Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-06
Fjqures for Would Be Farmers.

taken up by different writer's in vari
Gus ways. Recently the Philadelphi;
Press published an article which is O
interest to farmers, and of more thar
passing interest to those who live il
cities and who are contemplating
change to country life. Perhaps tn
average family which become tire
OF the humdrum existence and hand 4
mouth method of passing their tim,
on earth, know little about the coun
try or what il has to offer in the way
of inducements to the family iron
town. This writer says that 70 thu
man who contemplates agriculture
several vital questions present them
selves: First. "Whcrc can GO
Second, What can ! do without any
definite knowledge of farming" an'
then follow, How much will it cost tc
start ?" and Can a living be made ~
Ii these four questions could Be
answered satisfactorily. there is little
doubt that the Back To- the farm
though W. believe there Is no danger
OF Il stampede. But the impossible
ity oil answering these questions lies
almost wholly in the individuals vino
contemplate the change. The writer
which We quoted above, fittinglS says:
Before going any further it will be
we'll to state that the country is the
last place for a man to go who has no
other asset but his strong right arm
except, of course as Il farm laborer).
If We lessen the pressure from the
top we shall be giving those who are
fitted to rise the opportunity they
have been longing for. Point the way,
then, to the mechanic who by thrift
has been able to lay aside $1,000 or
$500. BY so doing not alone will the
country be benefited, but the CITY.
The first question we have 10 an
swer is where TO go. Within a
radius of n few hundred miles OF Bos-
ton there are at least 1000 acres of
land which could be either rented or
purchased. The same is true of all
large cities. Not all these are within
sight of the railroad station nor are
they on state roads. In fact. many
How can these places be found?
There are several ways.
In starting out to look for a place it
should be borne in mind that the TO-
'ation viii in Il large measure be de-
crmined by the crops to be raised.
For illustration, the folly OF choosing
. farm with northern slope for the
purpose Of raising early vegetables or
picking out a piece OF land With a
neavy clay subsoil on which to raise
poultry is self-cvident.
What can be done without previous
depends largely on the
nan. The wide-awake chap who
an see things out of the corner of his
ye and is willing to .'read. mark.
earn and inwardly digest" books can
make good beyond question. but lie
lustnt expect TO make anything be-
ond a modest living for the first two
I three years.
What can he do without definite
nowledge of the crops he expects to |
aise? Eothing-but-and the whole
ecret is in this but" If he has read
p on the raising of vegetables, poul-
ry. and small fruits, he may start in |
small way with safety. The list of |
rops which will bring in a good reve-
ue from small farm includes |
quabs, poultry (broilers. roasters
nd eggs). strawberries. flowers and |
ogs Gas side line), and honey, and |
lie secret of success will depend only |
n the mans ability to produce the |
est and then place it on the market |
l such shape that it will sell itself
Now, as to how much it will cost to |
TART. The best answer will be the
ecord Of the outlay of a man who
ented farm of twenty acres within |
lirty miles-of Philadelphia and
ent in for poultry
His investment was as follows:
Iorse, purchased at sale .... 5000
oW ..........-. .....:..............,,. 5000 |
isnt wagon, secondhand ...-..... $500 |
arm wagon, secondhand . 20 o.
lsht harness, new .................. 1900
table blanket t$2l and laprobe (s4l 600 |
aNrake secondhand .............. 1900
ultivator, bought at sale ........ 4Ool
q rlnr nlnU on |