Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-08-31
HOW LITTLE FARMS PAY
Ten Acres Can Be Made to Yield
Good Income With Good
Management.
(By VIM. H. Underwood.o

10y WIN. n. 5OuQerWOOQ.)
MY experience of over forty years
Nl in practical farming and fruit
growing teaches me that the
cau.s Of SO many farmers having a
hard row to hoe from morning till
night one day after another the year
round, and having but little or no time
for recreation, are men who are farm
ing more land than they are capable
Of managing we'll
l mean by this that they are farm
Ing without sufficient capital to prop
erly till the land they are working
and keep up its fertility, or farming
without any well-deflned plan or
method.
It is an established truth that ten
acres well titled will produce more
and better crops than twenty acres
half so treated. This learned when
I first began my farming career.
Having but $3.50 to start with.
purchased twenty acres of unimproved
land, feeling sure would be enabled
to add all necessary fixtures such as
fencing, buildings, farming imple-
ments, etc.. from the receipts of the
produce raised on the land.
| I purchased cheap team by CIV
| ing mortgage on the place and man
aged to borrow sufficient tools from
my neighbors until the first crop was
made. But alas! At harvest time,
when I began disposing of the crop,
found that my expenses were far
Exceeding my receipts, and that bank
ruptcy was not far distant.
I worked hard with muscular force,
but found I had made a mistake by
not putting my brains to better use.
However, succeeded in selling the
team for sufficient money to pay the
mortgage on the place. after which I
disposed of ten acres of the land at a
fair price.
1 then took the money received
for the ten acres, planted five of the
remaining ten acres in small fruits.
used four acres for the growing of
vegetables, while one acre was occu-
pied by a rude house and barn.
1 felt sure Of success this time and
purchased a horse from a neighbor
on the installment plan. That Is, !
was to pay so much per month for
the horse, letting the animal stand
good for the debt until paid.
| My good wife, who was just as en-
thusiastic and energetic in making a
living as myself, began raising a few
chickens and also proved to be OF
great assistance to me in the culture
of our fruits and vegetables.
We lived scant until our first crop
Iof vegetables were gathered in, for we
wished to obtain start in life and
Irealized that this was our only way OF
SO doing. After disposing of our vege.
tables we paid up all accounts and
had a nice little sum of money left tc
help carry us through the winter.
AS our means would allow we have
|gradually added to this ten acres until
now our farm comprises 210 acres
which is we'll improved in every par.
ticular.
We do not devote the farm to the
raising of any one particular thing
but produce practically everything
that is raised on the general run Of
farms.
We have a number of acres devoted
fruits and vegetables that will grow
in our latitude, which are grown
mainly for the market.
5 We raise several head each of cattle
sheep and hogs, and also from three
to six colts each year.
! We produce a plentiful supply o
) grain and hay, but none is ever sol,
5 from the farm, as we have fount
, there is more profit in feeding it al
to the stock and then selling them.
, We employ the services of thre
!, hired men the year round, beside
other help during the busy season.
+ A careful record Is kept Of al
Il = 4
be of the utmost importance in sue
cessful farm management.
In conclusion. / wish to state from
practical experience and observation
. that the man who grows crops tina
3 do not bring him good interest o,
Q the value Of the land, and fair pay 70
;. the labor bestowed upon it, is in
4 losing game and will go to the wal
: sooner or later.
3 Bankruptcy Is close at hand whe1
ones expenses exceed his receipts
When q man finds himself on the roa
Q to bankruptcy in any vocation, or
4 not getting along in the world as h
would like. he should organize himsel
a into court Of inquiry and find GU
e what's the matter.
t There are q great many men of to
t day with small means and large fam
q lilies who are farming from 60 to 10
acres Of land at loss. that I am con
: fdent would be vastly better off a
It the end of few years If they woul
8 sell half the farm and expend tn
n money received for the up-building O
the other half. And the young ma
who is just entering the pursuit Q
farming will, I am content, find tina
ten acres is enough at first.
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