ANOTHER OF OUB PRIZE ESSAYS.
A Little Farm Well Tilled.
BT LULU   A.  DAVIDSON.
An individual definition of what consti-
,tes a small and  well-tilled farm  wlll
are as many objections  as readers, for
_ople rarely  see things alike or judge
■om the same standpoint.   As land, loca-
on climate, causes, nature and necessi-
es vary so will the  single ideas of the
leasure of success and profits.   Assum-
i ; ig that our subject is the second member
p i [ an equation we shall, In a general way,
resent our idea of its first member, mak-
jgthe completed equation, as an Intro-
't   actory read thus; the quantity, mixed
f   usbandry plus drainage and intelligent
■rtillzing multiplied by work, care, econ-
iny and foresight, judiciously applied to
hundred acres or less of ground equals
little farm well tilled."
In the Eestern States^a few acres, whioh
Iff e would call  a "patch"  or  "piece  of
round" in Hoosier dialect, receives the
ignitted title of farm.   From Indiana to
ie Atlantic coast the average acreage of
Tins as a rule, decreases, hence also the
is of small farms.   The range in  this
ite is probably from 25 to 100 acres.
Though agricultural journals and books
tail plans of how to secure maximum
oat at minimum cost.not one can  be
ilowed to the letter, hence generalities,
not "glittering," seem better adaptetfto
farmer's wants,
Kg Mixed husbandry is the first essential
I'_ i in no other way can every kind of soil
£. * every day of the  growing season  be
_    'Uized.  While in some States peculiari-
■" es of soil may render a variety of crops
'J a practicable, the farms throughout In-
J iana will produce hay,  all the  cereals,
;,'sgetables and fruits adapted to the cll-
;' i late.  Very often where a small farm is
I ie only resource for a living the necessi-
|' of diversified farming proves the key to
i iccess.  Though  this is  not a world of
1 lance and Nature is honest and generous
'■ 'ward, us, we are subject to extremes of
: 1 eat and cold, rain and  drouth,  which
* J lakes absolute certainty as to any one
i *op impossible. This being true, a man
I ■ "mall means cannot depend on wheat,
■ a7 or corn alone or the next season's lar-
1 m may be empty. ,The tiller of a few
! 'res mnst scrupulously avoid the ex-
| wstion of ground which follows a culti-
' rt'on of specialties or succession of the
'me crop. The correct rotation for any
™ must come trough study of its
eeds and experimental tests of others.
»mmon sense teaches that plants requir-
\tbe """"a elements must not follow
«* other and  this  brings  the study
* 'a°Pt rf°f rotations to that ot elementary
j    ,   ,00d-   Green manuring comes dl-
c»y in this line but belongs .specifically
■™heTa-   Hon. J. J. H. Gregory once
I    '   we d°n*t have any twin  acres:"
i rm u WUeh less do we have twin
( ilJ'        h Pr°ves the inutility of a de-
r ' 'on**,00?!.8" DiTers cr°P8 must be tried
i ininL acreage be small, the law of
1 'nefiu8*1100 iS InexoraWe, but to reap its
. w we must provide for its action.
'icW**00" '"merofour acquaint
. iw,       s thls theory that "if one thing
11 ■*£ oTuther hits>"80 he ral8es hay-
1 -sen sZi v °°rn' and ***> c*"16. hor8es.
, th.arf 0gSl Th8 fallure of one crop
I m lr^V6nt ot disease does not throw
1 '"ducts vapa,nlc- for among his many
1 et. T ne *-°U has something for mar-
1 "ner J!!™ the most Profit a' small
' *- Inform ♦• afund of fresh «"»d gen-
' ir°«l?h wiTv11- mnst Btndy the markets
-*i of Je"*bl8 reports and the cultiva
nst
4«n,
,°'each
make
Product. • In  one sense  he
;n8a hobby.
* specialty of each  without
.7- ot various kinds goes hand
"** -**--l»d husbandry.   Devo
tion to one kind will not realize the full
profits of some production, for it is conceded that hay and grain yield a larger
profit when sold in the shape of fat stock
than.when fresh from mow and bin. A
constantly recurring revenue comes from
the keeping of first-class animals. It takes
no more time and less feed to develop a
thorough-bred or high-grade steer than a
scrub; fine hogs mature earlier than "razor-backs" and so on throughont the list.
