The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-23
FARM MANAGEMENT.
small Farms Not Generally Better Iillei or
"ore Productive Than Larger Ones
Peach-Raislng in Georgia.
5 the Little EARN Wall TILL

Unit by Legislation the size of farms
owned n managed by one person.
newspapers have published sensation
al ARTICLES on bonanza farming" and
an attempt has been made 10 show that
the prosperity of the country was on
%nanSered by having large bodies. of
land pass under the management of a
few enterprising farmers who pos
sessed sufficient capital to manage
mem by means OF machines and hired
abo There was great rejoicing in
some parts OF the country when many
VI the large planters in the south were
compelled ts divide their estates. 1t
was thought that the same amount of
iahd would be much more productive
when owned and managed bv several
individuals than it was under the con-
trol OF one person. Some who travelled
through the south wrote about the
slovcnly kept large farms and the tidy
little farms they saw Attention has
also been directed many times to the
tncly managed and very productive
small farms in TIE New England and
middle states. Their condition and
productiveness has been contrasted
with those of the large farms in the
valley OF the Mississippi and on the
Pacific slope.
MOST OF the writer's on economic sub.
lects IN this country, from Franklin to
greeley, have advocated small farms,
and they nave e%ndeavored to show
that they were much better titled than
very large farms. Every few years
we read Of some man who, having be-
come convinced tina. he had more land
than he could proiitlbly manage, sold
half OF 1t, and found that he raised
more on the part that remained than
he had formerly produced on the
whole. AS is the case with MANY
newspaper stories written for the pur-
pose OF drawing a moral" the name
and p~ostoi1ice address Of this farmer
were not given. 1t would probably be
as difficult to find him as it would to
hunt up the person who was cured of
consumption by the use of some patent
medicine whose healing power he had
commended to his fellow-sutlerers.
The persons who advocate small farm
ing for the reason that it increases pro-
auction were greatly pleased with the
book which appeared a few years ago,
entitled Ten Acres Enough" They
were answered by a pleasant little
publication called give Acres Too
Much But they have kept up their
advocacy of small farms, as essential
to great productiveness, ever since.
People who start out with n pet theory
are seldom o n the lookout for facts,
rs their collection and classification
have resulted in ov%erturnino many
theories.
Lately the advocates of ISM all
holdings" have become numerous in
England, the land of large farms.
They have attempted to show that the
small farms of France. Switzerland,
and some other countries on the con-
tinent WEIR very productive and prof.
table, andthat their farmers were pros.
porous, happy, and generally out OF
debt. The condition Of their families
was represented as excellent. Much
has also been written about the pros.
porous condition of farmers in certain
parts of the British islands where the
divisions of land among owners auG
tenants are very small. These state
ments having been made so often nu.
mcrous persons have examined into
the matter. Their reports are by nc
means favorable to the division of lane
into very small farms. They stat,
that the yield per acre of almost every
kind of crop is much smaller on yer,
small farms 5than4on the larger one
apparently showing that the forme'
are not rs well titled. They also SHOW
that the cost of production is largely
increased BY the division of land int
small farms. This is accounted 70
by the increase OF fences and building
and by the lack of means to use labor
saving machines and implements. l
is reported that the wives and children
of the very small farmers general,
work il the fields, and that their socia
and intellectual condition is very poor
Several have stated. as the result Q
their Investigations, that the familie
of la5orcrs On large estates were bet
ter clad, fed, and housed than thos
who worked or owneue very smaI
farms.
That there are many small farms j
this country and in other countric
that are admirably titled is certain
Ii one inquiries about them, however
he will id MANY if not in the maiorit
OF cases learn that they are owned an
managed by persons who have otht
e~mpluymcnts than farming. The
earn their living ut Il profession {
trade, or have an income from none
invested, and spend sometime IN farm
ing rs II pastime or to crafty the
taste for rural affairs. With man
the love Of farming and stock-raisin
was developed quite late in life. Wit
good means and considerable know
edge OF agriculture, horticulture, III
stock raising derived from book
they bought small farms which the
rendered beautiful and productIv
Professional men, traders, and N
chanics, as we'll MS capitalists. n
very likely to pm chase and liz ,
farms quite rs much for aiiordti
them pleasure rs for insuring the
profit. Their attractive places COZ
manl attention. and are often visile
Theysare '.writtcn up" in the paper
and are discussed in town and conntI
Thev are often referred to rs shown
what can be done on a few acres
land on which much manure is 4
piled and much labor expended. II
impression. is given that all lal
would be improved in like mann
and would be equally we'll TILED II
was divided up nlto very small farr
and owned and managed by perso
who gain a livelihood by raising Gro.
and keeping stock.
Careful observation in any part
the country will probably convin
any person that small farms, work.
Tor the purpose of making money
for gaming Il living, are not as W.
TILED rs the large ones in the Yic'nl
OF them. The blowing is not bett
done, the hand.hoe is not more fl
puently employed, and the farmi
operations during the season arc
likely to be behind time on the sm'