The Van Buren press., 1893-04-29
FARMER AND PLANTER.
roo MUCH LAND.

roo MUCH LAND.
O. - the Petent Drawbacks to succsss-
fnl Farming.
Tho moro we observe and consider
the condition of American farmers the
moro arc we convinced that their pros
perity would be enhanced by the con-
trection Of the area occupied and. pro-
fessefly. cultivated. The American
farmer has always been too ambitious
20 expand, territorially, too greedy OF
land. He has been too ready, when he
hna capital enough. only to pay for and
properly cultivate 50 acres. to purchase
100 md run in debt for tho last 50, and
when he has had enough to pay for
aud cultivate 100 acrea, only, to pur~
chase 800 acres, running in debt Tor
tho last 100. In his way the American
farmer Is proud and ashamed to be
known as = small landholder, Hence,
he has loaded himself with debt and
struggled along with burden too
heavy for him to bear that he might
paaa among his fellowmen ~ large
lnndholder.
(1f course we do not say that ambi-
tion to he known as large landholder
s the only, or main. cause for 80 many
% our farmers loading themselves
down with heavy buricd1 Of land.
Some have bought too much land BE-
cause they have thought that tho
growth of the country would cause it
% appreciate. and very many OF our pio-
neer seftAers. who took up large
I fxnats Of land at government price,
u course az vcars found themselves in
possezzi0sa OF fair competency be-
cause nf the enhanced price Of land
cauned by the settling Of the surround
Ing c,nnty. Many Of the early set
tlen Of western New York undoubt-
edly sIflded more to their assets by this
appaeciation Of land than by what
they llecumulated by the cultivation Of
the land.
0thef1 purchased more Of the cheap
lend because they were rearing >
1hmily of boys. some of whom they
naturally expected would wish to fol-
low the vocation Of their father. and
then it would be both convenient and
agreeable to be able to slice OF one or
more farms from the patcrnal home-
Atend and have their boys settling
nroumd them. Then, again. when the
great leading crop. the only crop that
commanded ready sale for cash, was
wheat. farmers considered q pretty
largo tract necessary to raise success
sion Of wheat crops. the income from
which should enable them to pay store
bllIA blacksmith's bill, shoe bills,
taxes interest on mortgage and make
! sznall payment ON the principal.
MhRAever may have been the origi-
MI oaNse we are convinced that more
than hAlf Of our farmers are carrying
albGethcr too much land, and, in con-
seqnellee. arc now Rroaning under
intsllenabio and discouraging burdens
Of debt A farmer. entirely free from
dicbh owning , good farm Of 10
20 ldt acres, well stocked and
snpBpltsi with implements and ma
chirlcry. is still independent even In
uuproylltious seasons when half of his
erors ialil to pay the cost Of growing
them. r. would be a poorer season
thar. llny that the American farmer
with y few local exceptions, perhaps.
hns experienced. when he could not
r1tsa er.0ugh to feed his family and
hAve snl.plus enough to pay taxes and
purchAse such necessaries as the family
must have.
W. donot believe that over one fourth
0t'oslr hlrmers are qualified to success
NIL -
land, Alid not more than half OF the
remilinder are qualified to cultivate.
SUCCESSFULLY. more than 50 acres. Are
mot ! large proportion Of our farmers
growing, less produce on two acres
than they ought to on one. ON
= 100 sisrcs than they ought to on
~ They grow less than twenty
basiheis Of wheat per acre lwhen
they onght to grow over forty bushels;
grow less than thirty bushels OF corn
when they ought to grow over sixty;
grow 1cas than twenty-five bushels Of
harley when they ought to grow over
dftv; grow less than one hundred
huahels Of potatoes when they ought to
grow over two hundred bushels. In
thsir slairics they make less than one
hundred and fifty pounds of butter per
cow a!year when they ought to make
over three hundred pounds. Their
sheep shear fleeces weighing less than
ok ptnands when they ought to weigh
Over tsn pounds; they breed and rear
hoses worth less than one hundred
dollars each when they onght to rear
those worth three hundred dollars.
Thus they continue, year after year,
getting less than half the produce from
their farms than they are capable of
prodaeinR.
And why is it that they produce only
mojeties Of cropse Is it not because
they put only about the amount of Ia.
Dor ind fertilizers on one hundred
Acres that they ought 10 pat on fifty
acres2 We are convinced that it is.
They are trying to cover too much
land; trying to do what they only could
with twice rs much capital and a
conniderable more executive capacity.
And still the American farmer is watch
ing ibor the opportunity Of grabbing
more land lie il unable to sell the
produce he now produces at paying
pricea. and vet he would spread out
still broader. bring still more land un-
der bin present wasteful culture.
esz We hare neser yet seen evidence that
our farmers feel it q duty to preserve
the fertility Of the soil for their sue
ceasorsL and few are provident enough
to Sndeavor to preserve it for their own
old age; hence they go on taking all