Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1892-07-09

Let Us Have Better Farming and
More Homes.

ne Gay OF large IarlnS Is rdpIu-
ly passing away, and it is well that
it is so, writes a correspondent Of
the Prairie Farmer. There are two
potent reasons why the large farm
comprising hundreds of acres,
should become obsolete. First, it
is better for the farm-owner to re-
strict his possessions to moderate
amount Of land; and second, it is
better to have as many homes in
this country as possible.
1t is a positive fact that the small
farm-the farm of reasonable size
pays better than the large farm.
Eighty acres Of land properly man
aged, MANFRED, cultivated and kept
up to its highest standard of pro-
duction, will produce more returns
from the same amount of labor and
capital than will twice that many
acres managed in half-hearted
way, as most large farms are man
aged. 1t is not the number of
acres one cultivates, but the amount
of returns one gets, that makes
farming profitable.
In many localities, and especial
ly in the West, farmers bend every
effort to add to their landed pos
sessions. They scrimp themselves,
their wives and their children in
order to be able to accumulate more
land. The result of the matter is
they get loaded down with land
that they don't need, and which
they are unable to use to advant
age, and all their lives they are
worried to keep up expenses and
pay taxes. They become land poor;
they nor their families get any en-
| ioyment from living, and they get a
i -
small return on their investments.
The small farm, where it is kept
in a high state of cultivation, all
the hooks and corners utilized, and
every acre of it made to produce to
its utmost extent, is sure to pay a
good profit on capital and labor.
When farmers confined themselves
almost exclusively to corn, wheat
and raising, there was some
excuse for large farms, but now that
it has been demonstrated that other
things pay as well, or better, requir-
ing less land and capital, the excuse
no longer exists.
| would own and operate twenty
acres of good ground, planted large
ly in fruit, than a hundred acres
run altogether in grain. One good,
thrifty apple tree in its prime will
produce more financial income one
year with another than an acre de-
voted to corn. And yet there is
very little expense or labor required
by the fo"mer, and the ground oc-
cupic ~ an orchard can be made
to do double duty by raising a fair
crop of grain, vegetables or grass,
Then there is small fruit.
THERE'S nothing to which the farmer
can turn his attention with an as
surance of greater profit, and but
little ground is required. Poultry
is another thing that pays, and pays
big, because on the farm it is easily
and cheaply kept, and there is no
requirement for any marked outlay
of capital. There are innumerable
ways by which the small farm can
be made to yield, not only good
living, but a snug little bank ac-
count besides. And that is some
thing that cannot be said of the
large farm.
Then again, there are thousands
of farmers wanting homes, by cut
ting up the large, improbable bodies
OF lanu Uney can, many OF tnem
secure what they want The idle
acres that are neglected and left tc
grow up in weeds and bushes will
be cleared up and made to produce
a money-earning crop, thus not only
bringing return on the investment
but enabling honest, industrious
people to live. What we want is
more and better homes, higher
state of cultivation and no useless
waste of land. In other words, We
want small farms instead of great
tracts of lands that are incum,
brances to the owners as well as
proftless.
Row Try This.
II will cost you nothing and Will surely dc
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