Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-06-28
A Good Farm Story Well Told.

A Good Farm Story Well Told.
have been looking over the pas
years work ON the farm and think some
OF the results may prove interesting Il
some one beside myself.
In the first place, I'm rather proud o
the fact that my boy represents the fiftt
generation of the family on this farm
His great grandfather settled here ii
1900 and the farm has always remained
| in the family.
Another relic of 1900 is our variety o
yellow corn. When the place wa
bought of its original owner there wer
several acres of corn growing hoed il
among the stumps of the clearing. w
still raise the unerossed corn that ha
descended from that first crop.
1t is an eightrowed flint that will ma
ture in ninety days, considered in th,
vicinity rather superior strain, both a
to quantity and feeding quality.
The best yield that we have ever KEEP
record of was made about fifteen years
ago, one hundred and sixty bushels o
dry ears TO an acre. The corn will shel
rather better than the average as the
cob is very small. For the past ter
years We have raised but very little yel'
low corn. Last year We planted just
acre, the drouth affected it so the leave:
rolled, then the early frost nipped il
hard and injured it good deal, but we
husked twenty-three bushels OF good
corn and five of pig" corn besides two
traces of seed corn, and four cows were
fed on the fodder for several days in
August. Certainly enough to more than
make up thirty bushels of ears. The
corn was not planted till June 10, so
think it did pretty well, and in ger
minstiOn test few weeks ago, of ten ker
nels each from twenty ears, came with
out exception. / mean TO have an acre
this year and hope to make better
showing.
Our cows are our standbys, however.
We have had for the year 1909 four cows
aud since August a two-y ear-old heifer
One of the cows is fourteen years old
and has been giving milk since August,
1907. Two more, one three-year-old,
one ten, freshened in May, 1909. The
other one in October, 1909.
Through June and July the three
year-old gave from fifteen to seventeen
quarts of milk day, making little
over two lbs of butter per day according
to the Babcock test. She is half Jersey,
the other half Holstein and Shorthorn,
the others are pure-bred, but unregiSter-
ed NJ. S. j. II. B. Jerseys, except the 2
year-old, who is registered. We receiv-
ed for cream at the Skowhegan creamery
for the year 1909, S34l.06; for calves
sold, 5000; raised two heifer calves
milk and cream for the family, also but
ter for three months, besides skim-milk.
Grain for the year cost approximately
$3.50. Two pigs bought in May sold in
November for $40, with a cash outlay of
SIS. The rest was skim milk, unstable
apples, etc. Two others were sold in
May for s34 90, but the margin of profit
was less.
Ny account with my hens from May
/, 1909, to Mar. %, 1910, stands as fol
lows: Paid for feed, etc., $40. Receiv
ed for eggs sold. S44 IL. Received for
poultry sold, s20.69 Total receipts,
S64.S0. | began with twenty-five hens,
have now forty-five, thirty-two of them
pullets. | have given them no credit
for the pulletS or for the eggs used at
home, and il is a good many, nor made
any charge for labor, etc. They occupy
an open front house and are shut up in a
ii acre yard from May to Oct. 10 or
| realize these are incom-
plete records and that after the manner
of some of your last fall correspondents
could reckon myself hopelessly in debt
or by another course prove We are &C
quring wealth rapidly, but at least We
make a living and enjoy the farm bet
ter than any other place. There are al
ways ten different ways to spend every
dollar that comes in, sometimes long be-
fore they come and the hired help ques-
ton is big one for one woman and a
four.year-old boy are not much of a
crew on farm, and the buildings need
repairs. | want silo, manure shed, a
new COW tie-up, a water supply at the
house and lots of other things, but we
live and enjoy il and don't get in debt
and I've no desire to change for some
other occupation. This is altogether
too long letter TO impose on stranger,
but have been told SO much OF the ad.
vantages CD of leaving the farm and care
and work that had TO relieve my mind
4 little-Katherine K. Paddock, Somer,
set Co., in Maine Farmer