Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-10-06
The Small Farmer.


A great majority of the farmers of
New England are and will continue to
be what may be termed small farmers,
notwithstanding the tendency towards
large buildings and towards farming on
an extensive scale. This being the fact,
suggestions and advice intended to bene-
fit farmers in this section of the country
must be framed accordingly and directed
at farmers operating small holdings.
These vary in size and productiveness of
course, but are such farms as have been
inherited or purchased by the present
occupants and surrounded by such con-
ditions as make it impracticable to in
crease or diminish the size. Occasional
| ly farmer is found who has added by
purchase of adjoining farms to his own,
but this is generally to increase the pas
ture capacity rather than TO increase the
cultivated area, and in such cases does
not very much increase the products of
the farm.
The small farmer is one whose main
object in farming is to support himself
and family, without much thought about
| accommodating money out of the opera
tion. The larger the sales from his
liC luOAC NOuAlpAbo tthu Tvs
are enjoyed, and no person can prove
that this is not the most desirable life
occupation open to man. OF course a
nervous, ambitious person would chafe
under such conditions and probably
could not be fastened to such an Occu-
patton; but where there is one such per
person there are scores of persons con
tented to settle down to such a work,
accepting the prospect with good grace
and, after all, getting more comfort and
enjoyment than the person who requires
a wider field for his energies, however
successful he may be in accumulating
money or in achieving honor and Ie-
nown.
Such farmers aim to produce so far as
practicable the things consumed in the
family as the first objects in farming.
This cannot be carried to the extent
practiced generation or two ago, when
the wheat, beef and pork consumed
were products of the farm where con-
sumed, but it is surprising how large a
share of the things consumed in the
family can be produced on the farm. A
good garden is the foundation of this |
supply both summer and winter and
should have careful attention and the |
fruit, dairy and poultry products will
occupy prominent place in the list of
supplies. A few trees, a few hens ami
a couple of cows well cared for and the |
products used to advantage will save |
the expenditure of many dollars during |
the year Farmers are sometimes adj |
vised to purchase all these things, Civ
ing their entire time and attention To |
tue production of something for the |
market. In theory this may be correct. |
but in actual practice it will be found |
advisable to supply ones table from the |
farm TO the extent we have mentioned. |
In addition to this plan there will |
need to be at least one product for the |
market to bring in the cash needed for
taxes, repairs, insurance, clothing and
purchased supplies for the table. What |
this product shall be, and it is generally |
best that this matter be limited to not
exceeding two products, the locat' on,
soil and the inclination of the farmer |
must determine. Probably no farm pro-
duct yields larger net profit in New
England than apples, but 1t requires |
about ten years TO get established in
apple growing and the outlay of con-
siderable money. Although the coun-
try is Strewn with the poultry craze
wrecks, the businC IS affords good op-I
portunity for the marketable farm prod
uct 1t is possible to increase the net
profits with each increase in the poultry |
business, but the difficulties multiply |
with the enlargement of the business |
and make it's successful management a |
very different matter from setting hen
or two in the barn where Other matters |
are given leading attention. Some forms |
of dairying seems TO be given attention
on many farms as the sale product, and
properly so, for it has more to commend
it than any other product. 1t is sold
daily with cash returns monthly, can be
entered upon any day in the year by
the purchase of cows, and with good
management increases the productive
ness of the farm annually.
Whether it be fruit, poultry, cows or
something else, there should be constant |
effort to reduce the cost of production,
which can only be done by study OF
the business. Whatever is selected |
should be continued year after year, ex-
cept for very unusual occurrences, for 1T
is only in this way that the best results
can be obtained. There should be no
tendency to scatter ones attention apd
produce little of everything for the
market that is grown for the table. In
case of a surplus it should be sent to
market, but only rs a surplus. The |
small farmer in order to succeed will
need to give his best thought to the one
or two cash crops selected, even if the |
things grown for the table cost little
more by so doing. Grow the apples,
raise the eggs and produce the milk a
little cheaper year by year if possible;
but after all the real enjoyment comes in
the home the farm affords and supplies, |
and little sacrafice in some directions
from the failure of cash crop or loss
of profit in producing it will not destroy |
the real solid comforts and enjoyment |
the small farmers of New England are
getting from their small farms and farm
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