The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-02-17
SMALL FARMS WANTED.
How They Can be MADE to Pay.

How They Can be Made to Pay.
A. G. Glidden says in substance that
40-acre farms do not pay, where ordi-
nary farm crops are raised, even on
good land. The small farm ia order to
be profitable must be near large town.
SO gardening or the raising Of some
special crop can be followed. I fear
many in reading his letter would get
the impression not only that small
farms do not pay, where ordinary crops
are raised, but that they cannot be SO
managed as to afford one good living.
Of course our friend did not intend to
be SO understood We can all agree
that many small farms. and large ones
also, do not furnish more than "a
mesgre living for an average family
but some of US would fly the track if it
VS. stated that 1t could not be done,
The writer believes that the future
welfare of our great country would be
e eatly promoted by dividing up the
large farms and having more land own.
ers, more small farmers, more people
directly interested in the stability of
our instructions. Which will be the
best md safest citizens, six men each
owning so acres of land and working it
and getting their living from it, or six
men, one owning all the land and the
others working for him? AS our cities
grow larger we must have more and
more trouble with the poor lab, ring
class, and no better precaution, it seems
to me, can be taken than to make this
la Republic of sun II farmers, not Of
course limiting all to 40 or even 100
acres, but certainly encouraging farm
ers who have more than tney can half
cultivate or care for properly, to sell a
part.
Then having the small farms, no
larger than can be most thoroughly
cared for, and mostly by the owner in
person, let US encourage the highest
farming. Your correspondent has spent
the best of his life on little farm, and
he knows that such can be made to fur
nish fine living In his case potatoes
have been the leading money crop,
which Mr.. G.. might call especial
crop" But I know as vel as know
anything, that l could cast the potatoes
aside and put dairy on my farm and
make $1,000 year from 40 acres Of
land, after paying nay man. l can do
it on any of those 40 acre farms Mr.. G..
tells of, if they have good soil. Ikown
that this can be done, and I hope those
young men who were "pushed over
board, as it were, by the gift of 40
acres of land, and set to struggling
after 'straws' until driven, by sheer des.
peration, to abandon farming in dis
gust" will read how would do it.
have 36 acres of land under cult
tvati n. Two acres would be occupied
by buildings, orchard, lawn and garden.
This is just about as it is now. There
would be two acres left of which
would make pasture lot for COWS to
exercise in. ALI inside fences should
be taken up except around the two
acre pasture. Twelve acres of the cul-
tivated land should be in clover, and
the same number in wheat and the
other twelve used for raising soiling
crops. Rye could he put on a portion
and put in time to be followed by drill
ed corn. The latter could be preserved
in silo and fed from there to the COWS.
or it could be fed green when n season,
and the rest of the time in dry state.
The main point would be to have plenty
Of it.
would get 20 good cows to feed
these products to, grade Jerseys if IN.
tend to make butter. Now let us see
how this would work I will keep in
my estimates below what 1 know men
have done. The IL acres of clover
should produce at least 36 ton of choice
hay at the first cutting. The second
crop would let get ripe for seed. Say
it brings $l25, this would be less than
| ever got in the poorest season. The.
wheat, one year with another, at present
prices should bring $3.50. In all my