from thirty to 800 feet wide and
from 800 to 1000 feet long.
= are no fences between them.
Wien asked a French farmer how
farm happened, like all the rest, to
long and narrow, he said:
n has been divided up so often.
Ras French farmer dies, he divides
hfm, and each one of his children
|, an equal share. He always divides
ngthwise so as to give each one a
rgsrip. The long strips are easily
AWAITED, because we pillow lengthways.
A,e strips always run north and south,
ha the sun can shine into the rows.
How large is your farm2" | asked.
Nv fathers farm was 800 feet wide
a 1000 feet long When he died my
1Ar had half. Now my farm is $50
( vide and 1000 feet long. 1t is
lie a large farm. There are many
FMS much smaller than NINE
"Nhat do YOU plant in it9" l asked.
See over there" he said, pointing to
bat seemed to be a gigantic piece of
HpCd carpet, is a strip of wheat sixty
vide, Then comes strip of pota-
stwenty.tive feet wide. Then comes
dTieet Of oats, then ten feet of carrots,
niy fee Of alfalfa Quzerne), ten feet
nsngcl.wurzels, five feet of onions,
feet Of cabbage, and the rest is in
'H peas, currants, gooseberries and
vegetables.
Tan you support your family on a
100 wide and 1900 feet long2" |
y, Tor the narrow strip seemed like
sns doorysrd in America.
Npport my family2" he exclaimed.
~ the farm is too large for us. |
part Of it out now.
slt your house." l said, 'where is
Va that is in the town. Five fami-
aG live In one house there. My
and ! Gene out every morning to
snd go home at night
0,@ your wife always work in the
ls Ny wife," he continued, point
y q bareIooted and bare-headed
.AaN least six feet around the waisE,
ah 40 more work than I can. She
- the hay to me on the stack. All
y 7. women work in the field. Why
lucy have nothing to do at home. "
y y tT'le. The wife of French,
~ Irish or German farmer has
% DO at home. They do not
aoase like the wives of American
The handsome farm house off
WI surrounded by trees and gar
y not exist in France. French
ss.,n"ayscongregate in little tumble
images situated about two miles
these villages may have been
.1iee hundred years ago. The
'e mess covered, the houses are
saa remind one of a country poor
New England.
- are millions of farms in France