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THE lUJNOIS FABMEB. 



85 



AGRICULTURAL. 



Tbe Fusion for large Farmi Prejndieial. 



There is a passion for large farms, which 

 very extensively prevails in this country. 

 It leads men to add field to field, tract to 

 tract, and small farms^ or portions of farms 

 all aronnd them to their original purchase, 

 until they come into possession of far more 

 land than they can cultivate Or manage to 

 good advantage, and into the possession in- 

 deed, of what, in Great Britain, would be 

 quite an estatie, or of what would elevate 

 the possessor of it into the envied class of 

 landed proprietors. The ownership of as 

 many acres there, as are frequently owned 

 by some of our large farmers here, would 

 j^ve to their possessor the much-coveted and 

 much-prized title of a "Country Gentle- 



man. 



'; 



This prevailing passion operates so often 

 injuriously, not only to the individuals 

 mori> immediately concerned, but also 

 to the neighborhoods and school dis- 

 tricts in which they are located, that it 

 would be a contribution to the good of many 

 communltiee, and to the well being of in- 

 dividoals and neighborhoods, if it could be 

 effectually restrained. Notwithstanding 

 'the many and the obvious prejudicial con- 

 sequences which have been seen, or may, at 

 le«^t, be seen, to ' flow from this passion, it 

 appears to be just as strong and as urgent 

 at it was many years ago when the evil con- 

 sequfin^e? flowing from it had had less time 

 and opportunity to develope and manifest 

 themselves. We presume that some of the 

 ridiculous or hurtful consequences of this 

 passion, and of the possession of large farms 

 by one individual, are known to almost 

 every one, as almost every neighborhood 

 aSords an instance of the fruits of this folly. 

 These natural consequences, demonstrating 

 the injnriousness of the folly under consider- 

 tion, may, in time, work out such a revolu- 

 tion in public opinion as may put a check 

 upon this passioi^ for large farms; but as 

 tilat. reformation, like some others not a little 

 needed may come rather slowly; we would 

 giv^ it an impulse by any and every other 

 mea^s which present themselves. For this 

 purpose we would submit to the considera- 

 tion of the more intelligent a,nd patriotifi or 

 pnbUc-spirited of our readers, tho. foUowing 

 sensible observations, which w^e originally 

 presented by judge Woodford, in his ad- 

 dress before the Penn. State Ag, Society 

 at its recent Fair at Pittsburgh. 



iLmo% several of what Judg'^y^ calls 



the WANTS of farmers, elsewhere as well as 

 in 'Pennsylvania, is the want of smaller 

 farms : .^ ' / -• " ' .U'^'-^'vV 



" As a general rule, Pennsylvania farms 

 are too large. If a man have capital 

 enough to stock and carry on a large farm 

 property — that is, so as to make it yield up 

 to its frdl capacity, and, at the same time to 

 be growing .better, there can be no just ob- 

 jection to his adding field to field, and 

 farming largely. And there are some ad- 

 vantages peculiar to large farms, such as a 

 greater diversity and a more systematic ro- 

 tation of crops, which the man of large 

 means has a perfect right to pur- 

 chase to himself. But, generally speak- 

 ing, the capital emj)loyed in carrying on 

 farms is very small, and the size of farms is 

 out of all proportion to the means invested. 

 It is a distressing sight to see fields half 

 tilled. Such farming is pernicious as an ex- 

 ample ; it corrupts' and finally kills the soil, 

 and degrades the cause of agriculture. It 

 is not for me to say how many acres a far- 

 mer ought to cultivate; but I will say that 

 he ought to attempt no more than he can 

 cultivate thoroughly and well. If, instead 

 of hurrying his sons off to the West, as 

 they grow into manhood, he would divide 

 his farm of two or three hundred acres 

 among them, until each of them and him- 

 self should have but fifty acres apiece to 

 cultivate, it would not surprise me to hear 

 that he and each son had found fifty a^res, 

 properly cultivated, more productive than 

 the whole had been before. The Romans 

 illustrated the importance of thorough til- 

 lage by the following apologue — A vine 

 dresser had two daughters and a vineyard. 

 When his eldest daughter was married, he 

 gave her a third of his vineyard for a por- 

 tion, notwithstanding which he had the 

 same quantity of fruit as formerly. When 

 his youngest daughter was married, he gave 

 her half of what reumined, and still the pro^ 

 duce of his vineyard was undiminished. 

 This resulted from his bestowing as much 

 labor on the third part left, after the daugh- 

 ters had received their portion, as he had 

 been accustomed to give to the whole vine- 

 yard." 



There can be little doubt with those who 

 will reflect upon such facts as good garden- 

 ing, maket gardening, and small farms well 

 tilled, have often presented, than an experi- 

 ment like that named might be repeated 

 with success in many neighborhoods. Many 

 a iniin might sell half his farm and profitably 

 employ the proceeds in making the rest 

 more productive. ^ 



