Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-28
VILLAGE PLAN FOR FARMS.

industry of late years and made it
profitable and attractive to capital and
labor and improved the social and eco
nomic conditions of our farming inter-
est. which. after all. is our greatest in
dustry.
Emigration may now be said to tend
to the southern states. encouraged in
several cases by state aid, but 1t Is
scattered over the entire south. with
no section or state specially favored.
When plan of corporate cooperation
is developed and its security demon
strated as plan of Investment, idle
capital of eastern cities will flow to
such localities and carry with it multi
tudes of intelligent farmers.
Corporate cooperation applied to col
onization and the cultivation of large
tracts OF land will insure, so far as hu-
man foresight can. security for capital
and the rapid development Of small
and prosperous farm homes. 1t will
supply systematic aid. far better than
the methods Of the early settlers, by
giving the best results Of experience in
management, selection of machinery,
suitable crops to protitably cultivate
and be of inestimable assistance in the
vast details that go to make successful
farming. including the growing Of nurs-
cry stock. purchasing of supplies and
marketing of products.
Land that is reasonably level should
be improved by sections of GAO acres,
allowing q ten acre plot in the center
as park for common use. Around this
park should be the separate home
buildings for each family. forming a
village. s for so acre or 16 for 40 acre
farms, radiating from the center. with
roads across instead of around the Sec
| ton. as is now the custom. Near the
house should be the garden and small
| fruits, then grass, followed by grain Oh
cotton and vines, with large fruit and
nut trees farthest from the buildings
Diversified products should be culti-
| waited, to avoid too great loss In bad
seasons on single crops, as cotton. corn
| or wheat, so that in case of failure OF
some crops there would still be others
to yield profit on operate each year
| The most valuable vines. fruit and nut
trees should be planted. portions Of the
| farm cultivated with vegetables, grain
cotton or other articles best adapted tC
| the locality selected. The finest yarie
ties of products. including the dried
fruits aud nuts Of commerce, brought
| to the highest state of perfection, will
always bring good prices and CORE
| spending profit. Overproduction doet
not occur under such conditions. nei
| ther are there failures with farmers OF
ample means and facilities for self pro
lection.
Estimating five to the family ant
eight families to the section on so acre
farms. there would be 800 people OF
nine sections within a radius of llttl,
more than one mile and double tha
number. or 720 people, on 40 acre farms
with 16 families to the section. Th,
facilities for education would therefor,
be ample to maintain the intellectual
standard far above the present coEdi
tions Of farm life. Circulating libra
ries, literary and other societies 70
mutual Improvement would thrive ant
schools would indeed be convenient
AS the community progressed all tn
advantages OF city life minus its evil
would be at their command. The lacl
of social and educational advantages
which are increasingly felt in farm lif
as progress in learning is made, Will
farm conditions grow worse and com
petition becomes more intense in al
lines, has been the principal cause o
the farm being drained of It's bes
minds to be absorbed in the cities
where cuccess awaits so small a pei
centage and failure is the rule rathe
than the exception, with its disastrou
results to societ, as well as to the In
dividual. iiEoReE w. SMITH.