Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-11-18
DaiIu 1kennebrr 5nnrnal-
Large Farming.

We used to hear of large farm opera
tons in the United States, but bigness in
the agricultural field has taken . new d.
rection with rs, and gone into stock rails
ing and grazing. It seems. however. our
Canadian neighbors have undertaken
bonanza farming to boom the hyperbo-
rean region through which the Canadian
Pacific Railway is being built. The re-
country, and we hope it is, but it remains
frosts will not be as powerful a factor as
the enthusiasm of the spectators, in de-
Gliding the question. The London Live
Stock Journal published the following
letter in recent issue, with q view of
turning the attention OF the perplexed
British farmers to this new country. 1t
is pretty good reading:
The Dominion Government has an i'm
migrant state at Troy, Manitoba. and
this district has been selected for the
large farming experiment known as the
Bell Farm, its protector and manager be-
ing Major Bell. The experiment embraces
scheme of a wheat farm of 100 square
miles, or 1900 acres in extent, but d.
vided for colony, the intention being to
sell the whole out to the workers after a
few yeors' operation.
A section Of GAO acres is divided into 3
farms of 2l3 acres each. and its cultivation
is placed in the hands of one man. Com
Portable houses and stables are built at the
corners of these third sections, in such a
wav that four houses and stables make a
little village on the road allowance. A
man and his team are able to cultivate
two thirds of this 2l3 acres, having one
third in fallow every year. Thus the
whole is fallowed once in 3 years. One
piece of wheat measured 800 acres. 1t
had been sown in days, and at the time
of my visit much of it carried 80 bushels
per acre of magnificent wheat The wheat
is of high quality, and often weighs IS
pounds per qushel. In order to save
teaming, it is stored in large wooden
tanks or reservoirs. spread over the farm,
as it comes from the powerful steam
threshers. The workingpower consisted
of 1870 horse. 100 men; these, with so self
binding reapers, represented power to
cut. bind and stock 800 acres of wheat per
day. each binder cutting l6 acres daily.
The power is so arranged that the whole
of the wheat and oats can be cut and the
Spring sowing should be completed in
ten dsys.
The haymaking arrangements were be-
ing carried on whilst they were waiting
for the corn to be ready for harvesting,
and we found some l 200 to 400 tons of
hay being secured.
Major Bell, the energetic protector and
manager. from day to day inspects the OPP
erations going on. aided by one general
foreman and tour toremen of sections. At
8 O'Clock in the evening all gather to the
telephone, which extends from Major
Bells residence into each OF the four sec
tons of the farm. The orders are then
given to each sectional foreman, in the
hearing of the others. Any doubt is at
once cleared and all retire to rest sub
sequently with full instructions for to-mor-
row. No change is permitted without
authority from headquarters, which, by
the aid of the telephone, is always obtain
able. in case of necessity. by night or by
day.
Major Bell considers it economical to
break the prairie thin-say three inches
and leave the turf thus ploughed exposed
to the Winter frost, so that it can be
shaken to pieces in the spring by the agi-
tating harrows going before the seeder
Comparatively high wages--$40O year
are paid to the men employed, and each
has house and one acre of land rent
free.
The Bell Farm scheme, so far, is report
ed to be largely pecuniariy successful. 1t
seems to follow naturally that the men
who work on the farms of 213 acres. and
who are highly paid and made as COM
Portable as possible. would embrace the
that is offered them of becom-
ing possessors of them the whole scheme
thus melting into one of colonization of
100 square miles.