The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-22
CapitaIistic Farming.

Country Gentleman.
The Kansas City Journal, discussing the
question whether farming does not yield
it's best profits when conducted by small
operators, quotes S. w. Allerton, the Chi
cago millionaire, as asserting that a capt.
talist may farm on a large scale and make
big money. Mr.. Allerton has a right to
talk about agriculture and its profits, as he
has been engaged in it for forty years and
has made a large fortune from the prod
ucts of his lands He owns over seventy
independent farms, about $1,000 acres. of
which 10000 are in cultivation. MY own
experience" says Mr.. Allerton. lis that
farming pays and pays well. In one year,
from a farm of 5000 acres, / have made a
net profit of $1,000. This tract of land cost
me $4,000. 1t was bought at a time when
faith in farm values was low, and when
the young men of that region were in a
hurry to get away from the farms into the
cities, where they would have a fair
chance TO make their fortunes. The ques-
ton of whether farming paws is we'll an
three farmers in central Illinois left, at
their death, fortunes of more than three
millions each, all of which was made in
farming In the same general region, L
can find scores of farmers who are worth
from 100000 to 100000. These straws show
that Farming can be made to pay on a big
as we'll as on a small scale.
The secret of successful farming lies in
the application of an intelligent system.
Lack of system is the curse of the average
farmer. He may, and generally does, prac-
tice all manner of petty and eXacting econ
omies, but he will never do things on a
large scale until he systematizes his en-
tire scheme of operations. Whenever the
question of crop distribution comes up be-
fore a lot of farmers, there is always a
good deal of wise talk about crop rota-
ton Sift this down to the bottom and IL
Will be found, in most cases, that farmers
understand this term to mean sowing, a
field with oats one year and wheat the
Notwithstanding these crops indefinitely
year after year. Here is where the chief
m proviaien is for made giving They tbe do g mot make e
chance for rest and enrichment. They 90
not plan to return anything to the soil.
Every field used for wheat. corn and oats
should have a seasons rest every three or
four years. Give every field a chance to
serve as pasture land as frequently as
this, and ii will pay big returns in rich
and heavy yields. About thirty years ago
| began farming on a tract of 100 acres in
New York. In three years | saved 1920
from the farm, and had a good living be-
sides. 1t was there that l demonstrated
the principle of the rotation plan which |
have since followed on a large scale.
From that time until the present | have
been constantly buying farms and operat-
ing them, and / have yet TO make the first
Improbable investment. This is why L
under average conditions, declares there
is nothing In farming Men who talk in
this strain are those who are satisfied
to get a yield of thirty-five bushels of
corn or oats to the acre. when they
should know that their management is at
fault II they fail to produce an average
of seventy bushels of either to the acre"
MIR. Allerton lays great stress on manag-
ing the farm in such a way that it will be
attractive TO the women folk and the
young people. On every one of his farms
he says, especial attention is given to the
kitchen, where everything within human
reason is done to make it convenient for
the wife of the farmer" On every farm
Mr.. Allerton keeps from one TO three fine
top buggies in which the young fellows
are privileged to ride around and make
as good a showing as the sons of indie
pendent farmers in the neighborhood. The
convenient kitchens and the top buggies.
he thinks, have been wonderfully sue
cessful in securing for him cheerful and
contented help, and it is a natural deduc-
ton that if these things have proved of
value TO the capitalistic farmer. they must
be equally so to the small proprietor.
Mr.. Allerton says he has foremen on
some OF his farms who are worth $4,000
each, and who are living in a degree of
comfort that some, city men. who make
almost that much in a year, cannot pro-
vide for. If there is no orchard on a farm
he plants one If there is no schoolhouse
within With. aTh c1i.sHlehl Instance ne builds
Mr. Allerton. lis the salvation of this
country. and the land that gives the chill
dren OF The common people a chance for
an education will keep at the front among
nations
Mr.. Allerton has strung most of his
farms together with telephone lines. and
they all center in his office at Chicago.
He notes the curious fact that these tele-
phones have saved and made him many
thousands of dollars. He keeps in touch
with the weather bureau and has daily a
talk over the lines with his distant farm
foremen. 'In a climate subject to sudden
and radical changes he says. the
chances of rain or drought or storm II
known beforehand may be the salvation Of
a crop either at planting or harvesting