II. REPORT OF GENERAL FARM WORK ON THE TRANSYLVANIA 



TEST FARM, 1905-1910. 



Bv R. W. COM.ETT. 



This farm, consisting of about 40 acres of bottom and sloping 

 upland, and about 250 acres of steep mountain sides, lies along the 

 French Broad Eiver on the east and stretches back into the hills 

 on the west. The elevation of the farm ranges from 2,200 feet at 

 the river to about 3,000 feet on the mountain top. 



Most of the bottom land is subject to overflow and much of the 

 rest is too steep to cultivate. Other than the overflow portion, the 

 farm represents the average mountain farm. This farm was pur- 

 chased in 1904, and a suitable barn, a neat four-room cottage and 

 two houses for labor were erected, largely from timber grown on the 

 farm. 



Equipment. — Only a small amount of tools and machinery were 

 purchased and at no time have we expended more than does the 

 average well-to-do farmer. The only expenses we have had since 

 buying our equipment has been for labor and fertilizers. Our equip- 

 ment for this farm consists of a wagon and team, good turning plows, 

 two Planet Jr. cultivators, a hillside plow, two-horse walking culti- 

 vator, disc and smoothing harrow, mowing machine and rake and 

 other things of smaller importance. The farmer who has his tools, 

 teams, etc., is just as well prepared to improve his farm as we were. 



Appearances. — This farm was at one time productive, but under 

 tenant farming had almost become unprofitable, with the exception 

 of the bottom land. The sloping laud was washed badly, brush and 

 briers had grown up along ditch banks and roadsides. Fences were 

 in bad condition and scraggy apple trees occupied much valuable 

 space. 



We started out with the definite idea in view of making every 

 part of the land on this farm productive of something, either forest, 

 orchard, pasture or cultivated crops. Scattering trees and useless 

 fences have been removed, brush and briers cut away, wet places 

 drained, hillsides terraced and washes filled in. All of this work 

 was done at odd times, while the other farm work was being carried 

 on. A farm without attention of this kind. never gives maximum 

 returns. 



