ORGANIZATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE 345 



by a gradual increase during the next twenty years, but between 

 1900 and 1910 the average size of farms decreased from 386.1 acres 

 to 296.9 acres." 1 EDITOR. 



109. THE LITTLE FARM WELL TILLED' 

 BY BOLTON HALL 



A new boom is on, the farm land boom; a new development is 

 beginning, intensive agriculture; a new discovery, the riches of the 

 soil; a new opening, the intelligent use of " the little lands." It does 

 not demand any more brains than any of the other opportunities 

 and it is open to a far larger number. "The profit of the earth is 

 for all." 



A few acres is enough, with modern methods and active minds. 

 A. R. Sennett, in a recent publication, shows that it requires at least 

 two acres of farm land, as at present cultivated, to feed each one of 

 the people of America with grain and vegetable products. Again, 

 he estimates that it requires at least an additional acre of pasture land 

 on which to raise our beef or animal food; or three acres to feed each 

 person. These estimates are based on the present ordinary wasteful 

 methods of culture and pasturage. 



One irrigated acre has for thirty years given Samuel Cleeks, of 

 Orland, Glenn County, California, a larger net income than many of 

 his neighbors get from hundreds of acres apiece. Mr. Cleeks saves 

 an average of four hundred dollars per year after getting a good living 

 from his acre, while many are becoming poor trying to run big farms 

 without irrigation. 



In the Eastern and Middle states are chances to do just as well 

 on a single acre. Oliver R. Shearer, of Hyde Park, Pennsylvania, 

 makes $1,200 to $1,500 a year on 3J acres, of which he cultivates 

 2\ acres. He has raised and educated three children and paid $3,800 

 for his property out of the profits of his intensive farming. D. L. 

 Hartman, of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, in 1905 got $454 from 

 an acre of early tomatoes and an equal amount from an acre and a 

 half of late tomatoes. An acre and a half of strawberries brought 

 him $555 and his early cabbages averaged about $300 per acre. He 

 says that no one can fix the limit of value one acre can produce. 



1 Thirteenth Census of the United States, Vol. V, p. 62. 



2 Adapted from A Little Land and a Living, pp. 77-78, 109-12, 271, 285. 

 (Copyright by Bolton Hall. Published by the Arcadia Press.) 



