JUNE 9 
TUI RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
3 § 1 ? 
Rural topics. 
RURAL PRIZE SERIES, 
PROFITABLE FARMING FOR 
A POOR MAN. 
How to Become a Successful Farmer 
(Thp above Is the title of a «-rlcs or essays, for the 
best of which premiums were offered by the Rural 
nuw Yorker last year, the object being to assist, 
•those farmers who have limited means or those bav- 
iik a small capital, about to cnjfuim lu farming. Tliey 
are for the most part written by those who have 
passed throm-h the trials of nil impoverished begln- 
ni::c to rir.l success. 1 
LEWIS S. ELY. 
A love for fanning is the first qualification 
necessary to constitute a successful farmer. 
It is preliminary to all general rules that are 
to guide a poor man in managiug a farm 
successfully. While applying all the skill and 
forces required in the labor department of 
life, the young farmer must rely upon the ac¬ 
quirements already possessed and to he in¬ 
creased by experience, observation and read¬ 
ing. None of the professions furnishes a 
stronger demand for knowledge gained by 
these means than does farming. Without 
such help all will be haphazard and attended 
with loss. 
When you have decided to become a farmer, 
subscribe for a standard agricultural periodi¬ 
cal—one that is published in the interest of 
the farmer aud not one which is run to make 
money only. What you will most need will 
be the results of carefully made experiments 
and scientific testa, the work of men who have 
a large experience in successful farming. 
Study its pages until you can see in the 
distance a beautiful and well appointed farm 
with growing vegetables, waving grain aud 
“ lowing herds” owned and superintended by 
a man just like yourself. 
Another important matter will be found in 
the methods of farming. To be systematic is 
as necessary iu your management as it is to 
have the “ seasons regular iu their turn.” To 
have a “ place for everything nnd everything 
in its plane,” is a long advance on the road to 
success. Every implement, from a wagon to 
a gimblet, should have a suitable place pro¬ 
vided for it. The advantages are many: 1, 
they need never be lost, beeause they are 
always in their place; 2, the lured man can 
find them; the boy when stmt can make haste 
and bring the hammer, gimblet and screws; 
3, you do not have to wait for them to be 
searched for until you are out of patience; I, 
you can lay your hand on any tool in the 
dark; 5, they are out of the wav in moving 
the teams near the barn and house; 0, they 
are secure from injury by storms, rust und loss. 
System in feeding, watering and caring for 
the stock will prove its value in their thriving 
condition. Your work on the farm when 
performed methodically will be all the more 
easily aud successfully accomplished. Aud, 
finally, your meal hour should be fixed so as 
to accord with the convenience of the house 
work and the necessities of the work on the 
farm. Late meals will throw everything out 
of joint. 
Beginning life upon a piece of land do not 
aim to possess too many acres. This Inis 
ruined many a poor mau who wanted as large 
a farm as old and prosperous farmers possessed. 
A large farm requires an outfit of farming 
tools aud machinery entirely beyond the 
means of a “ poor man ” to supply. He is 
forced into debt, beyond his depth, which w ill 
in turn lead to other extravagant supplies 
that a large crop may bo made in order to 
meet debts that an* approaching maturity, 
while new difficulties are hatching out larger 
losses than iu the end will overwhelm him. 
The road to success is filled with grains of ex¬ 
perience anil small profits, and when gathered 
into an annual footing these will create a fund 
for a small increase of expanding effort aud 
outlay for another advance towards further 
success, .lust at this point thousands have 
missed the mark by the spring that the success 
of the first, year gave to their ambition and 
love of enterprise. A steady purpose to keep 
within the resources already obtained, reject¬ 
ing the late method of creating debts in order 
to farm on a large scale, is the part of 
wisdom and will prove a much needed security 
to the man with small means. “Go slow” 
towards everything that Jins beyond the limits 
of your resources. In beginning, the first 
thing is to plan such a house as you can afford 
mid no better one; but make it comfortable, 
so that the work of the house may lie done 
without annoyance to her who is to be your 
main support, sharing the toils and enduring 
the privations incident to new communities. 
Locate it with a view to the addition of a 
good cellar. The garden should be near the 
house, and the barn and yard should be located 
so that both house and farm shall lie within 
easy reach of them. 
