Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-03
THE FARM AND GARDEN
Small Farms.


more profitable results than it would on
eighty acres.
1t is too often the case that farmers
will spread an amount of manure on ten
acres that will be insufficient to accom-
plish even more than meager crop yield.
If the same amount of manure was
spread on half the number of acres there
would result a paying crop yield and an
increase of the soils fertility. The diff
ference there is in time consumed caring
for the crops as well as blowing, harrow
Ing and planting ten insufficiently fertil-
lied acres could be saved and the time
which is truly money in farming, could
be expended for additional manures, and
in that manner also greatly increase the
crop and profit. Concentration or e1orts,
putting the work on a smaller area and
thereby doing more thorough farming
would on many farms stop the cry OF
don't-pay farming.
good plan would be to get more fields
into gras and clover. The farms of the
future that will make their mark of sue
cess will be those that can be classed as
small farms. in comparison with the av-
erage farms of today. The stereotyped
plans of raising only certain crops will
become also a thing of the past. Diver
sifed farming will join hands with small
farms, and more profitable results, with
less labor and happier homes, will be the
result
The farmer of the future will take more
pains with his products and their quality
will be greatly improved. The fact is
already known and generally admitted
that 1t pays in every branch of agricul-
tural industry to sort carefully and send
the best to markets and put them up in
the most attractive form.
The extra trouble 1t takes to do this is
literally paid for. There Is always a
paying demand for a good, honest pro-
duction Reputation is an excellent mo-
tor for selling farm products. The farmer
a En2pia1 design n
prints of butter, if the butter is first
class, soon has people inquiring for print
butter with his stamp on it. If, however,
some good and some very inferior prints
are mixed together like the apples in a
barrel, where a couple of rows of good
ones are put on top and the rest are YER
liable truck, then the farmer loses GUS
toners.
There is a chance on any farm, unless
it is very distant from a town or rail-
road to make many things special, to
pay particular attention to getting them
in the highest state of perfection. The
idea once carried out, there could soon
be secured regular customers that would
give little more than the regular mar
ket rate very willingly
The careless or soVenly farmer is
necessarily an eXtravagant man. Neat
ness and order are as truly economic fac
tors in farming as in any other occupa-
ton. 1t pays to do everything well in
farming. Neglects are costly, for timely
attention to all crops on the farm Is the
only true way to make farming pay. Two
or three delays, when any crop needs at
,tention, may result in a loss of the whole
seasons work, as far as profit is concern
ed. In the spring, especially when I'M
favorable weather prevails work is often
delayed, so that there are so many
things demanding attention at the same
time that the farming operations are
rushed and indifferently done. This is
more seriously the case on large farms
for hands are scarce and difficult to get
when unfavorable seasons prevail.
The garden may be made a source of
real profit; small fruits can also be made
a great source of revenue on small farms
When prices of raspberrles and black
berries, etc, are not high enough to pay
they can be dried or evaporated, and will
bring paying prices In due season. Poul-
try and eggs butter and cheese, wool,
mutton and lambs, root crops, winter
squashes cabbage, caulifower, herbs
and many other things can have especial
attention given to them on small farms
These will all be money crops and hav
ing something always to sell is the
proper way to farm. Those who have
lived on large farms and raised merely
corn, wheat and little grass, keeping a
few ordinary cows and never knowing
the pleasure and benefit of good gar
den, If they will concentrate their efforts
as advised will add not only health and
happiness, but years to their lives
Broom Corn
A large portion of our rich alluvial
lands are well adapted To growing broom
corn, which is a most profitable crop
when properly cultivated and managed.
In the black belt, the Tennessee river
valley and our bottom lands in other
counties broom corn will pay better per-
haps than any other field crop. The
State Hchald would suggest, where the
conditions are favorable, to experiment
wi a
The cultivation is easy and simple. The
ground is broken and prepared about the
same as for corn. The more even and
thorough the preparation the surer one
will be in getting a good stand. Rich,
heavy soil should be given to this crop,
for all the difference in the world is made
in the profits. A poor stand of broom
corn will make no profits at all, while a
heavy stand will yield considerable.
The rows of seed are planted feet and
ore apart, and the seed can be dropped
~ hand or by corn-planter. Two or
hree grains of seed need to be dropped
. or inches apart in the rows, and the
seed drill should be arranged to do this
regularly.
If the stand of broom corn is even and
heavy the stalks are apt to be large,
and they will produce large, heavy heads
II of the most marketable type. thin
stand is invariably composed of small
brush which sell only as seconds in the
market. On the other hand, a too thick
stand of broom corn will frequently
cause crowding so that the heads will
not be perfect. In order to get the prop
err stand 1t is consequently necessary to
have rich soil and give good cultivation
to prevent thin, straggly crop. Then,
If the corn grows too thick it should be
thinned out to the proper distance. This
work is very important on many farms,
and the neglect of 1t has ruined many
good harvests.
The seed will come up in about eight
m tor 6aN q Or nd