Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-05-16
A MoMENTous QUESTION.
What should the Young Farmer dc
With His Savings?


CT. Beaver, Penn; What would You advise
a farm renter to do that has saved between
81 200 and 1880 and has no help Of his own
except q six-year-old boy, and whose wife Is
not very strong, but tries to makea couple OF
hundred dollars a year out Of her ehiekenst
Help is so hard to get In harvesting and when
one needs help. don't want to go 10 town 10
live. In this part of the country farms are so
high poor man cannot buy. like To attend
TO cattle and hogs and have fairly good luck
with them.
The propounder Of this question is in
similar position to that of thousands OF
others no are puzzled to know what TO
do. A few hundred dollars have been by
dint of hard work accumulated, and they
don't know what to do with it. Right
here is the crisis which has either made
their future life one OF success or one OF
failure. Here is man who has been
trained along lines Of practical farming.
His faithful wife has by her wifcly econ
ofny and skill been true helpmate to
him, or she would not be annually with
her poultry, adding to the family income
500
feel like putting little extra stress on
that poultry business, as / am not sure
that after the expenses are taken out and
a division made of the productions OF the
farm, the wife has not about as much to
show to her credit as the husband.
There is 1850 in the family bank.
What is to be done with III | have
known of several men who, when they
had accumulated that sum, began to get
''swelled heads. Perhaps the husband
began turning his attention downward, or,
worse yet, citywsrd.
His mind dwelt upon some fellow he
might have known who had invested in a
town lot and doubled his money in one
year, or who bad gone in some business
and succeeded. But he failed to think OF
the man who laid out the 81 500 in small
house in the suburbs, where he had no
chance for garden or chickens; where he
had to labor daily in the shop, rain or
shine, and after corporation taxes, water
taxes, school taxes and the other taxes
were paid, the food for his family pro-
vided and clothing furnished, he found
nothing accommodating for the old age that
was creeping on, nothing for the days to
follow when he would no longer be
needed in the shop.
might go further on this line but will
stop here by saying: II you have any
thoughts OF town or city life, ask the good
wife to put a cold water compress on your
head and lie down and take a nap. Then
get up and begin to think OF some location
where you can buy a small farm and not
have to run largely in debt for tia small
debt you can carry ON good productive
piece OF land.
Don't purchase expensive buildings.
They are a source of expense. Keep in
mind the adage, "A little farm well titled"
A smaller house, with cheerful wife in
it, is what makes home of happiness.
Now listen To the wife little; ask her
what she needs TO care for the chickens
better, and you can as a rule furnish 1t at
little expense. A man Of gumption with
a saw and hammer and a pile of cheap
lumber, and his wife to boss the job, can
make a comfortable chicken house at very
little expense.
LION HtEleNt kIt stttAli run
straw berries and raspberries, also black
berries, can be grown right between the
cherry, plum and pear trees when they are
small; yes, and some lima beans and
early potatoes. But will leave you to de-
eide what is best. II is not for me to
dictate to you.
Now, have practically told you to buy
small farm. In selecting it, get as much
available land as possible. A fifty-acre
farm with every acre tillsble or available
is far better than hundred-acre farm at
the same price with one-hslt OF it I'M
productiye-keep that in mind. Even a
ten or fifteen acre farm run for all that
there is in it will bring in more clear dol
lars than some hundredacre farms.
have said nothing about livestock. A good
team need not be an expensive team. But
when it comes to cows and pigs or sheep,
please keep in mind that COW which may
cost so or 500, by reason of her ability TO
produce, is a far better investment than
two cows which can be bought for the
same money.
good brood SOW is a source OF profit,
winnie poor one parely pays the cost OF
keeping. The same is true of sheep. One
good breeding eve will yield more profit
than several poor ones. Keep in mind
that it pays to feed good feed to good
animals, whether they be chickens or
cows, but it doesn't pay to feed good feed
to poor producers. Always keep this in
mind-you can't afford to do otherwise.
You say 'boy six years old; we'll, il
he is the boy he should be, it will not be
long before he can save many a step for
both father and mother. Encourage him,
give him some chickens, or take him in as
partner in some of your other farming
operations. Teach him business. What
comes tolhim as his share allow him to
use himself. Teach him to buy his own
clothing wisely; and don't care II he gets
beat sometimes. You and 1 have been
beaten. 1t was the school Of experience
to Us, and it wiz have to come some day to
him. Counsel with him and advise with