FAR 



FAR 



133 



FARM. A writer in the Mass. 

 Agr. Repository, vol. V. p. 320, in 

 treating " on (he extent of land ne- 

 cessary for a farm, and sufficient to 

 support a family well and inde- 

 pendently," has the following 

 among other valuable remarks : 

 " We know men, active.intelligent 

 and industrious, possessed of thirty 

 or forty acres of land, who are la- 

 bouring for others, or taking charge 

 of their neighbours' concerns upon 

 the avowed reason, that they can- 

 not support their families on so 

 small an extent of land. But they 

 do not realize the actual efficiency 

 of the soil. Undoubtedly there are 

 many honourable exceptions to the 

 observation we are about to make ; 

 as a general rule, however, it may 

 be asserted, that the farmers of 

 Massachusetts are yet to learn 



THE immense productive POWER 

 OF A PERFECTLY CULTIVATED ACRE. 



Instead of seeking riches in aug- 

 menting the number of their acres, 

 let them be sought in better modes 

 of husbandry. As a general truth, 

 we believe it may be asserted that 

 every farmer in xMassachusetts, pos- 

 sessed of one hundred acres of land, 

 might divide them fairly by quan- 

 tity and quality, into thirds, and by 

 a suitable cultivation, make either 

 third more productive than his 

 whole hundred acres are at pres- 

 ent. This is the operation at which 

 those interested in the agriculture 

 of Massachusetts ought to aim — to 

 make farmers realize what culti- 

 vation can effect, and to teach the 

 modes, by which the productive 

 powers of the soil can best be elicit- 

 ed." 



FARMER. " It is indispensa- 



ble for the success of every under- 

 taking that a sufficient capital to 

 carry it on, should be at command ; 

 and for that of farming in particu- 

 lar. When the- re is any deficiency 

 with respect to that important par- 

 ticular, the farnjt. cannot derive 

 sufficient profit from his exertions; 

 for he may often be obliged to dis- 

 pose of his crops at an undervalue, 

 to procure ready money ; or he 

 may be prevented from purchasing 

 the articles he may require, though 

 a favourable opportunity may pre- 

 sent itself. An industrious, frugal 

 and intelligent farmer,who is punc- 

 tual in his payments, and hence in 

 good credit, will strive with many 

 difficulties, and get on with less 

 money, than a man of a differ- 

 ent character. But if he has 

 not sufficient stock to work his 

 lands properly ; — nor sufficiency of 

 cattle to raise manure ; — nor mo- 

 ney to purchase the articles he 

 ought to possess, he must, under or- 

 dinary circumstances, live in a 

 state of penury and hard labour ; 

 and on the first unfavourable sea- 

 son, or other incidental misfortune, 

 he will probably sink under the 

 weight of his accumulated burdens. 

 In general, farmers are apt to be- 

 gin with too small a capital. They 

 are desirous of taking large farms, 

 without possessing the means of 

 cultivating them. This is a great 

 error ; for it makes many a person 

 poor, upon a large farm, who might 

 live in comfort, and acquire pro- 

 perty upon a small one. No ten- 

 ant can be secure without a sur- 

 plus at command, not only for de- 

 fraying the common expenses of 

 labour, but in case any untoward 



