SMALL FARMS FOR POOR MEN. 401 



did not pay. Many who had ten to twelve acres left it to grow 

 up to brush and weeds, and took their departure. I had buried 

 my money here and I was going to dig for it. I dug stumps, 

 raked roots, and grubbed until I got the land in pretty fair 

 condition. Then I dressed it well with fertilizers, put out the 

 best varieties of fruit, gave them the best of care, and I soon be- 

 gan to realize what I have often heard repeated : a little farm well 

 tilled ; a little home well filled ; a little wife well willed ; then 

 you are on the road to prosperity. My efforts were crowned 

 with success. I was not long in realizing my dollar a day, 

 with an increase as the condition of my land improved, until 

 the past season I turned off from my little 2 85-100 acres over 

 five hundred dollars worth of fruit, vegetables, and seeds besides 

 keeping from one quarter to one third in grass. I will give you 

 some of the items : 



10,000 young onions $25.00 



Spinach and pie-plant 8.00 



Plants, various kinds 15.00 



112 bushels of strawberries 358.40 



300 quarts raspberries 25.00 



275 quarts currauts 22.00 



15 bushels early potatoes 20.00 



20 bushels pears 25.00 



5 bushels onion sets 20.00 



Other fruits 5.00 



25 pounds sage 12.50 



15 pounds turnip seed 15.00 



4 pounds sage seed 10.00 



" Besides the above, not extended in figures, we have canned 

 fruit, etc. : 100 one-quart cans pears ; 12 do. strawberries, 12 

 do. crab-apples; 10 quarts pear jelly; 10 quarts crab-apple 

 jelly." 



No doubt larger sums have been realized from garden crops 

 in many instances, but it is not the purpose in this chapter to 

 enumerate them, or to give details of management. The reader 

 will find suggestions which will be of value in managing a small 

 farm in the chapter on Poultry, Soiling, Gardening, etc. 



Even if only ordinary farm crops are grown on the small 

 farm, it will be found profitable to own a few acres of land, and 



26 



