Vol. LXVI. No. 2975. NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 2, 1907. weekly, iurfkbuar 
EXPERIENCE OF A ONE-LEGGED FARMER. 
How Head Work Beats Heel Work. 
In your issue of March 3, 190(5, a writer tried to 
show the possibility of two one-legged men raising a crop 
of .'id acres of potatoes, doing all the work except pick¬ 
ing them up. His argument was principally to show the 
great advance in modern machinery, showing 
the rapid strides in farming over the primitive 
methods of years ago, to such an extent that 
now cripples could undertake farming for a 
living by the use of improved machinery and 
be successful. I was much amused in reading 
the sketch, and while 1 could not agree with 
the writer as to the practicability of two onc- 
leggcd men running a 150-acre farm, I would like 
to show the possibility of one one-legged man 
managing a 22-acre farm and being successful. 
I bis will not be theory, as his was, for I am 
the one-legged man behind this particular gun. 
On February 12, 1898, I was working in my 
brother’s livery stable. I had been working for 
several years and I had often realized that my. 
outlook was anything but promising, and that 
I might work all my life with my hands and 
at the end of life be as poor as when I com¬ 
menced. I was dialing under this condition 
when I heard of a farm that was for sale, com¬ 
prising about 22 acres. I owned at this time a 
small house surrounded by one-half acre of 
land, covered by a mortgage of $550 1 had not 
one dollar to invest in more land, but I had a 
great desire to become a farmer, so 1 went and 
talked the matter over with the owners to see 
what could be done. They informed me that 
they wanted to dispose of the farm and had put the 
selling price at $4,000. They would take a mortgage 
for $3,000 if I could raise $1,000. 1 hurried around 
among my relatives and friends to see if they would 
loan me the necessary money, but all to no purpose. 
I made up my mind that de¬ 
termination is better than money 
at times, so I must use a little 
and try new tactics. I then 
went to a man whom I knew 
was desirous of buying a farm 
and got him interested in a 
scheme of splitting up the farm, 
lie to take the house (which 
was rather old) and 16 acres of 
land, and I to take the other 
six acres; lie to furnish the 
$1,000 cash. This he agreed to 
do. Then I went to the man 
who wanted to sell and made 
this proposition: “1 will get you 
a customer for 16 acres of your 
farm if you will agree to 
sell me six acres and take mort¬ 
gage for full value, $1,200.” 
This they finally agreed to do. 
Now I had my little farm, but 
1 felt it was too small to make 
much of a showing, so 1 rented 
four acres at $12 dollars per 
acre, and felt that I had enough 
to begin with. I had the 10 acres 
of land, but had no money for 
seed, tools, fertilizer, etc. One 
cannot run a farm without an 
equipment and some pluck. I 
had the pluck, nothing else. 
I went to see file fertilizer agent and told him the cir¬ 
cumstances. He agreed to let me have the fertilizer on 
the condition that I would mortgage my crop to him. 1 
felt I was mortgaged about all I could stand already, so 
I compromised by agreeing that’ on condition my pay¬ 
ments were not made when due he was to have part of 
the crops for security. My seed I bought from a local 
retail dealer on time; my tools and, in fact, everything 
was bought on credit, so that by the time I was ready 
for business I felt myself burdened with debt. 
The first year was not as successful as I had antici¬ 
pated, but yet we paid our running expenses. The sec¬ 
RECREATIONS FOR LONG ISLAND FARMERS. Fig. 30. 
ond year was rather better, we paid our bills and had 
enough to buy a barn 16x20, which l moved myself on 
to my house lot, having used an old henhouse for a 
barn the first year. Third year was fairly good; I 
bought more tools and did a little more building. 
THE ONE-LEGGED FARMER AND HIS HELPERS. Fig. 31. 
Fourth year started in good shape, when about the fif¬ 
teenth of June T was laid up with the abscess on my leg 
which I had had since I was a boy. It gradually grew 
worse until it was found necessary for me to go to 
New York to a hospital. Upon examination amputa¬ 
tion was found necessary. The operation was success¬ 
ful, and in a few weeks I was able to come home. I 
felt it was a hard blow (but 1 have had a harder one 
since) and I was a very discouraged man, but looking 
the facts in the face, and being encouraged by friends 
and a faithful wife, I realized I was better adapted for 
farming than any other business. My friends at this 
time raised a contribution and bought me an 
artificial leg, but owing to my stump being so 
short I could not wear it with any degree of 
comfort, and I found it was not practical in 
my business, so I discarded it and depended on 
my crutches entirely. I realized I was “up 
against” a hard proposition, for while I had 
had a few years’ experience in farming, I had 
done the bulk of the work myself. Now I must 
hire most of the labor done. One thing I have 
learned, that if farmers generally would do less 
of the physical work and more brain work our 
farms would be far more profitable and far 
more enjoyable. My neighbors tell me I am 
more successful since I lost my leg than I was 
before. If this is so it is because I am now 
obliged to use my brains, and before I thought 
I did not have time. 
We finished that season as best we could, 
neighbors and hired help doing the work, and 
the next Spring I took new courage. What a 
time Spring is for new life, as well in man as 
in nature! I rented a different plot of ground 
containing nine acres. This gave me 15 acres 
to begin my crippled farming. The question 
uppermost in my mind at this time was: “What 
can I do to help along the work, and how 
can I do it?” I then realized that ma¬ 
chinery must play a very important part in my work, 
and I began to study what machines were adapted to 
my particular need. Potato planting came first, 
and the plowing must be done. If I did it I must 
have a sulky plow. I realized that most of 
the plowing was in the Spring, 
and while I am satisfied I 
can run a sulky plow I thought 
it would be economy to let 
the men plow; while they were 
plowing I could be cutting 
potatoes, and as I am very par¬ 
ticular how my potatoes are cut, 
I thought this plan feasible, and 
I have followed it each year, 
this year cutting 120 bushels 
alouc. Next was the harrowing 
to be done, so the Acme riding 
harrow was added to the list of 
tools; then the smoothing board, 
which of course anyone can ride. 
Next came the planting. After 
studying potato-planters, I came 
to the conclusion the Aspinwall 
was best adapted to my needs, 
and so I purchased one, and 
with a man to handle the fer¬ 
tilizer and potatoes I found I 
could plant as many potatoes in 
a day as any other man. I 
am now using the Robbins 
planter. I drive the horses and 
have a man to feed the machine 
and handle the fertilizer and 
potatoes. The writer of the ar¬ 
ticle in The R. N.-Y. contended 
that one of the one-legged men 
could feed the machine and handle fertilizer and 
potatoes, and the other one drive. I do not think 
it would be possible for a cripple to handle 
fertilizer and do the lifting necessary to be done on a 
farm at potato planting time. It wopld be mucb 
