The Florida agriculturist., 1907-08-14


from two acres Yet the price of the
two acres described below, would buy
a good place of ten or more acres
in this state and put up all the needed
buildings. Of course, our growers
cannot realize the high prices that
Mr.. Shearer received, but the guam
tity would make up for that. Our
gardeners cannot grow some OF his
crops, but the intensive methods used
would be as effective here as any
where. We think that the following
account, from the Tribune Farmer, has
considerable interest for Florida truck
growers:
Can man make a living on two acres
OF lana II needs be! Such question,
ana similar ones, have been Q1SCuSSeQ
at farmers Institutes and grange meet
lngS 1Or some time. ana Oliver K.
Shearer, OF Hyde fark, Penn, has
answered this question in the atlrma-
tive.
Sixteen years ago, when MIR. Shearer
was forty years ola, he found himself
out OF employment. He had good
common school education, but no trade
to rely upon for a living tor his wife
and three children. He knew little
ABOUT the cultivation Of vegetables, and
with $500 in his pocket he landed in
Hyde Park one morning in quest OF
home. The price Of property was
pretty high in the town on account
OF close market facilities, but he de-
cided to buy home, consisting OF
a brick house and three acres and
twenty-five perches of land, which in
Cluded the space occupied by the
dwelling house. the old barn and the
waste land, where a small rlvulet used
to wash away good deal OF good
soil during the heavy rains. This lett
MIR. Shearer exactly two acres OF
ground from which to make his living
and he made it.
He paid his $500 down on the pur-
chase price of $500 and started out
with mortgage of $1,000. He found
that the soil was impoverished and
unfit for the raising Of vegetables at
that time. He had puzzling question
before him, and knew that he had to
introduce a method to enrich the soil
i'll the quickest manner possible, SO
that at the same time he could earn
living for his family and make both
ends meet. He solved the question
by going into the dairy business. He
bought milk route for $3.50 and pur-
chased six COWS, besides buying milk
from neighboring farmers to supply
the daily demand, buying at the same
time all the food for his cattle.
The manure obtained from the six
COWS and from hundred chickens was
placed on the two acres Of farmland
continuously for years, until acres
were the richest acres as far as fertility
was concerned, in the county. The
moment this land was in condition
to do business, Mr.. Shearer sold the
COWS and abandoned the milk route.
By this time he had become acquaint
ed with thousands of Reading resi-
dents, and the morning after he sold
the last quart Of milk he drove to the
very doors of his customers with an
other wagon, and to every ring OF
the dOOrbell there was a response IN
nickels, dimes and quarters. The ques-
ton had been solved, then and there,
that a man could make a living. and
more, too, on two acres of ground.
During these eight years, Mr.. Shear
er studied the trucking business thor
oughly, and he found that all that was
necessary to use besides his manure,
was bone meal, nitrate Of soda and
potash. At present his only fertilizers
consist of the manure derived from
two hundred chickens, one COW and
the three substances mentioned. He