96 



Large and Small Farms. 



Vol. VII. 



ately after once ploughing. And for the 

 same reason, I fallowed such light lands for 

 barley as early as the middle of October, the 

 present year, that so, they being beaten flat 

 by the winter rains, and being drunk with 

 them, might retain sufficient moisture to 

 bring away the barley in the spring." 



I would add, from my own observation of 

 many years, no pulverization that can be 

 given by artificial means, is at all to be com- 

 pared in effect with that which is obtained 

 by exposure to the frosts of winter; in such 

 a seed-bed the weeds do not grow, nor does 

 the surface, during the summer, become so 

 indurated by drought, as that made fine by 

 harrow and rolling. A. Fuller. 



Pottsville, September 14th, 1B42. 



From the Farmers* Gazette. 

 Large and Small Farms. 



Mr. Editor, — We candidly believe, if 

 there is one farmer more to be pitied than 

 another, it is that man who possesses so 

 much land that he hardly knows what to do 

 with it. Such a man must be unfortunate 

 in having such a large number of acres, that 

 he cannot pay that attention to his farm 

 which he otherwise could do, did he own but 

 a small one. Yet there are many who are 

 so bent on having a large number of acres, 

 that they will sacrifice almost every thing, 

 so that they can be able to count and add 

 acre to acre to their farm, without once 

 thinking how they are going to improve it. 

 Now the real wealth of a farmer does not 

 consist in the number of acres which he 

 owns ; but it rather consists in the manner 

 in which he cultivates them. When we 

 can once get farmers to believe that it is 

 better to cultivate a few acres well, than to 

 scatter the same amount of labour over a 

 large tract of land, then shall we believe 

 that the farmer has waked up to his true in- 

 terest. 



The fact is, it has been the universal fault 

 with the farmers all over our country, so that 

 the continual cry has been, " land ! land!" 

 and " land ho !" And some of them, not sat 

 isfied here, have gone to the " Far West," 

 and settled on the edge of some " Prairie," 

 and have looked across the boundless tract, 

 till their eyesight grew dim ; and still we 

 suppose their cry is, " land ho !" We are 

 happy to say, however, that there is a redeem- 

 ing spirit abroad in the land, and that farmers 

 are beginning to see their interest in culti- 

 vating a small farm well, rather than to go 

 over a large tract with the same amount of 

 labour. 



Now if land cannot be made to pay five 

 or six per cent interest to the labourer, then 



he had better have his money out at interest, 

 where it will be safe. We have actually 

 known farmers in our town, who if they 

 would give away one half of their acres, and 

 put the extra labour on the other half, would 

 in the end be gainers. Suppose a farmer, 

 with two hundred acres of land, goes on and 

 scatters his labour over his farm, and if he 

 can keep his fences up, and get enough off* 

 his farm to support his family and pay his 

 taxes, he thinks he does well. Now let this 

 farm be divided into four fifty acre farms, 

 and put a good farmer upon each quarter, 

 and the consequence is, that each of the 

 farms is brought into a good state of cultiva- 

 tion. And more than that, one of the farms 

 under this management will produce more 

 than the whole four did when they lay toge- 

 ther. If any one should be so unfortunate 

 as to have one of these large farms, if he 

 wishes to enjoy the comforts of a farmer's 

 life rightly, then let him get rid of part of 

 his farm. But if you do sell, don't sell to a 

 man who has got more land than you have, 

 for that would only make bad worse; rather 

 talk with him, and tell him that he has got 

 more land than he wants, now; and that 

 neighbour A has just begun the world, and 

 wants a small farm, and that you will sell 

 part of yours; and if he will sell part of his 

 to neighbour A, all three of you then will 

 each have a snug farm. No farmer ought 

 to have more land than he can take care of 

 and cultivate to the best advantage; and 

 generally speaking, a 50 or 75 acre farm is 

 better to a man than one of a hundred acres. 

 A good farmer, who wishes to enjoy the 

 realities of a farmer's life, wants to see every 

 thing prosper and flourish around him; to see 

 good fences, good crops, thrifty orchards and 

 fruit trees growing around his dwelling. 

 These every farmer can see, who has a snug 

 and convenient farm to labour upon. We 

 believe that one of the greatest blessings of 

 an earthly nature, which a man can have 

 here below, is to have 



"A little farm well tilled, 

 A little house well filled, 

 And a little wife well willed." 

 Yours, truly, 



Levi Durand. 



Derby, August 25th, 1842. 



Cause of Mildew in the Grape. — "The 

 cause of this fatality, I suppose, arises from 

 the great rush of sap after warm rains in 

 the summer, which is forced up in such 

 quantities, and with such power as to burst 

 the berry, or to cause it to bleed at every 

 pore, when it soon moulds, and the whole 

 cluster becomes a perfect fungus." 



Langworthy. 



