Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-07-17
by JEANETTE P1ERsoNJ

tBy JEANETTE PlEHSON,D
When changed my vocation from
school-teaching to farming six years
ago, some of my acquaintances pre-
dicted a lamentable failure
"A city woman can't run a farm, F"
they said. This declaration was made
with varying degrees of bluntness, and
everybody was so certain on the sub.
ject that ! might have been turned
aside from my purpose, but for. the
facts that the farm had been bought
and my aged parents earnestly desired
to spend their declining years in the
country.
is all this talk about intensive
farming and diversification mere the
ory and speculation" | asked over and
over. IF so, l may not succeed"
told my friends, for am not going
to run my farm in the old way. To
depend wholly on a single crop or on
big dairy would mean ruin to me, as
1t has to thousands of others"
III bees pay. If poultry is actually
profitable, If there are large returns
from raising hogs, If there rs good
money in fruit and garden truck, then
a woman can run a farm just as well
as a man can"
| was fortified in this view by some
things which came under my obser-
walton while l was looking for farm.
One man who was devoting his energy
to a large dairy made a failure owing
10 a summer drought, and would have
been turned off the farm but for the
fact that his wife and two children
had cultivated an acre of cucumbers.
This pickle product actually paid six
months rent and saved the farmer
from bankruptcy.
Another tenant in the neighborhood
who devoted himself to a single in
terest, was turned out-of-doors because
the market for his particular product
was unusually low that season, and
his receipts were not equal TO his eS-
penses.
had seen a little of farming and
my mind that the money was to be
made in variety of little things rath-
er than in the production of a. large
single crop
had money enough to make a sub
stantial payment on a farm of forty
acres, which was equipped with a good
dwelling, two small barns, a poultry
house and a well. l am in proximity
to several small towns where there Is
constant market for produce.
Six years ago land was not over rs
per cent. Of its present value in this
district and could easily sell my farm
for $1,000 more than | paid for it.
| took possession the first of April.
My plan in brief was to start lines Of
production which would give me a
monthly or weekly income all the year
through. With this in view purchased
twelve colonies of bees, fifty Plymouth
Rock chickens, six young pigs, eight
cows, a span of mares and a variety
of utensils
Fodder had to be bought to keep
the stock for several weeks. hired a
man at S25 per month and board. The
proceeds of the dairy, averaging about
$50 per month. were ample to pay his
wages and meet the entire household
expenses
During the first two months | sold
sixty dozen of eggs and set twenty
hens. Although the incidental ex-
penses in starting were heavy | held
even. and at the end of three months
! could show a neat little balance in
my favor.
The dairy had improved so that it
was returning $40 month. From
July on ! had vegetables to sell and
nearly every day there was something
to send to customer when the milk
was delivered in town.
had hard fight with vermin in
the poultry house that spring and sum-
mer. II was foud advisable to move
the building to a higher piece OF
ground.
Then we fixed up a large dust-heap
in the yard and white-washed every
thing in the form of lumber, beside
using insect powder literally. BY fall
the battle was won, the hennery being
entirely free from vermin; and there
has been no trouble of that kind for
five years.
dust heap outside and whitewash
OF insect powder inside will save poul-
try from vermin, although there must
be constant watchfulness.
Since the first winter l have had an
income of not less than $50 per month
from eggs and poultry. / keep about
200 chickens and furnish broilers on
an Tours notice at any time of the
year to several customers.
| have never used an incubator, al
though ] am not especially opposed to