Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-29
THE SMALL FARM,


In these days of big farms and farm
ing operations on a large scale, the
small farms of twenty. forty and even
eighty acres are too often contempt
uously regarded as Improbable, as but
one remove from day labor. The ten
dency is toward large operations. Ev-
cry farmers ambition is for a half or a
full section. big herds of cattle. stretch
ing cornfields and village OF barns
and sheds and granaries. That is the
western idea of successful farming. 1t
is something akin to the trusts N
manufacturing. If three or four dozen
farmers own the land in a township,
tire actual farmers must become ten
ants or laborers. Still, dollar for dollar
invested, the small farm pays a divl-
lend vastly greater than the big one.
The editor has In mind an Illinois
ssrnler who owns forty acres of land,
IL he ever owned, reared a family of
nine children, we'll fed and well clothed,
ways had money and credit, staid free
rom debt and even accumulated 4
aalk account. He was a worker and 4
manager. and his forty paid him for
his labor more than many another
cleaned from 100 acres. A neighbor Of
his farmer grew well to do from Il
iorty acre farm. He saved enough TO
archase another forty and build an
xcellent house and comfortable out
aildings. During the time of his ac-
emulation he and his family lived well
md rode to town we'll clad in hand
some equipage, and all this time these
arrners were independent business men
instead of hired laborers. They work.
ed for themselves.
A Virginia paper has compiled some
statictics on small farming in the east
that are particularly interesting in this
connection. In Louisa county of that
state the farms are small, twenties and
forties predominating. The itemizea
statement of one of these small farm
ers shows that last year he raised and
sold tobacco worth 1926. cattle $500,
s25, and eggs s32, total of si,17o. He
hired labor to the extent of 500 only,
and bought fertilizer to the amount of
s1I.50. He has not accounted by debit
or credit for such produce as was used
by the family and that should be added
to his profit of about $1,000.
or course conditions differ between
Iowa and Virginia, but only in the
nature OF the crops to be raised. We
cannot raise tobacco proiitably in Iowa,
but there are other crops suited to our
soil quite as profitable. A twenty
or forty acre Iowa farm planted to-
corn is not likely to furnish a profit
and good living every year, but lit
tie farm intensively titled, planted with
fruits and the diversified and profitable
crops that necessitate strict attention
and call for continuous labor and
watchfulness is an independence. Hun
dreds of men who are working ten
hours day the year round for wages
and mere living. might make them
selves independent, gain better living
by putting the same effort on patch
Of Iowa soil.
Sooner or later the large farms must
be cut up into small ones. and half
dozen families flourish where one lived
before. The interurbans, when they ar
rive, will hasten this coming necessity,
and the change, when it comes, will
make the country blossom as the rose
and double the retail business of the
rural cities. Hasten the day of small
farms.
WHY HE is "UkSAFE."
tile went af the fJoyeStipa tiou 40 a