Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-10-15
IMPROVE THE FARM.
Large Tracts OF Land Not ~ Profitable AZ
Properly Conducted Small Farms.

NfNNI N0NE Tt FAUtNis
Large Tracts OF Land Not as Pronsabis a.
Properly Conducted Small Farma
Farmers want moro land. They
seem possessed with an ambition TO
have their boundary lines circu,nscribe
as mary acres as possible They ceem
to think that the advice given by the
old lady TO her husband, in Edward
Eggleston's story Of the Hoosier school,
master, when he was about to buy land
after they had gotten to '1njanne." to
git plenty while you're a gitten, is
good enough to be improved upon; and
SO they not only get rs much rs they
can when first buying farm. often
making a cash payment which would
have paid for small but large enough
farm, then run into debt for two or
three times moro land than Is actually
needed Then, after years of pinching
economy, and they have succeeded in
paying for their first purchase and
have gotten n little cash or stock ahead,
instead Of using their means to improve
their farm, and make things more tidy
Nuh hbAhN AihNf lhb up utAAtlf DlOIt COu-
venient and comfortable buildings, put
music, pictures, books, papers, good
stoves, washing machines, etc. into
their houses, they simply 90 and buy
more land. OF course this is not al.
ways true, and the tendency is not so
strong that way as IL was n few years
ago. Yet there is much room for inn
provemCut in this direction.
As a rule our farms are too large.
There are some conditions under which
extensive farming pays; and arguments
may DO advanced in support of large
farms. To run farms of live hundred
or one thousand acres successfully and
prolitably requires capital so large
that but few farmers can command lt.
IL also calls for an executive ability
rarely met with in any call ng of life
The idea that any fool can farm must
and is giving away, even in regard to
the small farms; and the time will come
when IL will be found and admit ed that
to successfully manage n thousand acre
farm on an intensive system VIII re-
quire man to be fitted for his work by
natural endowments and long and care
ful preparation.
Problems connected with agriculture
nre among the most serious and mo-
mentous Of the age. The wants of the
world for food and clothing are ever in
creasing These must be supplied b.
the farmer, and in adequate quantities,
or there is suffering. TO meet this de-
mand the farmer must be rccompeuscd
so that he can live comfortably and
happily, so that he may maintain and
improve his intellectual condition, so
that he may keep up with the onward
march of civilization But while he Is
20 be thus recompensed his products
must be given to the world nt such
prices rs will enable mankind TO buy.
To accomplish these ends will require a
more careful system of farming than we
have been wont 10 employ. Il will ad-
init of no wastes, aud call for the use OF
all our resources.
We as a people have been spreading
over this continent mt such rate that
there seems 10 be but comparatively
little land left for occupation. But we
are spread too thin. Ii the 10000, OOJ
Of people Of the United States were oc-
cupying less than half the area they are
now, and the agricultural and manu-
featuring resources properly developed,
they would be better OF and the coun-
try would be richer. The income from
our farms could easily be doubled, and
in doing that their value would be
largely increased. While farmers are
desiring and adding more acres to their
farms, they arc not using what they al
ready have and Rave been fencing and
paying taxes on for years. 1t is hardly
possible TO go onto farm. where the
land is at all broken, without seeing
more or less land lying idle which
might be made as proiiable as any on
the farm W tn n little extra work. II
slough runs through n field. it is
allowed to take its winding, tortuous
course, occupy strip of land from
one TO three rods wide in the richest
part Of the field, on which nothing
but rank weeds and brier3 can grow
Such a strip of land Is unsighrly; il
Is nursery ground for the propa-
CATION of noXious weeds; IL affords
harbor for destructive insects and YER
min, and Il takes just as much 10 fence
i as any part of the field, is taxed rs
high, and the slough does not answer
the purpose OF Z waterway as well as
II might be made to. The course Of the
run should be made as nearly straight
as possible so that team can De driven
along side; or il the fall Is not too great,
the run can be made broad and shallow
so team can walk over il. Then If Il
Is seeded with redtop or blue grass, all
washing will be prevented. The slough
then viii serve as a drain much better
than when its course is so winding nad
choked up with weeds, and need not
occupy more than four or i've feet OF
land.
Besides these there may be seen, on
many farms, patches OF brush or grubs,
worthless for any purpose, but simply
encumbering the ground.
Would il not be we'll, instead Of buy
Ing more land, to try and improve and
make available that ON which interest
aud taxes are being paid?
Even II no more land Is 10 be bought
an effort should be made to make the
farm a' paying rs possibly by having il
all in use. Now after the summers
work is over put the men and teams at
work on such Improvements Il will
pay II the farm IS still 10 be cultivated,
and II will pay il II is to be sold.-Cole.
mans Rural Word.
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