PROFITS OF FARMING. 89 



thousand dollars, paid for, but without wood or timber at his 

 command to meet emergencies, the chances are greatly in favor 

 of the supposition, that at the end of twenty years, he will have 

 but little money invested in paying stocks ; the increasing 

 expeiiscs of his family, and tlie essential improvements upon his 

 farm, keeping him cramped in means to such an extent that his 

 family must constantly resort to teaching or some variety of 

 needle-work, in order to maintain a respectable appearance and 

 position in the world. 



On the other hand, if the same young man, instead of entering 

 upon the business of farming, should stock a store with goods 

 to the same amount of two thousand dollars, although he may 

 get credit for the first investment, he would be found at the end 

 of twenty years, with sufficient means to maintain his family in 

 a respectable manner, and to educate his children in a more 

 thorough manner than the farmer. The store-keeper doing a 

 fair business in a farming town, and renewing his stock as his 

 occasion requires, would, without doubt, be able to lay up a few 

 hundred dollars each year, estimating his profits at what I am 

 told is a fair rate, ten per cent, upon his investment. Let us 

 now consider for a few moments the profits of the farmer, upon 

 some of his most reliable crops, and the figures will show us 

 that the comparative advantage is greatly in his favor. 



The necessary outlay upon an acre of land planted with corn, 

 estimating interest upon the value of the land, manured at the 

 average market price and expenses of labor, and allowing the 

 fodder to pay for the labor of harvesting, (which is placing far 

 too low an estimate upon the value of the stover,) 1 suppose 

 may be safely stated at thirty-five dollars. No farmer in an 

 ordinary season, would be satisfied with less than forty-five 

 bushels from his acre. Supposing its value per bushel to be 

 eighty-seven and one-half cents, the result will be thirty-nine 

 dollars, thirty-seven and one-half cents, giving a profit on the 

 acre, of four dollars thirty-seven and one-half cents, or some- 

 • thing over twelve per cent, on his investment. Carrying this 

 acre onward to grass, and estimating the additional expense, 

 including harvesting the grass crop for three years, at thirty-five 

 dollars, and deducting nothing for the intermediate crop of 

 grain, we may safely assume the yield of grass for three years, 

 to be one ton per year, which, at an average value of fifteen 



