The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-09-29
Self-Sustaining Farm Homes.

We have drifted far away from the
old-time independence upon the farm,
when the farmers table was mainly
supplied from the products of the farm
and when the farm home was the first
consideration. Now the business fea-
ture of farming is the first considera-
ton, and the home, in many instances,
made second in Importance. BY this lie
meant that the farmer should regard
the supplying of every want of the
family, 80 far as possible, from his own
soil, as his first charge, after which the
production of things to sell for money
would receive his attention. The Livs
Stock Indicator says: "This supplying
of the wants of the family is not as
practicable as it was generation or. two
ago, for the farmers family now has
many wants that cannot be supplied
from the farm, but so far az may be,
making the farm sufficient unto itself
would, we believe, add to the happiness
of all concerned, and lessen the neces-
stiles for the spending of what little
money agriculture does make for its
votaries in supplying the family wants.
We have written on the subject some,
talked about it some at institutes and
elsewhere, and thought about it great
deal, and it has all led us around to the
clusion that while it would be difficult
to induce more than an occasional one
here and there to take this view Of
what the farm ought to be, the few who
did accept it would find themselves
better off at the end of the year, hap
pier, less at the mercy of others and Of
commercial contingencies, and would
in every way find farm life better worth
living. 1t is true that if the whole body
of farmers of state would take this
view of the subject, the state would not
cut so large figure in the statistics
representing products sold, but the
chances are that the farmers would
have more Clear money to show for the
seasons work. This is not simply q
fad of our own, but has been put to
actual test. An Illinois farmers club,
as reported by one of its members in
an exchange, adopted resolution 'to
have nothing on our tables that is not
aised on our farms At recent
meeting of the club, he goes on to say,
reports were called for, and a large
number reported very favorably upon
the results. A strict adherence to the
spirit of the resolution had on many
farms resulted in greatly increased
variety of garden products and sur
prising increase in bank accounts. One
all.wheat farmer was compelled, in Or
der to carry out the resolution, to aban-
don his previous system of farming,
with the result that, while his cash re-
ceipts were $500 less than the previous
year, his net profits were 5000 greater.
Under the plan of growing money crops
and relying on their proceeds 80 sup
ply the wants of the family, the farmer
may handle more money, but good
deal less of it stays in his pocket-book,
and good many of the wants Of the
family 60 unsupplied because the pro-
ceeds won't reach, whereas, with farm
on which the making of home and
supplying it's wants are the first consid-
GRAFTON, the receipt of cash income
being made subsidiary thereto, the fam
lily live better, enjoy life more, and
with well-directed effort have more
money at the end of the year. mirror
and Farmer.