The source of good stock sometimes
seems expensive, but partnership reduces
it, and in a short time profits prove the
fallacy. A small, farmer can't afford to
raise poor stock if Cleon, who "hath a million acres," can. The practice of raising
varieties insures a more even and
healthful distribution of work than the
extremes of labor and idleness incurred
by specialties. While wheat and oats are
being harvested corn is growing, when
corn is in the bin wheat is growing again.
This system of wise alterations, ordained
through nature by the provident All
Father forms a beautiful kaleidoscopic
study. Statistics and observation prove
that prosperity attends diversified farm'
ing.
Poultry raising, gardening, and the cul<
ture of small fruits are supplementary,
but not minor sources of revenue on the
"little farm well tilled." A living must
come before profit and these things not
only make a goodly share of it but contrib
^'EemucITto the'yeaVly surplus. Neglect
them and a big niche of the family pocket-book is empty for the sake of stale
make-shifts which contemptibly fill the
place of fresh home products. Chickens
and turkeys are jolly comrades and if not
kept in too large numbers give ample return for their privilege of living and occasionally devastating a garden corner. A
well-kept garden is certainly a "thing of
beauty and joy forever" for it supplies the
table from season to season. Many vege
tables easily cultivated and comparatively
little raised are profitable to the small
farmer. Asparagus, grown for ornament
in rural districts, yields a "clear profit of
$400 per acre" in the vicinity of New York
City, (see "How the Farm Pays"). If near
a market a supply will make a demand,
begging pardon for reversing the regular
order, as people quickly learn to appreciate good things. .   ■      ,
An item must be made of small fruits
which yield so abundantly with but moderate attention. Strawberries bring a
quick and certain return. Two hundred
and twenty-five gallons were gathered
from one quarter of an acre in May and
June of 1887, the ground being also occu
pied by three-year-old raspberry, gooseberry and currant bushes. The strawberries prevented weeds and the others being
in rows offered no interference to picking
in the furrows.
The power of production is regulated by
drainage and fertilizers—the former a
prime necessity and the latter varying
with soil conditions. Prof. Latta, of Purdue University, says 'the first operation
in the improvement of land is drainage,
because until the surplus water Is removed, it is impossible to properly enrich
soil." It is now so well||known and understood that the most untutored rustic
employs its aid. Vegetation thus endures
greater extremes of rain and drouth, secures warmth and receives the full benefit
of fertilizers. To maintain the fertility of
the soil, should be the object of every
man, who from it receives a living. To
use the supplies of nature and waste the
refuse which she needs in return is little
short of crime and a matter of no small
concern. In some of our, sister States
there are tracts of worn out ground which
are scarcely worth the annual tax, and
such a system continued would soon impoverish a whole country. Thanks to education this plan of taking all and giving
nothing is passing away and the practical
farmer realizes the value of crop rotation,
green manuring  and all methods of  fertilization.     A   practical   knowledge   of
chemistry is  invaluable Jto a farmer and
saves many  provoking and  costly trials,
while the  consciousness of  working to a
certainty is a  great relief to   one who has
to deal  largely In experiments.   No rule
can regulate the amount or proportion of
commercial fertilizers.   The first requisite
is to utilize all the natural manure of  the
farm,   which is the .owner's   bank stock.
His growing crops are the deposit and his
sales the  check book.   Victor  Hugo says
"If our gold Is filth, on the other hand our
filth is  gold," and again speaking of  the
garbage heaps,scaYenger's carts and sewer
slime of cities, "It is the  flowering mead
ow, it is the green  grass, it is  the marjo
ram and thyme and sage, it is game, it is
cattle, it is the satisfied low of  huge oxen
at evening, it is perfumed hay,it is golden
corn, it is bread on your table, it is warm
blood in your veins, it is health, it is  joy,
it is life."   Would  that this could be impressed  on every  farmer who wastes his
silver ash-heap  and  the  liquid  gold of
his  barnyard.   Plants like men, flourish
best on variety and the addition to thesoil
of  many  elements   yields  a  handsome
profit.     Nitrogen,   phosphoric   acid  and
potash are  essential and as these are exhausted  they  must   be  renewed.     The
Stockbridge method of ^supplying ground
wilh" th'eparticular' thing "required by a
certain crop often brings a fabulous yield,
but may not be advisable for more than a
few acres.   Prodigality in their  use  will
not insure success, often having the eftect
of an overdose of medicine and where total
ignorance exists,good authority is needed.
Economy in buying, including judgment as to needs and quality, coupled
with foresight and tact in selling must be
characteristic of the small farmer. Should
we give one precedence it would be the
selling faculty so often under-rated. Patented devices for every kind of work
abound, but the time-tried ones are the
only safe Investments. Cast off "patents"
are an eye-sore and a worry though sometimes preventing new ventures. Quality
should be the requisite of implements in
purchase, shelter and care the requisite of
keeping. A kit of carpenter's tools saves
many dollars by mending breaks and
making general repairs, supposing each
man has some genius for their use.
