The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE SMALL FARM.
There Is Profit In q Little Farm If It 10
Well Titled.

Many farmers spread their labors
over too great an area of land, doing
nothing we'll and being always hur-
ried and behind in their work, with no
time for rest or recreation. BY at
tempting to cover too much ground
the work is only half accomplished,
with the result that the yield is much
lessened and the quality of an inferior
grade, so that the returns from the
large farm in many instances will not
cover cost of productions; while, if
there should be small surplus, large
taxes and cost of repairs will swallow
it up, SO that the hard-worked farmer
has nothing to show ut the end of the
year for his long season of tedious la
bor
Of course there are some men pos
sessed with capital and exceptional
business talent who are making large
farms pay all expenses and yield
handsome profit besides; but the ma
jolity of farmers will secure better re-
suits and obtain more real enjoyment
for themselves and families by adopt
ing system of extensive farming.
The writer has but As acres of land,
half of which is under cultivation, the
other half being in sugar brush and
pasture. As it is unsuited for tillage.
From this % acres of tillable land is
produced enough to maintain II family
of six persons, and fodder for the stock
kept besides sufficient to sell to return a
handsome surplus each year. A couple
of well-bred Jersey cows are kept,
which give an abundance of whole
some butter and cream for the table
and some to sell. Generally three
horses are kept, eight to ten ewes, and
enough hogs to furnish pork for family
use aud six or eight for sale each sea-
son. A small flock of poultry is kept,
and from ten to twenty colonies OF
bees. By giving the best of tillage,
enough wheat is grown for use, suf-
feient clover and timothy for stock,
and some corn, oats and peas; but oc-
casionally little rough grain and
shorts is purchased to add to the roots
which are grown and boiled for
the hogs A considerable guam
tity of onions are grown for
sale each year, and there is
well-cared-for apple orchard of 1926
trees. The main money crop is small
fruit of which there are some eight
acres under culture. Our returns from
this usually average about 500 per acre
clear OF all expenses.
With such farm taxes are low, and
fencing repairs and machinery cost
but little, SO that there Is a handsome
income and but little outlay as com
pared with larger farms.
There is always an abundance of
fruit, both fresh and preserved, con-
slant supply of maple sirup and choice
honey, extracted and i'll the comb,
which, with vegetables and the prod
uct of the poultry yard and dairy,
leaves little to be desired for the table
at all seasons.
In the fall there is always time for
the family to take a short pleasure
trip or holiday of some description, and
during the long winter there is ample
leisure for improving the mind by
reading and study, and for maturing
plans for the following seasons work,
We are but young farmers, and, of
course, there are much needed i'm
provements which we shall make as
circumstances admit; but we would
not exchange our present farm life for
a home in the city, or for larger farm
with its increased expenses and long
hours of toll throughout the entire
year.-Cor. Epitomist.