THE GE]!TESEE FAEMER. 



247 



A MISSOTrRT FARM. 



"We recently visited the farm of Mr. Richard 

 CrEXTRY, of Pettis county, Mo., and a.s we have 

 frequently seen flattering accounts of large farms 

 in otltpr States, we have concluded to furnish a de- 

 scription of this farm to our readers, in order to 

 show that Missouri is not behind her sister States 

 in large farms or good ferming. 



The farm of Mr. Gentry contains seven thou- 

 sand acres of land, three thousand five hundred 

 acres of which are under excellent fence, and in a 

 high state of cultivation. It is divided, chiefly, 

 into lots of forty acres — making over thirty miles 

 of fence on the farm. Tlie fence is mostly made of 

 rails, with stakes and riders, and kept up in the 

 best condition. There is, however, a mile and a 

 quarter of post and board fence on the farm, and 

 ■some two miles of Osage Orange hedge, wliich, 

 however, has not yet been turned out. 



Tbere are on the form sixty-five large gates, of 

 the best construction, and about the same number 

 of draw-bars. The gates and bars are made in a 

 large carpenter sliop, in rainy weather, when the 

 hands can be employed at nothing else. All of the 

 implements are put in repair at such times, and 

 many of the simpler ones manufactured. About 

 two-thirds of the farm consists of high rolling prai- 

 rie, of an excellent quality of soil, and the remain- 

 ing third is in timber, immediately adjoining the 

 prairie. 



There are fourteen hundred acres of the form set 

 in blue grass, seven hundred and fifty acres in clo- 

 ver and timothy meadow, three hundred and twenty 

 acres in corn, one hundred and sixty acres in oats, 

 twenty acres in Hungarian millet, and the balance 

 of the farm under fence is in woods pasture. 



There are on the farm twenty-seven large, ai-tifi- 

 cial ponds, many of them of much depth, affording 

 stock an abundance of water at all seasons of the 

 year. During our visit three stone masons were 

 employed in erecting large stone pillars in various 

 parts of the farm, at the outlets of streams, in 

 which large water gates were to be hung, so that 

 in case of freshets, which are common on large 

 prairies, the gates would open by the action of the 

 water, and close when the water had passed, and 

 prevent the fence from being washed away, and the 

 escape of stock from one field to another. 



One of the most striking features observable is, 

 that on this immense farm, not a single weed is to 

 be seen. Even the fence corners, those common 

 receptacles of all that is foul, on most farms, are as 

 clean of v/eeds as any city lawn. What do farmers 

 who have but two or three hundred acres under 

 cultivation, say to this? Here are upwards of 

 thirty ttiiles of fence, without a weed or briar sur- 

 rounding it, while many farms, with only a mile or 

 two of fence, raise enough weeds to seed the whole 

 neighborhood! The whole farm is a pattern of 

 neatness. The hands pass over every field, as often 

 as it is necessary, and pull up every burr, briar and 

 weed that dares to show itself. Thi^ has been done 

 for many years, until the weeds are subdued, 



Mr. Gentry has been a large sheep grower. 

 Some fifteen years ago, finding the market dull for 

 horses and mules, he concluded to try sheep. He 

 accordingly procured from Kentucky some 400 

 Siead of the best Saxon and Spanish merino ewes, 



as the foundation of the future flock. The^e he 

 raised for a number of years, increasing the size of 

 his flock till it ranged for many years from two 

 tliousand eight hundred to three thousand head. 

 He went to great expense in procuring the liest 

 bucks, and, by judicinus management, obtained a 

 very superior flock. For the last four or five year.s 

 he has been crossing his flock witii the French me- 

 rino, paying as high as one hundred and fifty dol- 

 lars per head for the bucks, lie has some imported 

 bucks of this breed now on his farm. He tbints 

 the French merino superior to the Saxony or Sp.m- 

 ish merino, as po-^sessing more constitution, greater, 

 weight of carcass, mucli greater weight of wool, 

 though not of as fine a quality, yet sutficiently so 

 to command as high a price in market. lie has 

 had the very best success in raising sheep ^ — ■ las 

 flock has never been atfected by any contagious 

 disorders, and many of the diseases so prevalent at 

 the East have been entirely unknown in his herd. 

 He has recently reduced the size of his flock to 

 about 1000 head, for the purpose of giving more 

 attention to raising mules. He is already quite ex- 

 tensively engaged in this business, but intends to 

 give it more prominence hereafter. 



There are kept constantly employed on the farm 

 twelve grown hands and six boys. Our readers 

 may wonder how so large a farm can be so well 

 managed by this small number of hands. It was a 

 wonder to us until we saw the perfect system of 

 Mr. Gentry's plans. Every thing moves like clock 

 work. There is a time for every thing, and every 

 thing must be done in its time. There is no huriy 

 and flurry — but every thing moves along evenly and 

 quietly. Each piece of work is attended to till it 

 is done. But system is not the only secret of his 

 success. All of the best labor saving implements 

 and machines are used by him — so that with one 

 man he is able, in many kinds of work, to perform 

 the labor of ten men. By this means he is able to 

 accomplish this vast amoant of work. 



Mr. Gentry has a number of buildings erected, 

 in which he carries on, for his own use, various op- 

 erations not common among farmers. For instance, 

 there is a large mill house, where all the meal for 

 the family and stock is ground, and where various 

 other mills and machines are used. There is also 

 a large slaughter house, with kettles set in arches, 

 and an excellent apparatus for rendering out lard. 

 Then there is a tool house, a carpenter shop, a har- 

 ness house, a shop for making sliingles, &c., &c. — 

 There is also an excellent pair of Fairbanks' cattle 

 scales, which will weigh six tons at each operation, 

 with all the appendages for weighing cattle, sheep, 

 swine, hay, grain, &c. 



But the next question is, will farming on such a 

 magnificent scale jiay ? Of course it will. Any 

 kind of honorable business, managed as well as this 

 farm is, would pay large profits. Upon our inquiry, 

 Mr. Gentry informed us, that the gross receipts 

 from this farm last year amounted to over twenty- 

 seven thousand dollars. — Valley Farmer. 



To PREVENT Sheep from Scouring, when first 

 turned to grass in the spring, give no salt from the 

 time they are turned out until after shearing, — or, 

 what perhaps is better, let them have access to salt 

 at all times, summer and winter. Either plan will 

 produce the desired etfect. 



