The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-23
Isolation of Farm Life.
(Ry F.. v Sm3ljev1

In no civilized country have the cultiva-
tors Of the soil adapted their home life SO
badly to the conditions of nature as have
the people of our great Northwestern
prairies. The European farmer lives in a
village, where considerable social enjoy
ment is possible. The women gossip at the
village we'll, and visit frequently at one
anothers houses; the children find play
mates close at hand; there is a school and a
church. The old men gather of summer
evenings to smoke their pipes and talk of
the crops; the young men pitch quoitS, and
play ball the village green. In word,
something takes place to break the monot-
ony of daily life; there is a joyous side
that lightens labor and privation. The dwell
lings, if small and meagerly furnished,
have thick walls of brick or stone that
keep out the summers heat and the win
ter's chill.
Here is an interesting article which should
be read carefully. There is great deal of
truth in what is said in it about the pain
full isolation of prairie life and the resulting
evils. But whether any change is now pos
sible is another question So many farms
mortgaged that it would be difficult to
make at this time a redivision of the land
and if we get the population together in viii
lagos the question arises whether they
could live in harmony; whether there would
not be perpetual quarrels over cattle, hogs
chickens, etc. But these matters of
detail, and it is a question worth discus
sing, and we would like to hear from some
of our readers on the subject When we
add to the facts given by Mr.. Smalley, in
his dark picture, the horrors of the robber-
les practices upon these poor settlers, by
rings and combines, keeping them in pow
erty and unable to defend themselves, and
improve their condition. We have a specta-
CT not to be paralleled outside Of Russia
The Representative wants to see the
people discuss every question that may help
10 10
Would this proposition do it? I. d.
A poor settler on a homestead claim must
live upon it for five years to perfect his
title and get his patent, so that if there
were not the universal American custom
of isolated farm life to stand in the way
no farm villages would be possible in the
first occupancy Of a new region in the
West, without change in our land laws.
If the country were so thckly settled that
every quarter section of land Q60 acres) had
family upon it each family would be half
a mile fl ON any neighbor, supposing the
houses to stand in the center of the farms,
and in any case the average distance be-
tween them could not be any less. But
many settlers own 800 acres, and few have
a square mile of land, $40 acres. Then
there are school sections belonging to the
state, and not occupied at all, and the one
preferring to manufacture his product at
home, the other to bend every energy in
the channel of cream production, being sat
isfied not to dabble in manufacturing. The
first, Mr.. f. S. Bliss, Of st. Adams, keeps
IS cows that average 10 pounds of butter
per week. He packs ice in the winter and
uses it literally in the deep-setting process
throughout the year. He buys quantities
OF bran and gluten meal, which are fed
literally all the year round. This bought
food enables him to keep more stock than
he could keep without it. The manufacture
ing process, together with the packing Of
ice and attention to the creamer, occupies
considerable time which of course cannot
be devoted to the production of extra feed
crops. Mr.. Bliss farms It's acres and keeps
30 head of cattle. besides 10 sheep which
act as pasture cleaners. He is good
farmer and is getting ahead, but not so
rapidly as his neighbor. as will be seen.
The herd made butter to the extent of
$684.75, an average annual return of S3S Der
COW. This amount was reduced by $40 per
head for bought feed. which expense could
have been largely obviated had the butter
not been made at home, and the time used
in the production of nutritious crops every