The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-01-07
CITY MANTURNS FARMER
WENT TO THE BAckWooDS WHEN
OUT OF A JOB AND PRoSPERED.

HARDNESS
Fifteen Acres-Results of His Second
Year at Farming-Fanily Had Plenty
to Do and Plenty to Eat.
A man who moved out of large city
because he had no work and bought a
small farm in the Pennsylvania back
woods has nearly finished his second
year in the country. Late in Septem--
Der he cut 100 stalks of tobacco and
hung it up in the loft of his shed. He
has a large spare patch of ground that
he planted in tobacco as an expert
ment.
This city man was out of q job for
three months two years ago. He took
a long tramp in the country alone and
came across q small place of fifteen
acres that had been vacant for some
time. 1t had fairly good log house
and small barn that was out of re-
pair. He struck q bargain with the
farmer who owned it and bought the
property for $500 and paid 800 on &C
count. He had enough money left to
nav cash for necessalies to start his
new home. His first year as farmer
was quite satisfactory to himself, his
wife and his children. When last
spring opened he had gained many
new points from the farmers who had
become interested in him. He could
write and cipher; was made Township
Assessor, and did considerable calcu-
lating and writing for his neighbors. :
Nearly every acre he owned he put
under cultivation this year. The far
mer charged him only four per cent.
interest on his 5000 debt, which inter-
est he paid when he sold his late pota-
toes last winter. This year he bought
another COW. Now he has good horse,
two COWS, scalf which he intends to
raise. a lot of hens and pigeons, four
hogs, a flock of half-grown turkeys,
and few ducks. He has two stacks OF
grain, and his barn is packed full OF
hay, oats and rye. He has built two
bins in his cellar for some thirty bushels
of potatoes for his family. He expects
100 bushels at least, and will have
seventy bushels to sell. He expects
200 bushels of corn to sell, and will
keep fifty bushels for his family and
stock. His oats he will keep for his
horse. His rye he will use for his
stock and for rye bread. In his corn.
| fieldshe has growing about an acre Of
turnips. His cabbage he will cut down
into sauerkraut, and he will also bury
some heads for cooking in the winter
and spring. He butchers a hog on
Thanksgiving, another Christmas ant
another after New Year. This gives
him sausage, pudding, scrapple, etc.
for immediate use, and hams and baco1
for summer.
All summer and fall the wife AMI
children were industrious in tn
garden cultivating, reaping and drying
and preserving things for winter use
They have small orchard, ant
enough apples to boil apple butter TO
the winter. They will have plenty o
cornmeal for hot cakes or corn bread
and if they sell their grain they cal
buy bread as cheap or cheaper thai
they can bake it. A city baker get
along their way twice . week. II tn
man had room in his stable he woul
! buy two young steers to fatten TO
: spring, but cattle are rather high jus
= now. He doesn't work hard, is hi
own boss, works in the barn or she
= when it rains, gets up and goes to be
: when he pleases, his family has plent
to eat, his children are happy an
y we'll clothed, they can go to winte
+ school, they go to church and hav
good company. They go to Sunda.
:, school picnics and have other anus
ments, but their greatest delight
r fixing up the place and plantir
things. Their butter and eggs sol
. . very we'll at the country store an
% Welded them all the sugar, sal
h molasses, coffee, tea and other nece
9 saries that they wanted. The CIR
. raised young chickens for the huckste
a and the money they received bong
shoes and clothes. This season thu
"a will have twice as much to sell to Il
!. huckster as a year ago. The CT
= farmer will pay 500 at least on b
>. debt, which will leave only 81
AZ owing.
or The dwelling house is we'll whit
al washed. Sunfowers and dahlias 9
rs blooming all about the side yard. L
fences are decorated with late-pick
a tomatoes ripening in the sun. c
s. cumbers are being dried for the see
,g A dozen trays are in the sun ell
IS with sliced sweet apples drying
IS "snitz." He has litter OF five you
le yellow hounds which he will sell
st 80 each, as they are of blooded stot
of He is raising stock SOW from viii
ut he expects good litter in the ca
IL spring. His doctors bill will not
i'd So for the entire year. He has I
ho debts at the blacksmith's and at
of saddler's, but that doesn't worry hi
NJ In fact he has no worry at all. He
o. in no danger of losing his job.
[r. is sober and steady, and is mi
lis thought of.
ad eyes," said he, II got this pl
re cheap, 500 an acre. But small pla
ty are vet to be had for $50 or $40
ad acre, good ground. and fairly g
of buildings. But they are gett
of scarcer. Men are moving out Fl
IN the cities. Farming is not difficult
.rs learn. Nv family likes it. The w