Evening star., 1947-09-01
Elliott Roosevelt Out
To Make Farm Pay
As Father Wished

HYDE PARK. N. Y, Sept.
NANA) How Franklin D. Roose-
velt's dream of making his Hudson
Valley land pay" will be carried out
was learned today.
The details came from the new
squire of Hyde Park, Elliott Roose-
welt. and from Mrs. Eleanor Roose-
welt. In her cozy home here. once
the Waikiki furniture factory. the
ey-Presidents widow is writing
new volume of her autobiography.
The plan of Elliott and his mother
for realization of the late Presidents
dream envisages land stocked with
farm animals ranging from Texas
cattle to Rhode Island Reds. and
bearing such varied crops as Christ
mas trees and soybeans.
The farm will occupy 842 acres of
the 1865 left by the President.
Nearly 700 acres of the remaining
land-all but that held by the Gov
errment as a memorial-will be sold
in the fall.
The project will represent a $780,
900 investment, on which the new
owner hopes to realize 5 per cent
return.
My husband and I had often
talked about making the land pay,
Mrs. Roosevelt explained. Il was al
wavs grieved that I had no knoWl-
edge or training for this, and so I
was pleased when one of our sons
was willing to undertake it.
should Make Land Pay"
you should make land pay" she
continued, mot only for financial
reasons, but if you are able to do it
tntelligently and scientifically your
land should be valuable to the peo-
pie around you. My husband always
looked forward to spending years
here with his books and papers and
farming"
It was at Christmas time, 1914. !
that Franklin D. Roosevelt took
Elliott over the Hyde Park estate
in an effort to persuade him to re-
turn to the soil.
L seemed to be the one most
available to take on the response
bility," Mr.. Roosevelt said, "as my
brothers and sisters were established
elsewhel ."
The Presidents hopes for his land
began to materialize recently when
Elliott and his mother incorporated
as Waikiki Farms (Val-Kill means
valley stream. Under this partner
ship. 842 acres bought by the son
from hig mother, who had purchased
them from the estate, will be put
into production. Thirty three acres, I
surrounding the big house and
library. belong to the Government.
Mrs. Roosevelt minor Partner
I'm only the minor partner"
Mrs. Roosevelt remarked with a
smile Mrs. Roosevelt will supervise
the grounds as a whole, take charge
of garden production for on-the-
farm Use, and the orchards. In time .
she hopes to build her bee stock .
of 10 hives into a commercial op- |
Grafton with marketing by direct
mail
But the biggest innovation which
Waikiki Farms will bring to Hyde
Park will be 500 head of Texas beef
cattle, scheduled to arrive in the
early spring.
I'm afraid I'm bucking the cur
rent in this county in not getting
Aberdeen Angus CATTLE Mr.. Roose-
Santa Gertrudis, a breed perfected
on the King Ranch in Texas. 1t is
q cross between the Brahman and
the shorthorn. The Brahman is the
sturdiest, to withstand the rigors
of the climate"
Fencing of the range will begin in
about two weeks Mr.. Roosevelt will
experiment with larch posts in place
OF the conventional cedar. This will
be more practical, if successful. be- I
cause larchs faSt-groWing qualities
will help in replacing those trees !
used for posts.
In addition to the beef cattle !
10 head of Guernsey milk cows will
be bought this fall, eventually to
be increased to 1876. Work has al /
ready begun on Transforming a GEN.
tury-old barn into a modern dairy,
Twelve hundred laying hens and
5000 broilers. Of the Rhode Island
and barred rock variety, have al
ready taken up residence in large
chicken house. moved two and half
miles to the Roosevelt property.
Yet to be stocked are 500 laying
turkeys and 40 SoWs
Two hundred and siXty-five acres
will be planted in corn. wheat. oats, /
rye. clover, timothy and soybeans
Half million evergreens now COM
prise the Christmas tree crop.
Much of the farms products will
eventually be marketed by direct
mail
Mr.. Rooseyelt's assistant general
manager is Harry A. Hutchinson, .
his former Texas radio network and
ranch manager In addition there |
are four other employees, all ex-GIs. !
Although Mr. Roosevelt will per-
sonally direct operation of the farm,
he will maintain some of his out
side activities. Il have to make
some money until this gets going"
he laughed.
AS to whether his wife, the for
mer Faye Emerson, will take an
active part in the farm develop
ment. Mr.. Roosevelt said depended
on how much interest she has in
her career. She plans to appear in
a play opening in New York around
the first of the year.
Miss Emerson redecorated the late
Presidents cottage where she and
Elliott live.