VOL. XXIII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, FEB: 25,1888.
NO.8
OUR PRIZE ESSAY
ON
"I Ul Farm Well Till."
BY MILLER PUKVIS.
A little (arm -veil tilled,
A little barn well filled,
A little wife well willed,
is certainly suggestive of the most complete happiness that can be attained by the
farmer, but whether there is really anything in the lines more than a happy and
catching combination of words has not
often occurred to many of us. Some one
has said that "a proverb is the combined
wisdom of the ages," and very often this
is true. Just as often too when we are
asked why we give credence to one of
these wise sayings and begin to ask ourselves why, we find that there are many
reasons easily adduced for the "faith that
is in us." Just as when the editor of the
Indiana Farmer offers a prize for the
best essay with one of these wise saws for
a text and we begin to examine analytically, the subject given us we find that
"the little farm well tilled" is supported
on wider foundations than we had before
thought possible.
A nation whose citizens are small land
owners is
■•■*• .-• •:;*rV*_eV-?*OSEEROUSJSAIION, .;,.,-   , ,-
because 'while the population is dense
the land is put to the very best use and a
given area contains much more wealth
than if the population was not so great. A
nation of small farmers is a patriotic nation, as witness France, where by the action of the peculiar laws of. that country
the land is divided into exceedingly small
farms. The French peasantry owning
their little farms are the most prosperous,
the most contented and the most cheerful
agricultural people in Europe,as is proved
by the fact that to a Frenchman there is
no place on earth as dear as "the beautiful
France," and it is a rare thing indeed for
a French farmer to expatriate himself.
He contracts an affection for his little
farm that keeps him on it to the end of
his life, while the peasantry of other European countries, where the land is held
in great bodies, are pouring in a constant
stream into our Atlantic ports.
In this country it is hard to tell where
the dividing line between
A LITTLE FARM AND A BIO ONE
is to be found. What would be a big farm
in Massachusetts would be a small one in
Texas.
The little farm has certain manifest advantages over the larger one that it might
tie well to discuss briefly in passing. The
work on a little farm is concentrated, and
the farmer loses no time in going to and
from the field. In this item alone several
days time and many miles ef travel may
be saved every year. Thus on a little
farm a man is able to do much more effective and profitable labor than on one
Where.the outlying fields are half a mile
or more from the house. The time thus
saved may be employed in better tillage,
or in improving the mind, and at the end
of the year the farmer is so much better
off. It has been said by a deep thinker
that "he who makes two blades of grass
Stow where but one grew before is a benefactor to his country," and on this principle the small farmer deserves the title,
*or with few acres and intensive farming
he is not only able to double average crops
but he
FREQUENTLY QUADRUPLES
them, as will be shown further on. It
yery often happens that the man who
raises 40 acres of corn gets no more bushels than the one who raises 15 acres, yet
toe land in the one case may have been
Originally of the same quality,* equal
Quantities of manure may have been used
on each, and the expense for repairs, and
taxes may be as much per acre with the
first as with the last. In fact the only
difference would be in tillage. A community of small farms is a sociable one,
for man is a gregarious animal, generally
speaking, and takes delight in social communion. On the contrary as a rule, a
community (if community is the proper
word, of large farmers is apt to be an unsociable one, for each land grabber is engrossed in his own cares and has no time
in which to mingle with his neighbors.
His wide fields bring forth weeds
without number, and the long lines of
fencing need constant supervision, while
hired men will carelessly destroy tools
and waste time, or slight work. Tax paying time is as sure to come around as the
year passes, and often the mortgage he is
carrying ages him before his time, spoils
his temper, and makes him nearly to cry
with one of old, "vanity of vanities, all is
vanity."
