1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



79 



tal and the other experience or knowledge of 

 business. So, too, men beginning farming with 

 little or no capital will find advantages in hiring a 

 farm until they have acquired sufficient means 

 to purchase. That success does not depend 

 upon ownership, may be proved by the ex- 

 amples of many thousand thrifty and eminent 

 farmers in (jreat Britain, who never owned a 

 rod of the land cultivated. It is true, all one 

 may desire cannot be ibund upon a hired farm, 

 and it is equally true that a small capital can- 

 not command a place, by purchase, that at 

 once comes up to our wishes. Again, some 

 think they cannot reap the full benefit of their 

 labors and improvements upon a hired farm, as 

 well as if they owned it. To this objection it 

 may be asked, how fast are improvements 

 made upon farms bought upon credit for the 

 first five or ten years. Are the majority of 

 places under heavy incumbrances, treated bet- 

 ter than rented land ought to be, and as ten- 

 ants can afford to when they hire for a series of 

 years ? Men of limited means are not expected 

 to accomplish much beyond making the farm 

 hold its own, though some by extra hard labor 

 will show a yeai'ly progress. Capital is neces- 

 sary for rapid improvement, and to make the 

 care and labor easy. And where shall men of 

 limited means find a sufficiency ? Disinter- 

 ested parties are slow to loan to farmers. Only 

 those who have an interest in the land equiva- 

 lent to ownership, will lend it freely. By be- 

 coming tenants they can command more capi- 

 tal, than if they bought land ; for, practically, 

 a copartnership is formed — the owner furnishes 

 land, buildings, &c., and is a silent partner, 

 while tenants furnish knowledge and working 

 capital. And as the combination or union of 

 men and capital accomplishes greater results in 

 trade, commerce and manufacturing, so it can 

 in farming. The rapid progress of agriculture 

 in England may be accounted for upon this 

 principle of co-operation and employment of a 

 large amount of capital. Tenants having no 

 land to pay for, their yearly gains go to in- 

 crease that essential item, their working capi- 

 tal ; and when the benefit of any invention or 

 measure — as under-draining — are ascertained, 

 the land owners come forward with their influ- 

 ence and capital for its immediate adoption ; 

 thus any great improvement is adopted quicker 

 than if every man owned his farm and acted 

 single-handed. It cannot be said American 

 land owners are so indifferent to their interests 

 that they will not rightly consider and aid in 

 any improvement tenants may make, or desire 

 to make. As a general rule, our land owners 

 are disposed to act more favorably towards ten- 

 ants than tenants are towards the land. Many 

 a farm is sold which the proprietor would 

 gladly have retained in his name, provided 

 he could have leased it, and not have it run 

 down. Good farms can be hired in every town 

 by responsible parties. 



The great difficulty with those who hire 

 farms here, is, that they hire for too short 



periods ; they do not remain on a place long 

 enough to feel at home, or to adopt a remunera- 

 tive system. Where a farm is taken for a 

 term of years, a course can be pursued that 

 benefits both parties. T'enants, by using all 

 their means as working capital, and increasing 

 it by their yearly gains, can, in reality, be lar- 

 ger farmers and more independent, than if they 

 were struggling to pay for their land. With 

 the aid of the proprietor to push forward rapid- 

 ly any improvements, to help sustain losses 

 arising from the vicissitudes of the seasons, 

 or accidents, their cares will be materially les- 

 sened and labors lightened. AVhen they will 

 remain five or ten years, or until they have ac- 

 quired experience or sufficient capital to pur- 

 chase, the probabilities are that, at the end of 

 the second five or ten years, they will be rich- 

 er men, better farmers, and show fewer marks 

 of overwork, vexation, and care, than if they 

 had run deep into debt for a farm at the outset. 

 The remark is often heard, "I would like to 

 be a farmer if I had the capital to make it 

 easy." To buy a farm on credit and pay for it 

 from the hard earned profits, at tlie same time 

 make improvements, support and educate an 

 increasing family, is indeed a formidable task. 

 Many would-be-good farmers turn their atten- 

 tion to other employments. Others never re- 

 linquish the idea of farming, but take the 

 roundabout way of first earning their farm at 

 some trade or in business. To all men who 

 do not inherit a farm, hiring opens an easy 

 way to begin at once. Young men can begin 

 for themselves earlier in life, or just as soon as 

 they are competent to manage one. Where 

 there is fair dealing between land ownei's and 

 tenants, they sacrifice no rights or labor, nor 

 compromise any feeling of true independence, 

 but have all the advantages of a just union of 

 their talents and labor with capital. 



Remarks. — To all persons who are not ac- 

 quainted with farming as an emploj-ment — to 

 young men, especially — we recommend the 

 reading of the foregoing article. Our constant 

 reply to applications for advice has been, for 

 many years not to purchase a farm at the out- 

 set, — but to become a tenant, or a hired-hand, 

 for one or two years, in preference. The 

 reasoning above is sound and judicious, and 

 we have no doubt will decide the question, 

 Shall I purchase a farm ? in the negative, 

 with a good many persons. 



Making Roads.— Drain them. There can- 

 not be a good road where water stands by the 

 side of or on it. Keep out stones of every 

 size, and have the top of the road evenly and 

 slightly rounded. 



