The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-04-14
Ghe 6armer,
SMALL FARMS WANTED.
How They Can be Made to Pay.

7. B. Terry, of Summit county, Ohio,
writes to the Country Gentleman as fol-
lows A. C. Glidden says in substance that
40 acre farms do not pay, where ordinary
farm crops are raised, even on good land.
The small farm in order to be profitable
must be near large town, so gardening or
the raising of some special crop can be fol-
lowed. l 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 meagre living for an average fam
ily," but some of us would fly the track if
it was stated that it could not be done.
The writer believes that the future wei
fare of our great country would be greatly
promoted by dividing up the large farms
and having more land owners, more small
farmers, more people directly interested in
the stability of our instructions. Which
will be the best and safest citizens, six men
each owning 80 acres of land and working
it and getting their living from it, or six
men, one owning all the land and the 9th
ers working for him? As our cities grow
larger we must have more and more trouble
with the poor laboring class, and no better
precaution, it seems to me, can be taken
than to make this a Republic of small farm
ers, not of course limiting all to 40 or even
100 acres, but certainly encouraging farm
ers who have more than they can half cul-
tiyate or care for properly, to sell 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 cor
respondent has spent the best of his life ON
a little farm, and he knows that such can
be made to furnish fine living. In his
case potatoes have been the leading money
crop, which Mr. G. might call especial
crop" But 1 know as well as l know
anything, that ] could the potatoes
aside and put dairy on my Farm and make
81 ,20Q-a year from 40 acres of land, after
paying my man. can do it on any of
those 40 acre farms Mr. g. tells of, if they
have good SOIL know that this can be
done, and hope those young men who
were "pushed overheard, as it were, by the
gift of 40 acres of land, and set to strug-
Cling after 'straws until driven, by sheer
desperation, to abandon farming in disgust"
will read how | would do it,
I have 36 acres of land under cultiya-
ton. Two acress 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. All
inside fences should be taken up except
around the two acre pasture. Twelve acres
of the cultivated land should be in clover,
and the same number in wheat, and the
other twelve used for raising soiling crops.
Rye could be put on a portion and put in
time to be followed by drilled corn. The
latter could be preserved in silo and fed
from there to the COWS, or it could be fed
green when in 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
praducts to, grade Jerseys if l intend to
make butter. Now let us see how this
would work l will keep in my estimate
below what | know men haze done. The
II acres of clover should produce at least
36 tons of choice hay at the first cutting.
The second crop / would let get ripe for
seed Say it brings S125, this would be
less than ever got in the poorest season.
The wheat, one year with another, at pres
ent prices should bring $3.50, 70 all my
experience 1 have never sold II acres Of
wheat for as little as this; many of our big
farmers, however, have sold for far less.
The 1915 from wheat and clover seed |
would use to buy wheat bran, oil meal and
corn meal for the cows. If bought at The
right time of year some 20 tons could be
got for this money. The butter from the
20 cows should expect to get at least ST.,
400 for, or SO per COW. Is this too high?
1t is double the average, but what of that?
There are plenty of large farmers who do
not half attend to their business. Let me
give you figures from small farm that |
know of. Mr.. A. d. Mills, of this place,
keeps 16 COWS. His milk sold last season,
in spite of drouth, for 81 ,17776, or S73.61
per cow He paid out for milk feed $685.
"A. This was done without any silo, or
much soiling, or fancy stock. 1t was SIM
ply good common farming. In this case
the milk was sold. If it had been made
inta butter it might have brought more
Can our large farms around here show
any such results No, sir; too much has
to be trusted to hired men, and there are
too many leaks. Mr. Mills did all bis milk
ing and nearly all his work alone. 1t is q
little farm well handled But come back
TO my 40 acres; should expect 81 400
from the 20 cows, and 200 would pay
frst-class hand to help me for s months,
leaving 81 200 for me.
Do you think the 20 COWS could not be
kept on the top shelf with the feed men
toned? Let US sec II: tons of rowea
could be depended on, on the average, from
the new seeded field, which would be mostly
wanted for bedding and absorbent. From
the II acres Of rye, drilled corn, &C., |
know / could raise y tons more of dry
feed, or it's aquivalent-that IL, six tons
per acre With the purchased grain, we
should then have about l45 tons Of dry
feed or its equal. 1t would take good
feeder to run all through 20 COWS and the
necessary horses and other stock.
IF these results could not be obtained at
once, they could in time, if the manage
meat was the best twenty-five tons
year Of mill feed brought on the pace
would soon show, if the eowE were'kept so
as to save all the manure. Having the
land in clover once in three years would
give us the greatest benefit to be got out Of