The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-05
# depression than did in years of

of depression than I did in years of
better prices.
If l could begin my life over again,
with the prospect of 40 years before
me, and my present experience, I
should do quite differently in many
respects from what I have done, and
that 1 may possibly help some of our
younger farmers l VIII tell of some
things that l would do. First, l would
farm fewer acres, and do it very much
better. l started with a 40-acre farm,
and was getting satisfactory returns,
but a neighbor offered me 80 acres
more of land so cheap that l thought
it would be foolish not to take it, but
l honestly believe today that l should
have made just as much net profit from
the 40 acres as have from the 80, and
as l was obliged to pay interest for
some years on $1,000 and was cramped
for working capital to run my farm,
and now find that l have twice as
much land as l need, | realize that l
made a great mistake in this pur-
chase.
If 1 were a young man l would at
once start a sugar maple plantation on
my farm. 1 find that trees of this kind
that l have planted grew large enough
to be tapped inside of 20 years, and
from 200 to 300 trees can be grown on
an acre, and at the end of 20 years
would be worth from $500 to s., 200. Ma
pie syrup is luxury for which veal
thy people are willing to pay good
price, and there is not likely to ever be
a surplus of it produced in this coun-
try.
The sugar bush could be located con-
venient TO the buildings, where it
would serve as a wind break and could
be utilized as a lot for calves, or to
turn out the horses for a play and
roll, and would beautify the premises,
and be OF value while the trees were
young. To induce straight growth and
enable you to have trees that were
symmetrical l would plant AXIS feet
apart, which would give 1850 trees to
the acre, and then sell for shade trees
the surplus which would be over 1,0OO
trees, and those ought to pay the en-
tire expense of growing the trees, and
the rent of the land for several wears.
The trees ought to be cultivated as
carefully as corn for four or five years,
and when they are ten feet high seed
the land to bluegrass and clover. and
after that the pasture would be worth
the rent of the land. In many localities
young seeding trees can be gathered
up in the wood lots or cne can gather
the seed and grow them in nursery rows
or yearling trees can be bought low at
some nurseries.
If was starting in life / would not
run deeply in debt as l did. l bought
farm that had no buildings and Dor
rowed money at 10 per cent interest to
put up a modest home and barn, and
for % years l was paying interest, and
1 know that this means anxiety and
trouble and that 1 might have short
ened the period of bondage by more
wisdom in locating and by purchasing
a farm with good buildings rather than
building myself.
Another thing that l would do would
be to start with good stock and keep
it so. 1 for 20 years got along with
inferior stock because l thought Il
could not afford to get good stock, and
l know now that 1 made mistake and
what 1 really could not afford was to
breed poor stock. 1t will take but
few wears to breed a herd of cattle.
flock of sheep or drove of hogs of good
blood and when once established 1t
costs little to keep them good, and
every animal YOU have for sale will
bring more money, and it is a satisfac-
ton to have good stock and one is more
likely to give it good care.
I would also establish rule that
whatever was done on the farm should
be done well. l have done too much
''makeshift' work in the way of fences
ana DullulHsS, anu no iA'eV ioit5
enough to see that it is false economy,
and that the best is none too good,
and usually the cheapest. l do not
mean that fancy buildings should be
put I'D, but 1 would see that founda
tons were right and good lasting ma
terial used.
My house has been built "a years |
and the roof is still good that was put !
on at the start, While other buildings !
that have been built but u years are
beginning to leak. I would also from !
the start be a thorough student of my !
business, and try and know how to !
make the most of my products, whether /
thew were to be fed or sold. If l had |
done this as carefully 40 years ago as !
[ have for the past ten years I should /
have more money and a better i'm |
proved farm than 1 now have.