The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-02-05
FAvORs LARGER FARNs.
A Correspondent Argues That the Larger
Farms Can be More PrOftably Operated.

AS a result of the war and recon
struction period, the Southern peo-
people we're largely forced to adopt
an unnatural and extravagant sys-
tenn Of farming from which they are
only just beginning to recover today.
It was merely by force of circum-
stances which took away capital at
one stroke that the Southern estate
system was so largely discarded, and
the small farms, with output barely
sufficient for the needs of the owner,
came in instead.
Some may picture the beauties of
''dwelling under ones own vine and
fig tree" but leaving aside sentimen-
talism, and looking at the matter
squarely from an economic point of
view, the advantages, under exist
ing conditions, are not evident. This
seems the conclusion of those most
directly concerned, as a great many
Of our North Carolina people who
own small farms are leaving them,
moving to town, and engaging in
manufacturing enterprises at regular
wages.
When we look at the obstacles
with which they had to contend, and
some of the disadvantages under
which they had to labor, can we
blame them? Let US picture on one
hand d large farm with one thousand
acres under cultivation, with fields
containing several hundred acres. It
would take, say, 25 horses to Guilt
vate this. With barn conveniently
arranged, one man could feed these
horses in about one half to three
quarters of an hour. Upon going to
the field, horses and machinery could
be made to do by far the greater por-
ton of the labor.
On the other hand, suppose this
farm to be divided into fifty farms,
each working twenty acres. Many,
and perhaps the larger number of
farms of this size keep two horses.
What labor it does take, even to get
..r-ep to work in the morning
., N are engaged in feeding rs
nOrses, and if we follow them around
during the process each will con-
sumo half to three quarters of an
hour of our time. In a majority of
cases we would first be taken into
some old riokety barn loft where
feed is kept; this is thrown down,
and then the feeder carefully climbs
down the wall. The feed is then
laboriously cut on an old-fashiOned
cutting box After this exercise is
over with, we are next introduced to
a little log corn crib, (Which if not
empty is more on account of saving
than making) with a three by three
square door, some distance from the
ground in one end, through which
the feeder goes, feet foremost, re-
turning a few minutes later, bearing
in triumph few ears of corn. All
this takes, as you well can see, many
times the time, labor and feed re-
quired by the other method. This
class of farmers have no large fields
and if the land was all in one piece,
for such a small amount to cultivate,
they could not afford to stock with
modern farm machinery, even though
they were financially able.
The result is that the work is per
formed in much the same way that
it was one hundred years ago. There
is really not great deal of differ
ence on most farms of this size, be-
tween the methods in use today and
those of the eighteenth century. The
best science of these people is tradi-
tion, and, cit is hard to learn an old
dog new tricks"
That these people all over the
State realize that they cannot farm
under such conditions as this, and in
competition with modern methods,
is evidenced by the fact that they
are leaving the farm. They find
that they can work a few days at
something else, and buy all the grain
they could raise in year. This is
spectacle similar to that of our great
grandmothers, with their old cards,
spinning wheel, and loom, making
cloth today, when we have every
where such magnificent textile
plants.
But by far the greater advantage
of the large farm over the small one
is yet to be mentioned, and that is
this the large farm can afford q