Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-30
CITY MANS SUCCESS
Wins Large Return From
Shenandoah Valley Farm.
CONDUCTED WITH SYSTEM
Proprietor Began With About
$4,000 Capital, But Lacked
Agricultural Training.

How a city family managed a farm is
story tsld in farmers bulletin by ].
II. Arnold. just issued by the Depart
ment of Agriculture. The record is not
one of great achievement in the face of
great difficulties. for the family. though
large. had $4,000 capital on which to
start. The bulletin. however, tells the
story Of the family for the past sixteen
years, and shows that system and some
hard work gave a greater return on the
| money invested than would have been
| likely in most other enterprises.
| The experiment was started in 1892
There was a family Of ten children. some
of them young and others about ready
| to go to college. The father was a city
man sixty years old and not a trained
farmer. He had broken down in health,
and was told by his physician that he
| would live but year more II he re-
mafned at work in the city.
| The family therefore bought a farm of
$50 acres in the Shenandoah valley
| There was an old house on the farm, one
| that had been built about 100 years. This
was modernized. water and other con-
veniences put in. and the farm laid out
| SO as to be cultivated and the crops
worked in proper rotation with the least
| expenditure Of time and labor. The bull
etin is furnished with diagram showing
| how the fields were laid out so as to be
reached and cultivated with the greatest
economy.
One of the features that seemed to con-
! tribute greatly to the success Of the
| farmer was his system of book and &C
count keeping, showing where money had
| been spent and just what was the re-
| turn on 1t.
Systematized the Work.
The work about the place also was
| systematized, one member OF the family
being given the care of the chickens an
other OF the kitchen garden. another OF
the dairying and another Of the orchard
The father took general supervision Of
| the whole place. One Of the daughters
| was maze the sales manager and had
the disposal Of all produce and Of the
bookkeeping. The mother does the cook
| ing and superintends the dairying.
One Of the most interesting features Of
the work was the labor arrangement.
All OF the laborers were recruited from
the railroads, mines and factories. Fam
lily %sn sea
| and two pigs, and was allowed to keep as
many. chickens as he could keep IN
closed: The men We're paid 800 a year
| and il al the end Of the first year their
work had been satisfactory they were
given a bonus of SIS. This, under the
| same condition was Increased to 500 at
encouraged to sell all they could from
| their garden. If the wheat planting was
well done they were allowed thirty bush
| els Of wheat at the mill.
Good Labor Results.
The system has given good labor results
and most of the laborers in the course of
| time have saved enough to go into farm
moi net
| had a chance to get a twenty-acre farm
and the owner of the farm bought it for
him, allowing him to repay the cost In
| small amounts.
| The family found that they could keep
| the table for their large family Off the
! acre planted as q garden. This sup
| piled their table needs and left them
enough to sell to pay for the provisions
| they had to buy.
The orchard has proved one Of the pay
| ing features of the farm. and last year
500 barrels were sold at $40 barrel
| There are about 200 head Of stock kept
| on the place. 100 of them sheep. 10
| horses, 40 cows and stock cattle, 10
| young cattle and 3j hogs.
Results Of the Experiment.
The net result Of the sixteen years work
shows that the family. starting without
farming experience and with capital
| of $11,O2S is now worth $4,000. or this
amount $4,000 is represented by an in
| crease in land value. The remainder has
been income, savings and enhanced value
| Of the farm plant.
The bulletin says that although this is
not an excessive profit, there have been
| social and economic advantages that
| make the showing a marked success. The
| education Of the children cost about 10000
| The boys graduated from the state uni
| versity, and the girls were educated by
| private tutors and in girls schools.
| One of the boys is now minister. one a
| college professor, one a civil engineer
| and the other a farmer. Three of the
| ten children remain at home on the
| farm. and all are looking forward to get
| ting farms Of their own for themselves
| and families.