Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-12
Agricultural Help
SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE AU-
OURS FOR THE SMALLER
TOWNS,
Vet Much Land Not Under the Plow--
Little Leaks Eat up the Profits.

/
| try not under the pillow, and many farms
/ under the pillow are larger than they
should be for the amount of work done
| upon them However. the time is COM
| ing when the present size of farms must
| of necessity be gradually decreased
| Some have attempted o prove that
| farms of the future would be large and
owned by rich men. We doubt it, of
course, a large farm can be run the
| same as any other business and good net
profits made from it, but it viii be long
| time, if ever, before the science of agri-
/ culture will be far enough advanced for
land to be cultivated extensively by hired
| labor and hired supervision. Little leaks
| in large farming soon eat up the profits
| Individual attention and ownership are
what make il a success.
| American land of the future must be
| the home of millions of successful and
| happy people 1t must be divided into
millions of small farms with a home and
| a family upon each farm. The welfare
and stability of the nation depend upon
| this kind of farming, and no doubt
economical food production lor the
masses will depend upon the number and
kind of men and women who make up
the farming class. The individual
owner, who knows how and has the
means can produce almost twice as
much from a given amount of land as
the same individual, who serves as an
employee He is neither in the union nor
In the trust. but free and Independent
man. working from daylight till dark
or only few hours a day. as he pleases
The small farmer of the future viii both
know how to farm and have abundant
means for pursuing his occupation with
out the handicaps which the pioneers
experienced. Already banking firms are
arranging to lend farmers all the money
they want at reasonably low rate OF
interest, with the principal to run for q
long term of years. Farming finances
are assuming a more substantial posi-
ton. lust as methods of filling the soil
are improving Land viii be higher IN
price. but the means for eultivating the
land will be better. Not only VIII much
more be grown to the acreage than there
has been in the past, but the farmer VII
receive much better prices for his crops
than he ever has in the past. Already
cheap corn and pork are almost history
II is conservatively predicted that beef
will never be cheaper than II is at pres
ent but that it is bound to go higher as
the years go by. Every crop that can be
grown from the land will find ready
market or can be turned into good cash,
directly or Indirectly. Future prospects
are bright for the family that owns even
a small farm. with the home and all
that goes with it. The small farmer has
chance now to make money. and his
chances for healthful, pleasant and gen.
orally ideal living are many times bet
ter than the man in town or city with
double the investment. Only one thing
stands in the way of a full realization
| of all his dreams. and that is knowing
| how
When YOU read or hear OF farmers
growing big crops. receiving big prices
| for things produced on the farm. max
| ing and laying up money from their
operations, or any other successful
things. you must remember they do
these things because they know how to
do them. 1t isn't a question of interest
in the land only-that would do few
years ago-but you must know the land
and every detail of working 1t in refer
ence to field crops, live stock and other
animals, fruit. the garden and the best
way of marketing the things you have
to sell The small farm can be made
to pay handsomely If you know how 20
work it and work ii for all 1t is worth.
| The best advantage of the small farm
| is that you are Independent of hired
labor for your main work. You can 90
practically ar there is TO do on your
small place. saving the expense OF hfed
help, and when you have done thing,
you know. it is done right. Restricted
area for ti1lage means economy of labor.
Things are close at hand Minimum time
| is wasted in going and returning from
fields You can see all of your farm
| from any time at any point on the place
without moving out of your tracks On
| the large farm much time is lost and
| parts of crops are often sacrificed
| through the cultivation of distant fields.
| Time and labor are money, and the
| small farmer can use both with the least
amount of loss.
| Perhaps the greatest advantage IN
running a small farm is that all of the
| land can be titled well, and the crops
! given the best of cultivation. 1t is bet
| ter. for instance, to raise 100 bushels OF
| corn to the acre on 10 acres than %
bushels to the acre on 40 acres. The TO-
| tai yield will be the same on each. but
| there will be only one-fourth OF the
blowing and one-fourth of the tramp
ing in gathering the corn on the farmer
| The big farmers and the medium-sizea
| farmers all realize that they attempt TO
do more than they are capable OF dong
| and that their crops are not one-haii as
large as they might be. The average
| farmer would be better off. If he would
sell one-half of his land and cultivate
| the remaining portion in better way
| Good advice to the beginner would ne;
| Start on a small farm and stick 10 ".
| Land to produce the bumper crops we
read about must be heavily fed and Ter
| tilted, as well as plowed deep ana cui-
| tivated thoroughly. The man who mas
| small tract of land is able to apply ma
/ nure and other fertilizers heavily. On
the larger slice of bread the butter must
| be spread so thin that scarcely one sue
| is buttered at all. More manure IN pro
| portion to the size of the place can ne
| made on the small farm than on a large