July, 1906 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



43 



Some time ago a case where success was obtained by sheer 

 force of will prompted by necessity came under the writer's 

 observation. A man cultured, refined, holding a good sal- 

 aried clerical position, found himself breaking down, and at 

 his doctor's advice had to resign and go out into the woods 

 " the only means to regain his shattered health." As usual 

 there was nothing laid by for the unexpected, a few hundred 

 dollars were the entire cash assets, hut a very valuable ad- 

 dition was the determination to succeed at any cost. As a 

 mild climate was sought, the fruit belt of Delaware was the 

 objective point. After a short but anxious hunt a suitable 

 place was found. Forty-five acres in all, a snug little six- 

 room house, barn and hen house, a lovely little brook were 

 all bought for $1350 — $350 paid down, the balance to be 

 paid in five years. There were two acres in strawberries, dew- 

 berries, and raspberries, one hundred and fifty peach trees, 

 eighty pear trees and fifty plum trees. The soil was good, 

 well adapted for fruit and berries. Six miles away was a 

 small town and four miles away a railroad station. Thirty- 

 five acres were cleared, the balance was in oak brush suitable 

 only for fire wood. Acquainted as he was with the circum- 

 stances, the writer mapped out a plan of campaign to bring 

 up the productiveness of the place in shortest order. His 

 suggestions were received with enthusiasm and carried out 

 with a precision hardly to be expected from an amateur. By 

 exercising the strictest economy a modest living was made 

 from the start. About $150 was expended for horse, cow, 

 pigs, chickens and implements. In the spring ten acres were 

 broken and sown in scarlet clover. A fair hay crop was 

 taken, the ground plowed under, prepared and replanted in 

 potatoes, corn and tomatoes. The tomato seed was furnished 

 by a canning factory, plants raised from them and the to- 

 matoes sold for $7.50 per ton to the cannery. Potatoes 

 brought from $1.25 to $1.75 per barrel. Only part of the 

 corn crop was sold, the balance being retained for feed. A 

 few acres of the richest soil, well drained and of south-east- 

 erly exposure, were selected for the future orchard; 1000 

 peach trees, 500 plum trees and 300 pear trees were set out 

 at an average cost of eight cents per tree. Cowpeas were 

 sown between the trees, plowed under green and a rapid, 

 healthy growth was the result. In vegetables two acres were 

 sown in extra early green peas, and one acre each in string 

 beans and bush limas. These crops matured early enough to 

 bring good prices and proved a success. The gathering and 

 packing was done entirely by the women of the household, 

 and shipped to the city and sold quickly for cash. Early 

 cabbage and lettuce were tried in a small way but found more 

 troublesome and less profitable. Special attention was given 

 to the fruit trees already in bearing. The little orchard, 

 very much neglected, had to be brought to life again so to 

 speak. To invigorate the retarded vitality of the trees by 

 having stood in grass and weed for years the trees were 

 pruned, dead limbs amputated and the ground plowed and 

 sown in a monmouth clover. The latter was plowed under 



after the fruit had set. A small spray pump was secured and 

 the trees sprayed with bordeaux mixture, as the neglected 

 culture suggested tree diseases of all kinds. After the fruit 

 had set, it was carefully thinned (nit with very satisfactory 

 results. The peaches and plums grew to a large size with 

 beautiful coloring and sold at the local town to outside buy- 

 ers at good prices. The berries came also under the special 

 care of the wife and children. They were picked, crated 

 ami shipped by them, bringing fair prices. About June, five 

 acres of the ground of mellow, sandy loam were broken and 

 sown in cowpeas. Part of the green crop was used for cow 

 feed, balance plowed under, the plot so prepared in fall for 

 the spring planting for a new patch of berries. The entire- 

 work with exception of breaking the ground and mowing the 

 hay was clone by the members of the family. A careful ac- 

 count of sales and expenses was kept and the balance sheet 

 for the hardest time, the first year, was as follows: 



NET SALES. 



Peas $ 85.00 



Beans 60.00 



Limas 37-5o 



Tomatoes 45.00 



Potatoes 75-00 



Emit 130.00 



Berries 85.00 



V r alue Eggs and Butter 

 Exchanged for Pro- 

 vision 45.00 



Lettuce and Cabbage 

 ( Exchanged for 



Provisions) 1 1.00 



Corn Sold 40.00 



Value of Corn Kept . . 32.00 



" " Hay " . . 37.50 



" " Calf " . . 10.00 



$693.00 



EXPENSES. 



Seeds $ 42.50 



Fertilizer 26.OO 



Help 20.00 



Shipping Baskets and 



Crates 35-00 



Feed and Sundries .... 41.00 



Taxes 6.50 



Interest 50.OO 



SALES, EXPENSES, NET 

 INCOME 



Sales $693.00 



Expenses 221 .00 



Net Income $472.00 



To this cash income of $472.00 free rent, butter, eggs, 

 milk, chickens and hogs for meat, and an abundance of veg- 

 etables have to be credited, which will reduce the living cost 

 under the management of an economical housewife to a mini- 

 mum. In fact the writer was told that a good sum will be 

 saved and laid by for increasing the stock and other improve- 

 ments. The cost of the fruit trees is not counted, inasmuch 

 as they w^ere bought with the original capital and constitute no 

 running expense. The success in both instances is not due to 

 the cheapness of the places bought, but to the earnestness, 

 energy and industry employed to succeed. Farms as cheap 

 as this can be bought to-day. 



