Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-10-19
A Living from . Small Farm.

AEOuA - SHNa6H ARM
The following from the New York
tribune Is written with an eve TO
Eastern conditions, but the most
OF it can be adapted, unchanged, rlr
other parts Of the country. The
small farm in the West Is not the
small farm OF the East, but the argu.
ments In favor Of trying it are even
stronger in the West than in the
East:
II freqentlv receive letters from
men. and occasionally from women,
who are very DESTROYS to 20 on a
farm, and who yet fear to do SO be-
cause OF inexperience, lest they
should make failure. l have a
deep sympathy tor the man who has
tired of working in factory, or IA
store, or day laborcr. and who is
anxious for more independent life.
l believe there are many such who
might better their condition and
lenRthen their lives by going on a
farm. AS word Of announcement
to such. l would say that some OF the
most systematic and thorough farm
ers in the country are those who have
had business training in other call
1nRs, and who carried their methods
OF thOrou2hness into their farm work.
There are thousands of men whose
wages range from $50 to $50 Il
month, and who pay from one-fourth
to one-th I'd OF this amount for house
rent. who are obliged to exercise
rigid economy, and who know II they
were disabled from work their fani.
lies would soon suffer, or If through
strike or panic in business they we're
thrown out Of employment their saw
ings would soon be swept away.
Many such could make success of
farm life il they would begin on a
small scale, with few acres of land,
who would be sure to fail II they at
tempt to manage large farm and
compete with experienced farmers
In growing wheat, corn, and stock.
1.-Two points must be observed il
the novice would expect success:
First, the farm must be so managed
as to furnish as far as possible the
family supplies, and second, until one
has learned what income the farm
can be depended on to produce. the
expenses must be kept at a minimum.
The mistake too often made by the
beginner in farming is to undertake
too much and load himself down with
debt My advice is to make it the
first object to produce family sup
plies Even small farm will fur
nish an abundant supply of vegeta-
bles for the entire year; small fruits
in their season, and enough to can;
eggs and poultry, both to use and to
sell; pork for hams and lard and dairy
products As the farm furnishes a
house, Ope can live we'll with little
cash. AS there will be taxes, in.ur-
ance and some necessary expenses
that call for cash, there must be some
products on which one can defend for
an income, and these must be deter
mined by the soil and the market.
On even farm of ten or fifteen
acres can heartily recommend COWS
and poultry to furnish the necessary
cash. 1t is quite a moderate estl-
mate that 81 per year can be received
from each hen kept, and in many To-
calities where good prices can be had
this might be doubled. Where con-
tracts can be made by the year to fur
nish cream or butter, from $50 to as
high as 800 per cow is received from |
many herds, and this can be none in
many places. II the farm is small it
will pay to keep the cows up in the |
stable and a small ward, and carry the |
feed to them and save all the manure.
This will enable one to d. without
fences and to cultivate all the land
l would grow corn, wheat, potatoes,
and clover: wheat TO follow the pota-
toes and corn, clover to be sown with
the corn to be grown with reference
to furnishing food for the cows, aud
the wheat not only to furnish suit
able preparation for seeding to clover,
but also to give breadstuff and straw
for bedding. In some localities other
products may prove profitable on a
part of the farm. Sweet potatoes.
nutmeg melons, cabbage, and small
fruits are profitable if there is a good
market for them, and any one of
these will yield from one to three or
more hundred dollars per acre. But
the beginner must feel bis way care
fully before trying any new thing. 1t
would be less risk to grow only few
crops as l suggested, and depend
argely on cows and poultry for cash
products; for, il the small fruits were
grown, the poultry would need to be
confined a part of the time.
I'm these days of rapid transit and
cheap fares men may work eight or
,ven ten hours day in town or city
Ind live out where they can have
title land to cultivate. or man may
work by the day for his neighbors
more than half the time and keep a
;ow or two and poultry on small
arm, which will give him profitable
every day, when he
would otherwise be idle"
Improvement of the Soil.
There are various ways in which
and may be greatly improved and
The careful farmer who wishes to
make success in his business will
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