As your success will indicate the measure of 
the improvements to be made to your dwel¬ 
ling ami the store-house for the farm and 
shelter for your cattle and teams, so be sure to 
consult your balance-sheet before making a 
large outlay in tins direction. 
The old adage, “where there is a will there 
is a way,” tells how a good garden can lie se¬ 
cured. Begin it first by deep plowing with 
narrow furrows after giving it the best top- 
dressing of barnyard manure at your com¬ 
mand, Do all the work most thoroughly. 
The very first Spring set out a few small-fruit 
plants—at least a few hills of strawberries 
and raspberries—and then cultivate them as 
carefully as a bed of onions. To the garden 
proper belongs a few early potatoes, peas, 
radishes and onions pLauted as early as the 
season and soil will permit—the soil being 
thoroughly prepared. These vegetables will 
come in between “hay and grass” and stimu¬ 
late to raising a more complete assortment for 
use later in the season. A large advantage 
will accrue to you as you witness the rapid 
growth of these vegetables, the results of good 
tillage. You will be stimulated to carry the 
• same thorough work into your fields where 
your dependence is for profitable farming. 
The garden is the nursery of the farm. Its 
lessons are taught early and make a deep im¬ 
pression on the mind of old and young. Here 
the children obtain the rudiments of practi¬ 
cal farming, and as they are soon to Lx* aux¬ 
iliary in the work of the farm they should be 
carefully taught these early lessons in garden¬ 
ing, being encouraged by suitable motives, 
the father first having learned these lessons. 
The nature aud condition of the soil null re¬ 
quire your careful attention. Whatever is 
needed must be supplied at the beginning. If 
the land is an old. worn-out farm the weeds, 
under-brush and debris must lie removed be¬ 
fore any attempt is made at plowing and cul¬ 
tivation. Drains are to lx* opened, fences put 
in order, all obstructions to the plow carefully 
put where they will do the least harm. When 
all is ready let the team begin to move towards 
the old barnyard where, most likely, you will 
find well rotted manure left there by the 
former improvident owner. With this, or 
manure from other sources, give the land to 
lie plowed a top-dressing until its jacket 
smokes. If the land is to be “ converted— 
made anew ”—and is to lie seeded in Autumn, 
June is the proper time either to “break” or 
for fallow ground plowing. This gives time 
in the Spring to prepare the way as above 
suggested, and the grass together with the 
manure will become decomposed by the time 
that cross-plowing should be begun for Fall or 
Winter crops. Let the boy, if there be one, 
“ Keep the plow moving” while the father is 
busy iu eleauiug up ncgloctod places and 
righting up ship from stem to stern. Old 
apple trees and other fruit, trees may be 
pruned, even iu the Summer, and the old gray 
bark and moss-covered limbs receive early 
attention. Burdock, thistle and mustard 
plants must be destroyed while in bloom. If 
cutting when in bloom does nor kill these 
noxious weeds, drop n little kerosene on to the 
crowns of the burdocks where cut off. This 
will be a patient work, but they must be 
exterminated. 
Do not attempt too large a crop the first 
season, as there is so much work to be doue 
all over the farm that any one branch of 
labor should not interfere with the needed 
preparations above outlined. The team should 
lie a good, strong one, as the subsoil should be 
reached by the plow. Hired help should be 
avoided the first season, unless some means in 
hand will supply a pressing need, ns the 
“poor man” going on to such a farm must 
depend almost entirely on himself for suc¬ 
cess. When you go on to the “old farm” 
you will find a multitude of finger hoards all 
over it pointing to work that should be done 
now! The first work you do, when com¬ 
pleted, examine it and six* that it comes within 
the rule—" well and thoroughly done.” Let 
the mistakes and negligence of the former 
instruct the present owner. 
We have now to battle with “ waste on the 
farm”—new or old. It has become a sei ious 
drawback to the farmer who has been indiff¬ 
erent to this matter to the shrinkage that is 
the result of allowing valuable machinery to 
stand out in all sorts of weather through the 
year. This should be avoided on all sides 
both by large aud small formers. It is abso¬ 
lutely indefensible fora mau who would suc¬ 
ceed, to purchase a piece of machinery for 
farm use on credit aud then let that costly ar¬ 
ticle remain out-of-doors through the Win¬ 
ter. The poor man who would succeed will 
utilize a part of the straw after thrashing 
and make a cover for all farm tools not other¬ 
wise provided for. 
