82 [Senate 



Size of Farms. After what has just been said, the cultivator will 

 perceive in part the advantages of moderately sized farms for men in 

 moderate circumstances. The great disadvantage of a superficial, 

 skimming culture, is obvious with a moment's attention. Take the 

 corn crop as an illustration. There are a great many farmers to my 

 certain knowledge, whose yearly product per acre does not exceed an 

 average of twenty-five bushels. There are other farmers whom I also 

 well know, who obtain generally not less than sixty bushels per acre, 

 and often eighty to ninety-five. Now observe the difference in the 

 profits of each. The first gets 250 bushels from ten acres. In doing 

 this, he has to plow ten acres, harrow ten acres, mark out ten acres, 

 find seed for ten acres, plant, cultivate, hoe, and cut up ten acres, be- 

 sides paying the interest on ten acres, worth from three to five hun- 

 dred dollars. The other farmer gets 250 bushels from four acres at 

 the farthest j and he only plows, plants, cultivates, and hoes, to 

 obtain the same amount, four acres, which from their fine tilth and 

 freedom from grass and weeds, is much easier done, even for an equal 

 surface. The same reasoning applies throughout the farm. Be sure 

 then, to cultivate no more than can be done inthebestmanner,whether 

 it be ten, fifty, or five hundred acres. A friend who owned a four 

 hundred acre farm, told me that he made less than his next neighbor, 

 who had only seventy-five. Let the man who applies a certain amount 

 of labor every year to his farm, reduce its dimensions until that labor 

 accomplishes every thing in the very best manner. He will doubtless 

 find that the amount of land will thus become much smaller than he 

 supposed, more so than most would be willing to reduce it ; but on 

 the other hand, the nett proceeds from it will augment to a greater 

 degree than perhaps could possibly be believed. 



But let me not be misunderstood. Large farms are by no means 

 to be objected to, provided the owner has capital enough to cultivate 

 every part as well as some of our best small ones are cultivated. 



As an example of what may be obtained from a small piece of land, 

 the following products of fifty acres are given, and are not more than I 

 have known repeatedly to be taken from good land by several tho- 

 rough farmers : , 



10 acres wheat, 35 bushels per acre, at $1 .00, $350 



5 " corn, 90 " " .40, 180 



2 " potatoes, 300 " " .20, 120 



1 « rutabagas, 800 " « .10, 80 



Carried forward. $730 



