Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-04-09
Small orLarge Farms.

Whether husbandry is more profit
able on a small or on large farn, is
a question which has been argued in
the newspapers for some years past :;
and the opinion at last seemed TO pro,
vail that small farms are more profit
able than large ones. Now the cues
ton arises, what is a small and what
large farm2 America is large. and
circumstances are so different in its
different parts that farm is called a
large one in one place, that would be
considered but a small concern in
another. For the sake of clearness
let us call a farm a small one which
can be managed by any family with
but very little aid of hired labor. 1t
will be obvious that on such farm
no wealth can be accumulated, but
that TIE owner, according to rural
views, can only attain, with constant
industry on his part, and very often
with many priyations on part of his
family, a comfortable living and sub
sistance for his old age.
The opinion that more can be realized
on small than large ones, can only
be held by those who are ignorant Of
rational management of large farms.
1t can be taken for granted, the
smaller farm is the greater are the
expenses of management, in proper
ton to an acre of land, and they
diminish as the number of acres in
creases. Not so 1uuch hired help and
not SO many teams are necessary pro-
portionately on large farms, and
besides a great amount is saved in
farming implements and machinery,
as well as in the expenses of house
keeping.
The household expenses Of a small
farm are onehalf of what they would
be on farm four times as large.
Many other facts might be cited in
favor of large farms. The assertion
that in consequence Of high wages,
the hired laborer on a large farm will
get the grain end the owner the straw,
is nothing but mere trash. A farmer
can safely proceed to buy the farm
of his neighbor on credit, and, If he
applies the right kind Of management,
the yield Of the farm so bought will
pay for the same without aHy more
muscular exertions on the part of the
farmer himself.
On large farms the application of
the hyslcal strength Of the farmer is
less necessary than the utilization Of
his intellectual faculties and therefore
the education of young men who de
sire to make their living by farming
should not be neglected. But just at
the time when the farther education
of young men promises the best re-
suits, many farmers make their sons
perform excessively hard labor and
IN doing so rob them Of their best
years and prospects which will no
more return. Very often it can be
noticed that such young lads, in order
to make an easier living, apply for an
agency for the sale of a churn, or of
new patent on dung fork handles, etc,
finally winding up as regular bar
room loafers. The parents of those
young lads are to blame IN such cases
the few hundred dollars which boy
IN his tender age may have, thus earn
ed by hard labor or business enterpris
es of the kind mentioned, will hardly
be of any consequence whatever. 1t
IS far better to give those young men
who desire to become farmers, good
education, so that they can judge by
themselves that farmer need not
necessarily be chained down to hard
labor and worry-but that with SEN
sible methods, farming can be expend
ed just as well as any other business
and with the same GOOD results