Vol. LIV. No. 2351. 
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 16, 1895. 
$1.00 PER YEAR. 
THE POULTRY HEAT THE HOUSE. 
A “typewriter” as a farmer’s wife. 
“ Times " Not So Bad Here. 
I recently met a young farmer of southern Wiscon¬ 
sin, who is doing business on a unique principle, and 
showing at least something- of the possibilities of 
agriculture: 
“How do the times affect your part of the coun¬ 
try ? ” was the first question I asked. 
“ We do not know anything about 
hard times in our locality. We are a 
farming community.” 
“ Did not the drought affect you last 
season ?” 
“ Yes, to some extent; but those who 
farmed to the best of their ability, 
made more money than for several 
years back. Oats were a heavy crop, 
corn fair, and potatoes an average, 
with prices high; so we are really 
ahead more than usual.” 
“Then you would not care to ex¬ 
change your farm for city property or 
a commercial business ? ” 
“Never! I spent three years upon 
a bookkeeper's stool before I realized 
what a mistake I had made in leaving 
the farm.” 
“ Do you not have to give up a great 
many pleasures and conveniences, that 
you enjoyed when in the city ?” 
“None worth speaking about. The 
advantages we now have, outweigh 
those to be had in the city, ten to one. 
Of course, we miss the evening enter¬ 
tainments somewhat. But if there is 
anything we very much desire to see or 
hear, we write in for tickets, take the 
train in and come back the following 
day. As for conveniences about the 
house, we are just as well off, as we 
would be in the city. Our house is 
heated from cellar to garret with a hot 
water system. The cooking is done 
upon a gasoline stove, both winter and 
summer. We have hot and cold soft 
water constantly on hand. Our well 
water all passes through the kitchen 
on its way to the stock tanks.” 
“ How do you have it arranged ? ” 
“We use a force pump which forces 
the water from the well into a small 
tank in the kitchen ; from this tank is 
an overflow pipe running to the stock 
tanks which are in the barns upon a 
lower level. Another pipe is connected 
with the house tank that leads to an 
artificial lily pond.” 
“ Your wife probably was the cause 
of this last named pipe ? ” 
“Yes; in fact she was the cause of 
the whole water and heating system. 
She paid for it all from money made 
from poultry, vegetables and small 
fruits. She has remodeled the house, 
set out fruit and ornamental trees, 
built a small conservatory, improved 
the lawn by reseeding, filling up holes, 
etc., purchased a lawn mower, built a poultry house 
and yards, and paid the hired girl from her garden 
and poultry profits, while I have been paying for the 
farm.” 
The Wife’s Side of the House. 
“ It seems to me that your wife must be a partner 
in the business. Had she always lived on a farm ? ” 
“No; she was brought up on a farm, hut was a 
stenographer and typewriter when I first met her. 
We both [happened to have our summer vacation at 
the same time, and also happened to choose a trip 
around Lake Michigan as a means of spending it. 
This was our first meeting*. It was not long before 
we mutually decided to go on to a farm, and leave 
‘ the horrid city to take care of itself,’ to use my wife’s 
words. This was five years ago. The coming spring 
will see the farm paid for.” 
“ You spoke of a conservatory. What is its principal 
GOOD COUNTRY ROAD WHERE THE WATER IS REMOVED. Fro. 31. 
AN IRRIGATED ROAD” WITHIN 20 MINUTES RIDE-OF THE OTHER. Fig. 32 
use—flowers or vegetables? How is it heated, etc.?” 
“ A good collection of house plants occupy a part, 
but the principal use is in raising lettuce, asparagus, 
onions and radishes for winter use on our own table. 
Towards spring, cabbage and tomato plants are 
grown for home use and for the neighbors. Originally, 
it was heated with a common heating stove, but when 
we put in our hot-water heater, pipes were laid to 
heat this also.” 
“How many and what varieties of vegetables and 
fruits does your wife raise, and where is her market?” 
“She has an acre of land equally divided between 
fruits and vegetables. Almost all varieties of vege¬ 
tables in general cultivation in our latitude are grown. 
Of fruits, one-fourth of an acre is in strawberries, one- 
eighth in raspberries and one-eighth in blackberries. 
The strawberries are Warfield fertilized with Jessie. 
The raspberries are Cuthbert and Gregg, with several 
other varieties on trial. The black¬ 
berries are Snyders. Her market is at 
her own door ; and her customers are 
her neighbors.” 
“ Who does the heavy work ? ” 
“One of the farm hands. This is 
charged up to the crops, but all food 
fed the poultry that is raised upon the 
farm, is not charged to their account ; 
only that which is purchased.” 
“ Do you know what her net income 
is for a year ? ” 
“ Last year, it was about ^350 ; this 
year I think it will fall below $300, 
owing to the dry weather.” 
Accounts Are Kept of Course. 
“ Do you keep an accurate account of 
your business, so as to be able to get 
at the net profits ? ” 
“ Yes. The first day of 1895 I knew 
exactly what my profits were last year, 
and what the profit or loss was upon 
each crop.” 
“ Would you mind telling what your 
profits were last year ? ” 
“ They were something over $2,000.” 
“ What is the size of your farm, and 
what crops do you raise ?” 
“ The farm contains 123 acres, 23 of 
which are woodland used for pasture. 
My crops are corn, oats, rye, potatoes 
and clover hay.” 
“ What is your money crop ? ” 
“Potatoes ; I raise from 10 to 20acres 
each year.” 
“How much help do you keep, and 
are you able to secure reliable help ? ” 
“ Two men during the summer, and 
one during the winter. I have been 
troubled very little with poor help. We 
are often away several days at a time, 
always two or three weeks during the 
hot weather at some pleasure resort, 
and everything goes on just as though 
we were at home.” 
“ By your description, I should judge 
that your home in southern Wisconsin 
is almost a paradise ? ” 
“Yes, it is almost; and if you will 
come and visit us when strawberries 
are ripe, roses in bloom, and the air is 
filled with perfume from the curing 
hay, hammocks in the shade and ice 
cream as free as water, I am sure that 
you will agree with me that farm life 
is the ‘ ideal life on earth.’ ” 
“ What plan of rotation have you 
followed, and what fertilizing material 
have you applied ? ” 
“ For the last four years, I have followed a four- 
year rotation as follows : corn, oats, rye and clover \ 
but I shall drop the oats this year.” 
“Why so?” 
“First, they are the least profitable crop I grow ; 
second, I find that my rye does much better sown 
upon corn ground than after oats. Then the rota¬ 
tion is a little too long. I prefer to have a clover 
crop once in three years. By sowing my clover with 
