Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-11-13
INTENSIVE OR EXTENSIVE FARMING.

4
My farm consists Of twenty-three aud
half acres. A friend said that, when
IL IL paid for, had better buy an scioin-
ing plot of the sam. size. Happily, the
home place seems nesring the point OF
freedom from debt, and before lucurring
another obligation OF The kind shall
see II there is not one OF another sort
which owe to the farm already paid
for. A man owes 10 his farm his best
effort toward making Of II all that is
possible. Nearly every farm, while
being paid for, is neglected In regard 10
increasing It's producing powers; indeed,
these are often decreased. The aesthetic
side OF which, according TO the popular
idea, the farm Is entirely devoid, may be
built up while paying for il, aud GER
tsinly IL should not be neglected after
ward. The fsrmyard and the home sur
roundings are proverbislly devoid OF
tasteful arrangement and. care. The
few exceptions are very noticeable by
contrast. The rural home, with strict
regard to sanitary and aesthetic arrange
ment, may be made fully ss attractive ss
village or city home. The man who
endures the unkempt surroundings Of
country place for quarter OF century
In order 10 become sufficiently well-to-do
TO exchange for village home, Is GER
tainly lacking in due appreciation Of
rural things.
Intensive farming has It's full fruition
only with the man who Is In love with
rural surroundings, who Is wide awake
Ia mind aud body, and who Ia not afraid
oi manual labor, The sleepy fellow
who tolls drudgiugly all day and dozes
al! the evening will not often be heard
from outside his own community. The
wide awade man whose efforts are
kindled by a spark OF enthusiasm. whose
life IS happy combination OF manual
snd mental labor, is the one whose
home surroundings, crops, stock, etc,
will excit. favorable comment. AS a
rule, a man who Is too lszy To do manual
labor viii never do much with his head.
The wide awake man will find out the
possibilities OF his farm sud work them
out. Intensive farming Is practically
devoid OF drudgery, becsuse IL has given
WAY 20 pleasure. A piece OF potatoes
that had determined TO spare no ptins
upon did not entail any irssome toll
upon me. The work was a pleasure
from the turning OF the first furrow 10
the digging of the last hill, and II Was
all done with nv own hands. TIE piece
while growing was q combination of
oesuty and pecuniary hope, and after
the beauty Of foliage faded We unesrthcd
some beauties from the soil. could
lit crate OF thuse tubers with fSr
greater ease than one Of poor potatoes,
although weighing perhaps the same.
The intensive farmer puts value and
utility into bis land, while the extensive
farmer too often takes the valuable
things out. The more thoroughly filed
farm is Of valuable elements the more
comfort il is capable OF yielding its
owner. A neishbor OF mine obtains a
good lot Of the necesssries as well as
MANI luxuries OF life from fifteen scres
OF land. The fruit and garden products
are abundant, the house Is nicely paint
ed, the ysrd produces beautiful iowers,
and the monotony Of winter scenery Is
broken by 4 display Of house plants.
The msD has been out Of debt for q
quarter century. Another farmer has
ten times 81 much land. He works from
8 A. NJ. 70 p. ". and recrestes, before
and after, doing chores. He still owes
4 large debt; consequently his house
shows only the remains Of u psiniing
twenty-five years ago. The yard IL des-
titute of flowers, The few fruit trees
about the house are scruboy and unpro-
duclive. The windows are devoid Of
house plants, and the table shows speci- !
mems of the pig sly product oftener |
than those OF the garden.-New York |
Tribune.