Portable fencing is a great convenience
on the small farm where many inclosures
are necessary, for with it they are cheaply
and easily changed. Buildings might be
considered in an exhaustive essay on the
"little farm," but the subject does not absolutely include them. -Besides the man
who succeeds in its good tilling will not
be careless of their neatness and condition.
If not a resident of its limits he may need
nothing but barns and bins.
An inherently lazy man has no use for a
small farm. Moro than anything else It
demands a "man of affairs," eager to try,
quick to learn and with a knack for all
kinds of work. Muscle alone will not accomplish the desired ends. Competition
in agricultural pursuits is sharp and brains
are under the laurel crown. It may be a
mooted question whether our agricultural
colleges exactly fulfill the purposes for
which supported, but the tendency towards the education of the farmer is the
correct thing. The farm embraces something of nearly every calling. Mathematics,- philosophy, chemistry, botany, geol-
ogy,physiology and surgery are all needed
in a year of farm work.
The fact is well established that the profits per acre are much greater on small
than large farms, and schools, churches
and all community interests are best preserved when the land is owned in small
tracts, and the welfare of the State is better maintained.    The   indebtedness   of
farmers decreases at a rate proportionate
with the decrease in average acreage. A
very ordinary man can extract a fair living from a large farm by hap-hazard management, but to make a small one pay requires a man of broad resources and large
capabilities. With mind confined to small
territory he develops new features and
makes new discoveries which the "land
poor man" never has time to see. On him
depends the continued progress of our agricultural interests of which we as Hoosier.-. and we as Americans are justlyproud.
Summit Farm, Whitesville.
Weather and Crop Bulletin from
Washington.
The weather crop bulletin for the week
ending Saturday, April 14, is as follows:
The week ended April 15 has been warmer than usual in the Southern States, the
central valleys and the Northwest, and .
colder than usual in New England and the
middle Atlantic States. The average daily
excess of temperature ranged from three
to six degrees in the Southern States and
central valley8,and from six to ten degrees
in the extreme northwest, while in New
England and the middle Atlantic States'
the average dally temperature was from
three to six degrees below the normal.
The season from Jan. 1 to April 14 has been
colder than usual throughout the Northern States, the average daily temperature
ranging from 5 to 7 degrees below the normal in the Udrtfiwest and from 2 to 3 degrees north of the Ohio valley, in New
England and the middle Atlantic States,
while throughout the Southern States the
temperature for the season has differed
but slightly from the normal.
The rain-fall for the week has been
slightly in excess in the Ohio and central
-Mississippi valleys.Missouri,Kansas, Kentucky, and northern Tennessee. There
has also been a slight excess of rain-fall
on the middle Atlantic coast, and from
northern New England westward to Wis-'
consin. Well-distributed showers are reported from New England, New York,
Virginia, the upper Miss *>uri valley and
the west Gulf States, while very little rain
is reported from the south Atlantic States.
For the season there has been more rain
than usual In the southern portion of the
Gulf States, and generally from the Mis-.
sisslppl river westward to the Rocky
mountains. Slight excesses are also reported in New England,New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, while generally throughout the winter-wheat States
from 75 to 00 per cent, of the usual amount
of rain Is reported. In the cotton regions
east of the Mississippi about 00 per cent.,.
and in eastern Arkansas about 70 per cen t.
of the usual rain-fall is reported.
The weather for the week has been favorable for growing crops in all agricultural districts. Reports from the Southern
States show that the week was favorable
for cotton and cane, and that the small
grain crops have been affected favorably.
The season is probably 10 days late in the
middle Atlantic States, and from 15 to 20
days late in the Northwest, where seeding
is progressing slowly.
Letter From Mr. Frazee.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
It was not my dwelling, but a tenant
house, and a valuable barn, that were
badly wrecked by the late cyclone. I also'
had about sixty acres of valuable timber'
destroyed, and several hundred rods of
fence blown down. Fortunately I lost
none of my Shorthorn cattle. The sale
will go on just the same, on the 22d of
May, a notice of which will appear in the
Indiana Farmer in due time. Any one
wishing to buy well bred Shorthorns for
exhibition this fall, will do well to attend'
at the Rushvllle fair ground on the day of
sale. E. S. Frazee.
Orange, Fayette Co.