The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-03-18

! be divided between strawberries,
blackberries and raspberries, so as. to
extend the harvesting period as much
! as possible and enable the farmer to
supply custom trade through a long
season The kitchen garden may oc-
cupy from one-fourth to one-half of an
acre, and there should be a similar
area devoted to mixed tree fruits.
In buying the trees advice should
be sought from the state experiment
station and the United States depart
ment of agriculture concerning the va
rieties adapted to the locality and the
prices which ought to be paid.
The new farmer is the prey of the
fruit tree agent, and he should never
buy until he has the advice of disin.
terested specialists. The agent who
tries to sell him novelties at $50
apiece should be entirely eliminated.
These novelties have no place on the
farm OF the beginner and, besides,
standard trees of the best sorts can
be bought for very much less.
1t must be remembered that we are
considering minimum areas necessary
for living for small family. The
| area OF land for the field crops will, of
course. depend upon the type of farm
ing followed.
IL it is decided to make fruit the
market product. not less than ten
acres OF tree fruits should be planted
Until these come into bearing the liv-
Ing may be made from vegetables cul-
tivated between the rows. In addi-
ton to this area at least six acres
should be devoted to a rotation of
corn, wheat and hay-in regions
where this rotation is adapted in or
der to produce feed for the poultry and
live stock
The corn and wheat will furnish
grain for the hens, the wheat will fur
nish straw for bedding and for the
scratching pens for the poultry, while
the corn and hay viii furnish feed for
the horse and the COW.
Half an acre of land will be requir-
ed for the poultry. three-fourths of an
acre for the garden and kitchen orch
ard, and half an acre for the house
and lot. Counting the area taken by
fences and roadways, this gives us a
minimum area of about is acres.
This also assumes that the fruit
or vegetables which furnish the cash
income are to be supplied to a local
market and not shipped to commission
men.
1t would be much safer to start in
with twice this area, deyotlng land not
needed for other purposes to the pro-
duction OF ordinary field crops, which
will assure an abundance of feed for
the stock and some crops for SALE
If dairying is decided upon, would
not advise beginning on less than so
acres of good land. This will permit
the keeping OF II cows. If the farm
can supply all the labor needed, IL
good COWS will make an excellent liv-
ing for family.
A few men have succeeded on much
smaller areas with dairying, and after
the farmer becomes thoroughly ex-
perienced and gets his land rich L.
COWS could be kept on about half the !
area above mentioned.
Under present conditions there is |
not much profit in dairying where one
buys all the grain fed to the cows; but |
on so acres good manager can raise |
all the grain and roughage needed for |
all the live stock kept on the farm. |
Another excellent type of farming |
for the beginner is hay farming. es-
pecially In those sections where hay
can be sold at more than $12 per ton.
1t is possible to keep all the land Of |
the farm in hay, though it is desirable |
to grow a little corn to feed on the
place. In this type of farming fer
tilizers must be used literally, as is
the case also with fruit and vegetable
growing. BY proper fertilization the
land can be made to produce two and |
one-half tons OF hay per acre.
Forty acres OF land devoted to hay |
growing win make a family a good
living. The hay should never be left /
down more than two years, but 1t can
be reseeded in late summer without
losing crop.
On irrigated land smaller areas than
I have given above are possible, and
under high-class management the
same is true in non-irrigated regions.
The three types of farming de-
scribed above are those which would
advise for the beginner.
Il