Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-03-28
BACK YARD FARMER
Interesting Pointers on Garden
ing for the City Man or
Suburbanite.
WHAT TO PLANT AND WHEN
AsViee by an Expert on Agricultural
Matters-The City on the Farm
Notes on Chicken Raising
Care of the Lawn.
BY PROF.. JOHN WILLARD eoLrE.

BY PROF. JOHN WILLARD BoLTE
The title to this talk is a question
that is asked the writer more often
possibly, than any other. Does the
farm hold out promise of a comfort
able living along with it's advertised
independence? Can the ordinary city
bred man, with or without a cash cap
ital of his own, undertake farming
with any assurance of success in a
money way.
Unfortunately, this question cannot
be answered, save in a qualified man.
ner. Hundreds, yes, probably thou
sands of city men have gone into
farming in some of its branches and
have been entirely successful. Pos
sibly as many more have taken the
same step and have been mighty glad
to give up their independence for a
regular job at the risk of some one
else. AS in all other independent pur
suits, it depends almost entirely on
the man.
The farm is no place for a lazy man.
1t is not all new mown hay and fresh
strawberries with clotted cream. Most
Of it is hard work, with plenty of
perspiration mixed in. 1t means long
hours, from before dawn until after
dark. most of the year. City farmers
who have failed have been, for the
most part, those who expected to put
in an eight-hour day and let nature do
the rest
The fact that must be borne in mind
is that nature by herself rarely pro-
duces profitable crops. The profit in
farming is represented by the differ
ence between what nature would pro-
duce If left alone, and what man
forces her to produce by his thought
and work, the cost of his work being.
deducted from the gross receipts
from the crops. Work is what makes
for success in farming as in any other |
and careful planning.
We are entirely safe in saying here
that a CITY bred man of intelligence |
and perseverance can undoubtedly |
make as good a living on the farm as
he can in business, on the average. |
II he has to do manual work, as he /
certainly will, his reward will come in
strong muscles and a clear, fresh
brain. II he has to put in longer
hours, he will b. able to sleep nights
Ind awake in the. morning as fresh as
/ lad. The lowly natural things that
lie comes in contact with in his daily
work are at least as nature made
hem, which cannot be said of the
ilthy surroundings in most sections
4 every large city.
What line should a city man take
p in order to be reasonably sure of
uccess at the start? Subject to local
onditions, we would name the follow
ng list of Agricultural pursuits in the
rder of their precedence: Poultry
nd fruit, dairy farming, small fruit
arming, truck gardening A number Of
ther special local lines could be add |
d, but we do not advise any mex
erienced man to attempt general (
arming or the handling Of a large I
act Of land until he has had time to {
ecome familiar with general farming [
ractice. 1t is absolutely certain that
ny Of the above lines, carefully han {
led on a small. scale, will enable a I
ian to earn hundred dollars a month a
q an average, over and above ex- I
enses, provided he owns his land and
lildings. AS he becomes familiar @
ith his problems he can hire others v
work for him and materially in U
ease his own income. p