Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-01-11
CRY MAN AS FARMER.
ws, He Usually Fails to "Make
Good.
rw + spillman. Of the U. 8. Department OF
ls,;culture, in Leslie's WeekIy.l

80, s,;llman, Of the U. s. Department OF
Agriculture, in Leslse's Wses'y.l
III. ,scent increase in the cost OF living,
..t., together with the glowing accounts
~s;on have been published in recent
.bout successful farms In various
..r,. Of the country, have Influenced many
p e. mem 10 seek relief form their burdens
Nv going to the farm. The fact that the
~. Of farm products has recently
r.,a,;.lly increased has induced many
a;,x men to think that profitable farming
would be comparatively simple matter.
This. however, is serious mistake.
Farming is the most complex business We
lave. Not only must . farmer have an
.normous amount Of detailed information
.hout soil, crops and animals that can be
aimed only by experience, but he needs at
is.,, q documentary knowledge of half
sosen sciences, such as physics, plant
nbysiology, chemistry, mechanics, animal
Mythology, heredity and the like.
There WAS time when scientific know
ledge was not necessary on the farm. 1t
"a. when the soil was new and would
produce large crops without any particu-
lar attention to its fertility. This time
hs. psssed. In the eastern states the
virgin fertility Of the soil was exhausted
many years ago. As result, the agricul-
tural population Of the extreme north
eastern part OF the United States had de-
creased very materially during the last
thirty years.
During the twenty year period between
1880 and 1900, the area Of improved farm
land in the state Of New Hampshire de-
creased fifty-four per cent, and in the
whole OF New England the decrease was
ISL per cent. Even on western prairies
farming has now continued . sufficient
length Of time to exhaust, in very large
degree, the original fertility OF the soil,
and the Iowa farmer now finds himself
confronted with the necessity Of going to
good deal OF expense to keep his soil in
condition to yield large crops. There is
practically no place left in the United
States where farmer can reap abundant
hsrvests merely by blowing up the soil
ana scattering seou' % ne oouAu w my
years ago in the midoie west.
The city man has one advantage over
the man who has lived on the farm all his
life. He realizes that he is ignorant OF
the principles OF agriculture and is not
only willing to take advice but will even
seek It, Unfortunately . large number oil
farmers not only DO not seek ADVICE, but
resent II when II Is gwen 10 them. Hence
IT'S that the average experienced farmer
IN TINS country mas iapor income very
little II any better than the wages paid
ordinary farm hands. This being true OF
men experienced in farming, the city man
VINO expects to go on the farm without
any experience is doomed to almost GER
tain failure. But il he can hold out until
ne has gained the necessary experience,
ana IL he happens to be endowed with the
type OF mind that enables him to acquire
experience rapidly, there is q chance for
aim 10 succeed.
some OF the most successful farms in
this country are conducted by city men.
IN nearly all cases, however, these men, in
eneir early experience on the farm, sunered
tne seVerest kind OF hardship; but by
persistent effort, and especially by close
appication TO study OF the principles
involved IN farming, they finally acquired
.ne knowledge necessary to SUCCESS. After
'ney mad reached this point, the business
training they had had'in the city enabled
mem 10 surpass the ordinary farmer, who
mas mad little business training.
a mistake the city man makes is in be-
ne'ing what he reads about the POSSIBLE
ties OF few acres devoted to fruit. 1t is
True mat in exceptional years q single
Scfe OF fruit OF the proper kind, in To-
oii'y where there is good market, may
s'ing return of one or two thousand
d0narsi but II we were to take the aver
sse income per acre Of fruit in this coun-
Try, it is probable that the profit would
nos De any larger than it is from ordinary
'afm crops. Recent investigations among
'mal iruit farmers recently from the city
'naicate that as rule they are not sue
0ssiul and in most cases the farms are