The Washington times., 1901-10-28
The Naming of Farms.

The lewiston Journal suggests that
every farm should have name of its
own. Its reasons are stated as follows:
This is not a mere matter Of sentiment by
any means, but it is strictly business The man
whose farm is known by some name is certain
to take a greater interest in its products. and
conduct all Of his operations a better plan
on every place there is certain to be some pecu-
liarity that will suggest name. A spring Of
pure water, grove Of oak or maple trees, or
something else OF a similar nature Will give it
a local favor. Then paint this name on the end
Of the barn facing the road. Let it be where
every passerby see it. Your farm viii then
soon become known far and wide, and will aid
you in thousand ways. Besides, how much
dGnihed IL is to be spoken OF as the
proprietor Of Oak Grove Farm than to be al
ludcd 10 as Jim Jones. BY all means name your
farms and it viii make you all better farmers. -
1t may be doubted whether a man is
likely to be a better farmer for having
name for his farm. If he is not dill
gent in business il will take more than
that to make him so. Still, the idea is
rather a pretty one, and not altogether
new even among farmers. In the old
er settlements of this country one may
find many places which are known for
miles around as the Old Sugar Hill
Farm" or The Three oaks Place" or
some such name. More often. in New
England, they are known by the names
of those who originally owned them or
who lived there longest, and a farm
may be known as the Harvey Place"
for a generation after it has passed
into the hands of Brown, Jones, and
Robinson in succession. In the South
the custom Gf giving names to estates
of some pretension has always been
more or less common. Sometimes the
name was suggested by a striking
natural feature of the plantation. some
times it was merely the family name,
but most often it was a name chosen
by the founder of the house. and in
tended to commemorate his taste or lik-
ing.
The suggestion of the paper above
quoted was probably inspired by the
English custom Of referring to farmers
by place names. In that country the
man is quite likely to merge his own
identity in that of his dwelling, and to
be referred to as often under the name
of the tenant of such and such a farm
as under his own proper appellation.
Eut in this case the name Of the place
is usually older than that of the tenant.
There are farms in England which
have belonged to the same estate, and
held by the same family, for hundreds
of years, and their distinctive designa
tions We're bestowed at the very begin
ming of things In some cases the name
has entirely lost its original signii-
cance, being taken from some ancient
dialect. and nobody knows exactly what
it meant in the first place. 1t is quite
appropriate, therefore, that the ten
ant. who is of yesterday, should
take his title from the farm. rather
than that the farm should change its
name for his.
In America, however, there is no such
reason for the naming of country
places, and while a large mansion. in
tended to be the permanent home of
family for generations to come, may
appropriately receive name of its
own. it would probably seem to the or
binary farmer rather an affectation to
go through any such formality in the
case of his own place. It would in fact.
be simply an imitation, without any
reason, of a custom which in England
had a good and sufficient reason. and
such make-believe picturesqueness is
not to be desired.