The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-07-06
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
uOUsEHOLD AND AGRICULTURAL
TOPICS DISCUSSED.
A budget of Useful Information Relating
10 the Farm, Orchard, Stable, Parlor, and
Kitchen.
THE FARM.
Making Farms Valuable.

|
In increase the value of his land is
| for the great majority offarmers the
| readiest and most obvious means of max
| ing money. This is commonly attempted
| by securing the CO. operation of others.
| In a new country each additional settler
| adds to the worth of all the land in his
neighborhood, provided he be honest
| and able and willing to work. If rail
| road can be induced to establish a
station on or near the farm its value APP
preciates still more. Many IA man has
| been made wealthy by the increased
value of his original purchase of arm
/ from the growing up of village or c. y
near it. These facts have to some ex
| tent diverted the minds of farmers from
| their business. 1t has brought many to
consider the buying of land as a sort of
| speculation, instead of for the purpose
| of working and improving it.
Yet it is in farm improvement, if
| iudiciously followed, that good farmers
must look for the greater portion of
their profits. The farm from year to
| year is expected to afford them q living
| and pay cost of cultivation, wear, and
| depreciation of tools. If the farmer
apparently makes more than this, if he
| skins the land, rs it is called, TO put
money in the bank or in other invest
| ments it is reasonably certain that he is
| to that extent depreclating the value of
| his land. His so-called dividends are
| in reality taken from his capital. 1t
may not seem SO at first. We will sup
pose Il man to engage in farming with a
certain amount invested in land ana an
other certain amount in stock and tools
| At the end of the year he has produced
| and sold enough to pay n handsome in
! terest on the investment. But he finds
/ after little that there are unreckoned
| offsets to this. If he sells all the pro-
duce from his land, he has little or no
| manure. and there is depreciation in
| fertility. In any event his tools and
, farm implements will be deprecated to
some extent by one years use. Unless
| he is very careful about sheltering tools
| from the weather, then injury from ex-
| posture will take a large share of his APP
| parent profits.
There is besides a reasonable GER
tainty that continuance in this course
Will impair the farmers profit, so that
even the apparent profit must cease.
The land Will no longer be worth cult
| waiting, and though he still holds his
| acres unimpaired in extent the farmers
capital will be gone. 1t is clear that
| the only safe way for q farmer is to
think less of present profit, and do his
utmost to improve the fertility of his
land, to underdrjin it, clear it Of weeds,
and in every way increase its practical
value by increasing its productiveness.
| When he once begins his upward
progress, every after step becomes
easier. He has more capital In the same
acreage, has more to do with, I'D can
make the farm as much better as he
chooses. Let every farmer remember
that the value of land is, except for
| speculation, just what 1t will pay inter
est on over and above the cost Of cult
| walton. The best farms are seldom fol
| sale, because as IA rule their owners are
well able to hold them, and can desire
no better or safer investment. let when
buying IT always pays to select the most
productive land, rather than be misled
by extra costly buildings that are often
an expense to keep mp not warranted by
the present productiveness of the farm.
I-BOSton CuttirdtOr.