That
PERFECT   TILLAGE   BRINGS   THE   LARGEST
CROPS
goes without saying, and every good
farmer takes more pleasure in large yields
than in small ones, therefore the small
farmer having more time to give to each
acre tills his land better than the'exten-
sive farmer, gets better yields per acre,
and takes more pleasure in them. The
small farmer _ enjoys the company of his
family more perfectly than does tneowneif
of a large farm, for doing his own work
he does not by keeping one or more hired
men, make a hotel of his house, nor reduce his wife and daughters to the position of cooks and chamber maids. The
small farmer from necessity tills his land
well, and from this he learns how to grow
crops to the best advantage, and has time
to test in a practical way improved methods; while the large . farmer is so driven
with work that very often he goes on
to the end of the chapter,
DOING AS HIS FATHER DID
just because his father did it so, not because that it is the best way to perform a
given piece of work* These 'are some of
the advantages of a "little • farm well
tilled:" First, the return from tho capital invested is two or three times that of
an investment in large farms. Second,
the owner of the little farm has time in
which to cultivate the finer qualities with
which God endows every man, originally.
Third, he has his home to himself, his
wife, and children. Fourth, he is not
driven . from Monday morning to Saturday night by the thought of "fields to be
plowed, fields to be sowed, fields to be
reaped and fields to be mowed," for he
can always be up with his work, and loses
nothing because it was not done in proper
time.
Now let us write for a short space of
what we know, and have seen done, with
"a little farm well tilled," ranging in size
from five acres up. In my own vicinity
there is
A FIVE ACRE FARM
that supports a family of four persons in
comfort. It is devoted to berries and
onions. Last spring there was sold from
this farm strawberries enough to net the
owner over $400, after paying for picking,
commissions, etc. What the onion crop
amounted to I do not know, but it was
probably J150 more. This farmer by the
sale of berries, berry plants and onions, is
comfortably housed, fed and clothed, and
ls laying up a little each year. Some one
may say this is a garden and should not
be dignified by being icalled a farm. We
will go to another farm then, of 27 acres,
owned by Mr, A. J* Bolinger. Mr. B,
does not raise berrif s nor fruits of any
kind, except from a jhalf" acre orchard.
Nor does he grow onions, or other market
truck. He raises corn, wheat, clover and
sometimes* oats.   Everything about his
place is as neat as a pin. His wife, daughter and little son are well dressed, and on
occasion elegantly. In his house is fine
furniture, including a first-class organ.
Mr. B. began with 18 acres.partof it woodland. He cut the trees into wood at odd
spells, which was sold In town four miles
away at ?3 per cord, and this added to his
income. By good management he made
a little money and bought nine acre., more,
paying for it nicely from crops raised on
it. This being paid for he built a new
house and since that a barn. Every acre
of his land is thoroughly tiled, and In the
IIIGHF.ST STATE OF CULTIVATION POSSIBLE.
This farm is in every sense of the word a
"little farm well tilled," and the owner as
he rides to town in his handsome buggy,
behind a showy horse, enjoys himself I
know, better than his neighbor who has
400 acres and is always on the run.—Con
eluded next week.
it sometimes does fairly well sown in
early spring. Use about twelve pounds of
timothy seed with eight pounds of red
clover seed to the acre. The wheel barrow seed sower is said to do all that is
promised for it. It is a  popular machine.
(Qxicvvi mid fyxswex.
Give your same and postofflce when asking questions. Many queries go unanswered for fallnre to
observe this rule.
Please tell me, through the Farmer,
whether orchard or blue grass seed
will catch in wild prairie sod, sufficient to make good pasture? Which is the
best grass for pasture, and how much seed
should be sown to the acre? T. V.
Cass Co.
It would not be safe"td sow either of
these grasses on fresh prairie sod. If the
season happens to be quite wet it might
germinate, but if not your seed would be
lost. Better wait till the - sod rots. Blue
grass is the better for pasture. Orchard
grass is a little earlier in the spring, but
does not make as much feed through the
season. Bow 15 pounds blue grass seed
to the acre and 25 pounds of orchard grass.
I have about twenty acres of land that
is moss or decayed vegetable matter from
four to five feet deep. There are little
clumps of bushes all over it. It looks
like a well kept garden a little way off,and
is like a velvet carpet to walk on. It has
been very wet land some say, but is dry
now. A state ditch runs along one
side of it. If any of the readers of the
Farmer have ever had any experience
with land of this kind and found any use
it could be put to profitably, and will
please let me know it, I will be very much
obliged. I have not had very much experience in farming, and look to your
very valuable paper for advice.       C. D.
