The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-02-16
A SUCCESSFUL FARMER.
Store Life Changed for a Farm
J. F. CALpWELL'S GREAT FARM.
Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte Observer.
Mooresville, N. C.-If there
be any man III Meckle nburg county
who doubts the ability OF the soil Of
this section to make family COM
Portable Lying and snug casa income
and profit each year let him journey
10 the home of MIR. J. F. Caldwell near
Davidson College. A few days ago it
was my good fortune to pay visit to
Mr.. Caldwell's farm. The farm may
he classified as dairy farm. But a
variety of money crops are grown. Ten
years ago Mr.. Caldwell was merchant,
having been in store since he was Ii
years old. However. his heart and
mind were, from the days OF his boy
hood, on agriculture. Nine years ago
he started out on the work that he
liked aud lat has proved very profit
able to him as we'll. He first bought
80 acres of land and began business on
a small scale. Not being man of
much means he had TO 90 slow. Blu.
to day his farm Is a model and his
systems and methods are the talk of
his fellow-farmers. His success has
been wrought by toll and economy,
backed by fine business sense. His
neighbors claim that he works 365 days
In the year.
Here is the way Mr.. Caldwell makes
money farming. The first thing the
writer saw on entering Mr.. Caldwell's
barn yaro was Is or 20 fine, we'll bred,
registered Berkshire hogs. They we're
fat and healthy. The old hogs were in
pens and the pigs ran at large about
the yard. In the barn were 80 head OF
Jersey cows. OF that number but IL
are milking at the present. They are
we'll housed and we'll kept on peavine
bay at this season of the year. From
this lot of COWS Mr.. Caldwell sells on
the Charlotte and Wilmington markets
so pounds OF butter every week the
year round at an average of 221 cents
per pound netting $l8 week, or 1886
Il year. From the barn / went to the
dairy. There l saw ths milk and then
the butter. There, too, discovered
the secret of Mr.. Caldwell's success as a
producer of such fine butter. Mrs.
Caldwell, his wife, and Miss Tiny CaId-
we'll, his sister, were there working the
milk into butter. Every vessel In the
make it. There was not negro about
the place. The milk Is carried direct
from the COWS to the dairy. It is
strained three times and run into q
De Laval BODY Separator" and the
cream is separated from the milk. The
cream is put IN jars and allowed to
stand about "a hours before being
churned. The skinned milk is fed to
the calves and pigs while warm. When
the cream is sour and ready for the
churn it is poured into "Reid's Barrel
'harn )" ten gallons being churned at
q time. The butter Is taken out as
soon as it comes and is placed in the
butter washer. Every drop of milk is
worked out by that machine and by
the use of paddle the butter is cut
and beaten into roughly shaped cakes.
A cake at a time is put into printer
which presses it into pound blocks.
The blocks are wrapped in tissue paper
made for the purpose and packed in
boxes for shipment. TIE box used is
made expressly for butter. Thirty
cakes are packed In around central
box, which contains ice, when the
is warm. By this thorough
process of separating, churning, wash
ing and packing the butter is kept
fresh and eatab:e. The machinery In
The dairy house cost The separator
s95; the churn $40; the washer 81 ;;
he printer $40.
For summer use Mr.. Caldwell has a
larry building over cellar with &C.
Inented walls. The day that 1 saw IN
It, beheld between $50 and 200 jars
ot various fruits put up by Mrs. and
Miss Caldwell.
Besides making 4, 100 pounds of but.
Ter last year Mr.. Caldwell grew, bar
vested and sold 500 bushels of wheat
rom 20 acres of ground, and for which
he realized 81 per bushel. The land
was run In corn and peas, then wheat.
After the wheat peas were sown. From
The 20 acres so loads of pea vines we're
harvested. And on other fields Mr..
Caldwell grew 80 loads of peavines and
20 loads of grasses. On Is acres he
raised IL bales of cotton. From IL |
acres he thrashed 21O bushels of oats.
He killed 1000 pounds of meat and
'alsed pair of colts. He raises all of |
his work stock. He works two regular |
wage hands and one extra during the |
Jummer.
The cost of producing the 500 bushels |
IT wheat per acre was: For fertilizers,
! mixture of cotton seed meal and |
Eaint $3.50; preparing the ground SO
cents seed wheat $1.25; harvesting SO
cents Irvine tor harvester Is cents
lrilling in so cents for rolling ground
70 cents-total $500. The straw paid
or the threshing.
Mr.. Caldwell is belieyer in the
broad tire for wagons. He has a low,
trongly constructed, farm wagon that
las the broad tire. He says 1t is the
cry thing. 1t will not cut down.
Among other farm tools he has grain
lrill, disc harrow, manure dlstri-
'ntor, for broadcasting rough manure,
wheat harvester and binder and
moving machine and rake.
The Caldwell farm contains 2l0acres
Il land. 1t is cut up in fields and each
ield Is enclosed IN wire fence. The
ows are turned into the various fields
fter the crops are harvested. Mr..
CALDWELL a idea ia to enrich his lands NV