SMALL FARMS FOR POOR MEN. 399 



bare house to live in, and in the latter case there is no need of 

 moving every year, for he has a home of his own, which he can 

 improve and adorn. To be in debt a small amount for the pur- 

 pose of paying for a home ought to stimulate a man to be in- 

 dustrious and economical, and be of great advantage to him. 



How to Manage a Small Farm. With a few acres of 

 land secured for a home, the next question is how to make the 

 best use of it. No set of rules can be laid down for the guidance 

 of all, for the location and surroundings must determine this 

 largely. It is safe to advise, however, that as far as it can be 

 profitably done, the family supplies be home-grown. All the 

 potatoes, beans, beets, squashes, tomatoes, and other vegetables 

 needed in the family, can by thorough cultivation, be grown on 

 a very small piece of land. If there are two acres or more of 

 land, I should advise that a cow be kept, and with a farm of ten 

 acres it might be profitable to keep several. These cows should 

 be kept in the stable, and green crops grown for soiling. A 

 small lot should be provided, in which they could be turned for 

 a short time each day for exercise. 



If the amount of land will admit, an acre or two of wheat 

 should be grown to supply the family with flour, and a small 

 plot of corn would fatten the pigs for the family meat, and fur- 

 nish fodder and corn for the cows through the winter. This 

 much or more could be done on a few acres, and very little 

 time taken from other work ; and a mechanic who works on the 

 ten hour system could put in full time at his trade, and by hir- 

 ing an occasional day's work, get a large part of his family sup- 

 plies from his little farm. 



In other cases it would pay the man to put in all his time 

 on a few acres, and his study would be, not how can I get alonp; 

 with the least work, but how can I profitably employ my entire 

 time? There are many ways of getting an income from a few 

 acres that the industrious, thoughtful man will discover. A fair 

 income can be derived from poultry, by any one with a taste for 

 the business, and the necessary carefulness and patience to at- 

 tend to it properly. This could be carried on without taking 

 much time, as the wife or children could look after them if the 