Chesterton, Porter Co.
Please give me the name of an implement, and tell me where it can be bought,
that will work between rows, with one
horse attached, and not run more than an
inch or two deep; that will cut off all
weeds, briers, etc., just beneath the surface. Such an implement is my ideal of
what we want for cultivating between
rows of blackberries and red raspberries,
to destroy the sucker sprouts; and certainly would be what is best adapted to
the later cultivation of corn and potatoes.
Oblige an old Subscriber.
Warsaw.
We know of nothing that comes nearer
your ideal implement than the small or
one horse acme harrow, advertised in our
columns. Such an implement as you describe is needed, we believe, but we have
not yet seen anything that entirely fills
the requirements.
I like the Indiana Farmer very much
indeed. Ciin you tell me when is the best
time to sow clover and timothy seed,
mixed, in order to get the surest catch,
and how much should one sow to the ten
acres, to be sure of a good crop? I have
been rather unfortunate in my grass seed
sowing. ' Can you tell me whether the
"Thompson wheelbarrow clover and grass
seeder," advertised in your paper is a good
thing. An early answer is very desirable.
'Johnson Junction, Ky. J. F. L.
It is best to sow timothy in the fall, but
Worthington is in longitude 87° 01'
When it is 12 o'clock central standard
time, what Is real time at Worthington?
W. B. S.
Central standard time Is the mean sun
time of the 90th meridian that passes near
St. Louis, Missouri. The difference between that meridian and yours ts very
close to 3°. The time of the sun In passing over a degree is four minutes. You
are therefore 12 minutes ahead of standard
time. At 12 o'clock standard time it is 12
minutes past 12 at Worthington by mean
sun time.
To settle a dispute, will you state in the
Farmer when, where and how, Davy
Crocket met his death, and oblige
Tipton.
Tipton, Feb. 5.
He died March 6, 1830, in Fort Alamo,
San Antonio, while defending (he fort
againt Mexicans. The Texans had revolted against Mexico, and after a determined resistance this fort was surrendered, only six of her defenders remaining
alive. Crocket was one of these, but with
the rest was put to death by the order of
the cruel Santa Ana.
1. Can any of your readers tell me of
spring barley, if it is any different from
winter barley, and time of sowing, and
where seed can be obtained? Will winter
barley produce a crop if sown early in the
spring?
2. What is the best time and method of
applying gypsum to corn? To wheat?
Would it pay to put gypsum on new
ground (in cultivation the third yea--),
Wabash bottom, soil very fertile, a loam,
with limestone subsoil?
3. What would be of use to stiffen the
straw of wheat on such land?
4. What is the method employed in dehorning cattle? H. M. W.
Wabash Co.
1. There are two varieties of spring
barley; one with two rows of grains in
the head, the other with four rows. They .
should be sown as early as the ground can
be worked. Winter barley i said to belong to different species. In it the grains
are arranged in six rows. Seed* of the
different varieties can be obtained through
our seed men'.
2. Gypsum may be placed either in, or
on the hillsof corn at planting. With
wheat it may be distributed by the drill.
Gypsum will be of no service on Wabash
bottom land only three years in cultivation.
3. Wood ashes, or potash in any form
will stiffen the straw of whoat.
4. Dehorning of cattle is performed on
young calves as soon as the horns appear.
At that time they are not attached to the
bone. A circular incision is made around
the sprouting horn and it is easily
lifted out. A tallowed rag to keep insects
out of the wounds, is all the dressing
needed. In older animals the horn Is
sawed off close to the head. It seems not
to be a very painful operation.
County  und  District  Agricultural Societies.
Under this head we publish reports of
meetings, election of officers, etc., as they
are sent to us from time to time.
The twenty-ninth annual fair of the
Boone County Agricultural Society will
be held at Lebanon, Indiana, commencing
Monday, August 24,18S8.'
E. G. Darnall, Secretary.
'   The  North  Salem, Hendricks  County
Agricultural  and  Horticultural Association will  hold  their  next fair at  North
Salem, September 3 to 7 inclusive.
L. R. Davis, Secretary.