The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-01
BUYING A FARM.
General Rules to BE Carefully observed
by Intending Purchasers.


Nv Intending Purchasers.
There never was better time 20
buy a farm. Real estate is low; IL can
never be lower. If a man has little
money laid aside he can safely invest
it in land. and be in no danger OF los
ing it. This applies to the East as
we'll as to the West.
In looking for farm for home, or
as an investment, there are some gen.
eral rules to be observed: First. see
that the land is fertile; good, rlch'
productive land is the first necessity
and Importance. A pleasant situation
for the buildings is next, and good.
moral, religious neighborhood Is last
but not least.
In regard to the land. The land
ought to slope slightly to the south
and east if it is to be warm and good
for corn. Grain and grass will grow
well on a northerly slope; but now that
is not all that is raised. To be sure,
a farmer can buy his corn by raising
superior grass and grain. but 1t IS
best to have farm on which all will
grow abundantly. A south slope fur
nishes all the conditions necessary for
the successful growth of all plants
ordinarily cultivated by the small
farmer.
The soil ought to be light rather
than heavy to admit of easy cultiHa-
ton. Heavy, clayey soils may be
good for some things, but they are not
the best for the farmer If sumachs,
thistles and daisies will grow depend
upon it that any thing raised on the
farm will also do we'll, for the land is
warm and light which produces such
things in abundance. The story is
related of a blind man who went with
his little son to purchase farm and
told the boy to tie the horse to q
sumach, and because it could not be
done refused to buy. He was right,
and shrewdly determined to make use
of another's eyes in determining what
he could not see himself.
The buildings ought not to be in an
exposed situation toward the north or
west. They ought. especially the
house, to be on raise to admit OF
good drainage. but sloping toward the
south or east to admit of plenty of air
on the front side. The cold winter
winds should not sweep too fiercely
across the place; still if they do few
rows of trees will break that. If set out
as soon as you buy the place. they
will soon grow so to be an effective
shield. The convenience of the in.
ternal household arrangements will
readily suggest themselves to the pur.
chaser.
The barns ought also to be sheltered
from the cold. Some prefer the COW
stable under the barn. but my advice
would be to have tight stable on the
first floor. In winter a stable under
the barn keeps COWS in too close at.
mosphere; they do not do as well
when turned to pasture in spring as
when they have been in we'll board ed
but properly ventilated stable. The
internal arrangements of the barn can
be determined upon without advice.
The moral character of the neigh.
borhood should be carefully learned.
If young children are in the family il
is not best to take them into a neigh.
borhood of Sabbath breakers or other.
wise moral looseness and Indifference.
AS the twig is bent the tree is in
clined, and a mental bias impaired to
q child which warps it's mind in the
direction of faulty morality can never
be wholly eradicated, even by years OF
careful training.
Good schools near by and vigorous,
wide-awake church are the most i'm
portant requisites for pleasant, safe
neighbOrhOod in which to rear and ed
ucate family.
When you buy do so with the inten-
ton of making the farm a home for
life. Make it as pleasant as possible,
and put portion of your savings into
improvements each year. 1t will then
be home in every sense of the word,
and your children when grown to man.
hood or wOmanhood in homes of their
own will turn toward it with affection
ate remembrance Troy IN. W
Times.