The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-16
"a ONE-HORSE FARMERS
BIG SUCCESS
What Energy and Determi-
4 nation Will Do
Progressive Farmer. }


The lot Of the one-horse farmer,
has .ften been referred to as {; ,:.rd
one, and Justly SO. too.
I wish to make few statements
about what can be accomplished by a
one-horse farmer, when he uses his
time and energies in the right way.
The first Of March. 1908. I bought
an old farm containing as ga acres
with about 35 ocres In cultivation.
This farm lies fairly WELL but has a
thin soil with red sub-soii. 1t had
been in the hands Of tenants for many
years, and was farmed principally in
cotton. 1t was rented when
bought. so I did not get control that
year, and did not get thes rents either.
paid what was considered q high
price for it $50 an acre. and the
rtnts that year
Some of the neghbOrs remarked
that / had rade q bad bargain, and
tis,t BY had work and good in.na 5'a-
inent. l m;cht make II living off of it.
There was N old siX-rOOm house, a
small granarv and u medium sized
hun on it: Well-houSe also. IN looks
tncy all rcr;nded one Of Irving s ue-
stription cf Zip Van Wrinkles buid-
sngs. The roof of the dwelling lHuse
was neediE.r repairs, part Of tho Wea-
ther-boarding had rotted out, all Of
the windows upstairs had eitiie. ROT
cd cut or we're knocked out md the
nolcs nailed shut with rough boards.
The other buildings on the place look.
ei worse than the dwelling house
| took chsr rsc Of my farm the first
part Of the YEAR 1909 as a beginner IN
housekeeping, but was engaged il 9TH
er work ana did not begin N The
fam until tAe middle OF March. l had
my far.1 raid for but did NOT have
money enough to buy q horse oc a
COW.
we have now lived here about three
years, and have not only made Il
living, but have made money to space
each year. Nearly all Of the wor,
OF. ne farm was done by my wifi, and
myself. We farm q mixed crop, prin-
cipallv When,, oats. corn, cotton anI
Ftas and sly beans. U like soy beans
better than cowpeas for feeding cat
tle.)
We have tried to raise everything
needed in the line Of vegetables anl
eriits and have some to spare. Nv,
kept a good milk COW Cat present WI
have two) and q number OF chickens
which furr lsh us all the mii,, hit.e
;Dd eggs-necced in the hone, ant
crcugh to sell to buy nearly every
thing needed in the house, such q
groceries. clothes, shoes and Il lot o
furniture, including a $50 sewing ira
chine. From one cow we sold $6
worth Of butter in one year. tn
same year we sold about $55 wo-til o
eggs.
| have tried to improve my farm
by making all the manure l could
sowing cowpeas CT also tried Glove
last year. but failed). l rotate II
crops to the best advantage. Last win
ter l wanted to plOw q tcn-acrc iiel'
better than II could be done with On
horse. but my neighbors could 10
accommodate me with an extra horse
so / had TO piow 1t with one. J :irS
went one round with q turning .>i., "
then changed ploWS and went aroin
in the same burrows with anothc
ploW. It took me about twenty ray
20 ploW The field. I have done 4 ia
= of work To improve the gener.i ap
Dearanc. Of my farm. such Us naulln
OF rock, digging out stumpS an
cleaning up hcsigc-ruws, etc. s,u
r.;>i cc-r:cr tu;a me Chat ] ;,a1 n