The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-26
LITTLE EARN WELL TILED.


sighting his work 1 played second fiddle
to him, because | found it impossible TO
keep up with him, and it seemed l never
could do my work quite so well as he did
his. Three years later 1 learned that he
had married an intelligent and hustling
young woman, bought quite a large farm
and was making things fly. Happening in
the locality about two years afterward
called on him. He was working from
daylight to dark and grabbing every dime
in reach trying to pay for that farm, ana
his wife was right up with him. Both
were young and strong, but the pace was
killing. | told him to go ahead with his
work and l would look over his place ana
talk to him after supper.
The farm was a fairly good one a
quarter section, and his crop prospects
were very good, but he was trying to DO
too much. After supper, at Clock we
sat down and ehatted while his wife
cleared up the dishes. He asked me what
thought of the farm and his prospects
generally. He asked for a candid opinion
and got it. I told him to sell half the
land at once and stop his everlasting sav-
ing. | said he was killing himself and his
wife at the pace he was going. That
they would be old and incapable of en-
joying the farm after they became its
owners. He said the mortgage was only
$4,000, and the interest only per cent, and
he thought he could clear the whole thing
off in ten or twelve years. AS | was going
out of the gate next morning | shouted
back to him to sell half the farm He
laughed and shook his head.
He held it and paid for 1t. It took
twelve years to do it Three years after
he had finished the job l met Kim and
his wife at the state fair. He did not
look well, while his wife was but the
shadow of her former self. You did not
take the advice l gave you and sell half
that farm" l asked. NO he replied,
slowly, land l think I made mistake
in not doing so. The cost was too great.
We've got 1t. but we used ourselves up
In the getting," l believe hat If he had
sold half the farm, paid for the other
half and took life easier he would be
alive and strong today, and, with his
wife, be enjoying the fruits of good man
agement of a little farm well titled
The foregoing is my answer to M. I.
c." of Kansas, who says he owns eighty
acres now, and is thinking strongly of
buying an adjoining section, goins IN
debt for the greater part OF the purchase
price. He says he and his wife are young
and strong and he thinks they can make
1t all right. Very likely they can. but
youth, strength and health are worth
more than broad acres. FSar She former
and let somebody else have the i!ster. 1
know eight-acre farmers who are near !
the three-score mark and are still young
looking, strong, healthy and happy.
Their wives are the same They work
eight to twelve hours day, as they feel
like 1t, and grow full, not average,
crops. One of them last year husked
1910 bushels OF corn from fifteen acres.
The average on farms adjoining was
about thirty-five bushels to the acre. He
cut eighteen tons OF hay from six acres,
while the average of his neighbors was
about one ton per acre. Another says
eighty acres is too much land for nm
to farm, and he rents half of it TO neigh-
bors, who till 1t according to his specitca-
tons and almost Invariably grow good
crops.
Most Successful Farmer.
1t is a fact that il is not the man
who farms the most acres or works the
hardest who is the most successful farm
err but the man who manages best. III
one can produce a thousand bushels OF
corn on ten or twelve acres by good man
agement. what sense is there in buying
thirty acres and half farming 1t to pro-
duce the same quantity? | have always
contended that eighty acres is a large
farm, and it is especially 50 at this time.
when help is so scarce and difficult to OBJ
tain. | am satisfied that there Will come
some great changes in the industrial
world before long, and labor Will seek
past years. Then farmers will become
managers instead of toiers. and skill Will
count for even more than it does now.
But we have to deal with the problems
confronting us at the present time and
the man who is content with a medium
sized farm and freedom from debt is GER
tain to live longer and enjoy nfe vastly
more than the one who loads himself
down with debt to be the master of broad
acres. Capitalists have been investing
quite largely in land at 500 and up to $40
an acre. But capitalists are not always
wise. Lots of this land val not pay
per cent on the capital invested In time
this land will again be on the market at
a reasonable price. and those who are
now forced to be tenants because land is
so far above their reach will have an OBJ
portunity to become owners and pass the
land down to their children. AS Is well
known, the owner is a vastly better and
more conservative citizen than the tenant,
therefore is to be hoped that this change
will come about In the near future 1t
cannot come too soon.
wv. A." Ohio writes that he has re-
Gently purchased a fifty-acre farm on
trolley line and is about to become
rural Rube" q would suggest that 1t
would be better to call himself a farmeD
and he wants to know what he would
better grow in the line OF crops and keep
in the line OF stock He says he owes
about six hundred dollars on the land yet
and would like to know whether it would
be better to hold onto his present position
which pays him $50 per month until he
gets the farm paid for or to move upon
it at once and work the six hundred
out of It, My advice to any man stu
ated as he is. would be to mold his posi-
ton until every penny Of the debt on any
country place he may bry is paid. 1t is
not an easy matter for a man who has
lived in the city a long time to move
upon a farm and make it yield a profit
right from the start. Some have done it,
but many have failed. Get ii entirely clear
of debt before you move on IT. then maybe
YOU can make a good living the first year,
and gradually work into ? naying bus
mess. He says that wealthy people are
buying along the trolley in that direction.
and as his little farm is beautifully To-
Gated and has four acres Of natural grove
about the house. he thinks that one of
them will want 1t after few years. and
he can sell at good price.
Make Home.
What is the matter with you holding
IL yourself and having a beautiful home
and surroundings? II you own the place,
are out of debt and have only q living to
make, why not make permanent home
of it for yourself and family? Arrange 1t
to suit yourselves without any reference
to anybody else, or 10 whoever may want
Il. After you get started you can make
good living off the land. and thins
besides, and keep adding to the beauties of
the place by judcious planting and build
ing until you have home quite as beau