Waste in cutting grain with machinery in 
the West is so marked as to create a doubt of 
the profitableness of the process. It is obser¬ 
vable that the small farmer suffers most as he 
is either unable to purchase the best, or he is 
not a good judge and is put off with a poor 
article. At all events grain is wasted, to such 
an extent as to suggest reasons why so many 
fail of entire success. So. negligence and 
waste of what has already been produced, ex¬ 
plain the failure of many badly managing 
farmers. 
Waste in feeding hay to stock should be 
provided against. No cattle should be owned 
and attempted to be kept on a farm without 
shelter from the storms being provided for 
all. When in stable all stock should be pro¬ 
vided with suitable racks to secure the forage 
from waste. This can and should be done on 
rainy days and at “odd spells.” Too much 
prominence cannot be given to the manage¬ 
ment of stock on the farm. Keep no more 
than you can provide room for in Winter and 
a full supply of good nutritious feed. Never 
allow any stock to be very low in flesh. All 
animals that am unprofitable and not thriving 
should be disposed of to any one that wants 
such stock. They do not pay for the keeping. 
Another waste is found in the practice of 
tviring help that is cheap in price and cheaper 
still in the qualities of a good and skillful 
workman. The wasteful and careless methods 
of such a man in doing his work will cost 
more than his actual wages. He will often 
fail when the pressure for assistance is the 
greatest . Hire the best and for the shortest 
time possible. Never keep a man “ knocking 
round” when you and the boys can do all that 
is claiming immediate attention, even if you 
have to strain a point. Another waste is 
found in spending too much time in your 
market town. If you go too often or remain 
too long—lunger than your business requires— 
time enough to cultivate the garden thorough¬ 
ly will be wasted and the wife will I*- told next 
morning that you “ have no time to work in 
the garden.” 
(To be Concluded next, week.) 
(Bfrucatinal. 
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. 
I was rejoiced to see Mr. Chamberlain's 
vigorous article on this subject, page 65 and 66 
of the Rural. Ever since the establishment 
of agricultural colleges began to be mooted 
in the United States, I have strongly contend¬ 
ed that they should stand exclusively by them¬ 
selves, aud not be mixed up with literary, 
scientific, or oveu mechanical institutions. 
When an agricultural student wishes to learn 
anything from these latter, as some, or per¬ 
haps many will, let him first graduate at the 
agricultural college, aud then go to the other in¬ 
stitution. In this way things will not get 
mixed up confusedly, aud uu one class of stu¬ 
dents can look down upon or contemn another. 
European agricultural colleges or schools have 
thus been formed and conducted, aud hence 
their greater success thus far generally over 
the American. I w ish the professors and stu¬ 
dents of them would adopt a uniform, and I 
know nothing more appropriate for this than 
the old-fashioned linen frocks our farmers 
used to wear. They (linen or cotton) can be 
worn in Summer, and one of the same shape, 
of strong, cheap blue or gray woolen cloth 
made up for Winter. This garment, would be 
both comfortable and convenient, and at the 
same time respectable and honorable. Tt wa s 
habited iu a brown liuen frock, such jis his own 
peasantry wore, that the distinguished Eng¬ 
lish farmer, Air. Coke (afterwards created Earl 
of Leicester) went Up to King George III, to 
present an important petition in behalf of 
agriculture. His sovereign respected him the 
more for coming before him thus attired instead 
of wearing a gaudy court dress, for he himself 
was an enthusiastic practical farmer, and he 
instantly granted Mr. Coke’s petition. The 
latter at the same time carried a big long whip 
in his hand, such as his own peasantry use 
when driving their farm wagons, and which 
they flourish with tremeuduous cracks iu order 
to call attention to themselves as they march 
proudly along. 
History does not report whether Mr. Coke 
flourished his whip threateningly in the face of 
his sovereign.but I wish a stout body of our 
farmers might go up and do this to their legisla¬ 
tors, both those of their respective States and 
of the United States, when they wanted some¬ 
thing done absolutely necessary for their own 
as well as the public welfare. I will now in¬ 
stance one thing alone to be accomplished, 
highly necessary for the present, and that is 
for Congress to pass such laws as will protect 
the cattle of the whole country from a spread 
of injurious aud fatal diseases among them. I 
fancy if a strong body of farmers should 
march boldly into the halls of Congress at 
Washington aud present a petition for this, at 
the same time each flourishing a stout ox- 
goad to punch up their Representatives to no 
longer delay in doing their duty to them and 
their country, they would instantly leave off 
their contemptible squabblings and selfish pri¬ 
vate seekings and grant what the farmers 
desired. A. B. Allen. 
♦ ♦ » 
A DOUBLE CROP. 
“ A fine field of wheat you have here, Far 
mer Heavyseed !” 
F. H .—“ Yes. Doctor, I shall raise two 
crops on this field.” 
Doctor .—“ Two crops, Farmer ? How so 
F. H.—“ Why, I shall raise a thousand 
bushels of wheat and that will raise my 
mortgage." 
Ciierarw. 
HOW TWO GIRLS TRIED FARMING. 
(Continued.) 
Dot came to the farm and the girls went 
manfully to work. They bought a strong 
mountain wagon and two steady-going road¬ 
sters for $150, and established them in the 
renovated barn. They bought a cock and a 
few hens and a cow. Dot and the miner’s 
daughter said they were •’used to” cows and 
chickens, and Dot had a patent way of keeping 
them out of the gardens. The miner's daugh¬ 
ter rejoiced in the name of Vivien Delian y, 
but she was called Vi for short. 
There was plenty of work to be done and 
enough hands to do it. for on Saturdays Alice 
was at home, and Vi often had an afternoon 
to spend in the orchard. 
The strawberries ripened first; they came in 
June, and half-a-dozen pickers were hired. 
Alice and Dot attended to the sorting and 
packing. Afterwards came the raspberries, 
then the blackberries; and all along came the 
cherries, currants and the vegetables. All 
found a ready market, but especially profit¬ 
able to the growers were the contracts made 
with the various country hotels and mine 
boarding-houses. In this way the fees of 
middlemen were saved. 
The first season’s yield was surprising, and 
when the small fruits became scarce the huge, 
delicious Bartlett pears, the apricots and 
plums began to come on. A busy, prosperous 
year. The hotels and “stores” took the best 
of the fruit and the mines disposed of the less 
choice portions. There was no lack of profit¬ 
able market. and twice as much might have 
been sold. 
Thus the farm of eleven acres not only sup¬ 
ported the proprietors, with Vi, Martin, t wo 
horses a cow and the chickens, but when the 
fruit season dosed and all bills were paid, the 
profile for that year were found to l>e a little 
over four hundred dollars. 
When Winter came on again Vi was sent 
home. Dot taught the Kent children, Alice 
kept the Winter school at Vasaeoul Mine. 
The two girls lived cosily in the little log 
cabin, and were tremendously happv as they 
sat by the little red-covered table on a Winter 
evening with a crackling fire and the last 
numbers of the Century and the Atlantic. 
They always had the evenings to themselves 
both Summer aud Winter, when they could 
read French and German together, and keep 
delightfully up with the times. Occasionally 
a gay party would pounce down upon them 
on a dear, moonlit night, carry them off for a 
sleigh-ride, aud return to the cabin to eat 
doughnuts and apples by the fire before it was 
off again ou the home ride. When there was 
nothing so exciting going on in the evenings 
they read Arnold or Emerson aloud, or Ten¬ 
nyson, perhaps, reviving their college days. 
There was skating in the afternoons or a 
“good time” at the Kent’s. 
Iu Summer there were excursions to the 
Big Springs, rows on the river, horseback rides 
through the woods on moonlight nights. 
Could they find it dull; Not with one of the 
grandest spots on God's earih to look at daily 
and be in hourly. 
Shall we pass over the successes nnd disap¬ 
pointments of the next two years! The whole 
orchard was now* in full bearing, but once in 
a w hile a late frost would eome and do some 
damage; never was a crop lost, however. 
Sometimes the profits were high, aud again 
they were low; yet the farm never failed to 
yield some profit. 
