Vol. LXX. No. 4104. 
NEW YORK, JUNE 24, 1911. 
WEEKLY, $1.00 PER YEAR 
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A FARM. 
Monument to a Stony Farm. 
There is shown at Fig. 250 a picture of one of the 
most remarkable farm stone walls in the country. It is 
located in Steuben Co., N. Y. The width at the base is 
seven feet—on top five to 5^ feet. As can be seen 
this wall is so solidly built that a wagon can be hauled 
along the top. This wall, like many others in the East¬ 
ern States, was built to clear the fields of surface 
stones. There are many more still left on such farms. 
Frost and the plow will bring them up—so that the 
boys who are obliged to pick them insist that they 
“grow.” This wall will give some of our Western 
farm friends an idea of what it means to clear such a 
farm of stones. On the whole it will be about as much 
of a job to stone clear as it was for the pioneers to 
cut the forest away from the Western land. The soil 
on many of these stony farms is naturally strong, but 
spongy and wet. When ditched and drained by putting 
much of this stone under ground the soil can be limed 
and fed into a good state of fertility. There have 
been so many questions 
about how to select a 
farm that we have 
asked a number of well- 
known farmers to tell 
us what to look for 
when buying. Some of 
their answers follow: 
From Ohio. 
So very many points 
and conditions must be 
considered in this mat¬ 
ter that it is hard to 
lay down a rule thait 
will govern very many 
purchasers. About every 
one has different ideals 
as to what he wants. 
Often location counts 
for as much as or more 
than the quality of the 
land. That is, the pur¬ 
chaser takes the chances 
that he can make up the 
objectionable deficiencies 
in the land easier than 
the lack of conveniences 
in a poor location. 
A purchaser makes no 
mistake in buying rich land, especially if located in 
connection with a large body of such land. For the 
quality of the land will bring to it in time all modern 
improvements. But the man who buys poor land 
where such land predominates in quantity, with the 
view of growing staple crops, takes the chance of re¬ 
maining poor with the land. It will be a tough propo¬ 
sition to overcome the poverty of the soil and bring 
into his life the comforts and conveniences of those 
that own rich soil. In most cases it is a mistake to 
be lured into the purchase of land by sound of large 
acres. A less number of acres of good land can be 
made to bring more happiness when 'scientifically 
farmed. Much land needs improvements of a per¬ 
manent character. The lack of these make it sell 
cheap. The man that by labor can add these may find 
it to his interest to buy such land because he can do 
the necessary labor and has not the needed capital. 
Many tests as to the quality of land are now in use 
that years ago were not thought of, things that be¬ 
long with the land and show its quality to the posted 
man. The kind of timber growing on it, the weeds 
that are found, the variety, vigor and abundance. 
When these are in abundance it points to strong, rich 
land. But the timber does not always tell the true 
story. Too wet a soil often grows poor timber. Such 
land properly drained very often makes the best of 
farming land. It is the question with the purchaser 
which is the most desirable, land that is naturally 
drained or land that must be artificially done. 
For the stock grower land that is well watered has 
a great attraction. Yet other land that has an under 
current of water that can be brought to the surface by 
artificial means may be most desirable. The former 
on account of waterways may be very expensive to 
cultivate, as they cause ill-shaped fields and of incon¬ 
venient size, while the latter, when the fields are 
laid out, may be laid out in such a way as to be most 
easily cultivated. 
Often the purchaser, on account of lack of money, 
may find it to his advantage to purchase land in a sec¬ 
tion where modern improvements are lacking, such as 
good roads, railways, telephone and rural free deliv¬ 
ery, and wait a few years for these things to come. 
But he must have the judgment not to place himself 
in a location where old age will overtake him before 
they come. 
When a man has the means to make a purchase in 
a desirable location he should avail himself of this op¬ 
portunity unless he cares nothing for the happiness 
and comfort that a good location brings with it. A 
good and prosperous village is found, in the main, 
surounded by good land, or lands that are made valu¬ 
able by growing fruits or some special desirable crop. 
But to become a citizen in such a community the pur¬ 
chaser must pay an advanced price over that required 
where these things are unknown and seldom 
thought of. 
It is a wise provision in the make-up of mankind 
that they differ in their tastes and desires. These 
make it possible for all lands to become homes for 
men. A desire to own a parcel of land even of a 
small area for a home is a commendable one. A 
home located in a community where the holdings are 
of a small area is more, or can be made more, de¬ 
sirable than in a section where the farms are large 
and the homes far apart. These large farms must be 
worked by employed labor, and it cannot be expected 
that these laborers will care as much for the improve¬ 
ment and culture of the land and people as they would 
if they were owners of the land and by this ownership 
made permanent citizens. 
If a would-be purchaser knows nothing of the 
quality of land by personal experience he should go 
slow; find some one to purchase for him that will 
treat him honestly in advice and purchase. When once 
a desirable community is found, take time to know 
the people and the land before making a purchase. If 
it is desired to grow staple crops, buy land that can 
be most easily used for that purpose, land that can 
be laid out in fields of desirable size and shape. If 
stock-growing is desired in connection with crop¬ 
growing, often pasture lands can be had in connection 
with the other that is much cheaper because it is hilly 
and broken, yet well 
worth its cost. 
The writer’s farm is 
all tillable and is used 
in grain and stock grow¬ 
ing, but could be used to 
a greater advantage if 
in connection there was 
an equal acreage of 
broken and hilly land. 
JOHN M. JAMISON. 
From Michigan. 
If there is any time 
when a person needs to 
(use good common horse 
Isense it is when buying 
a farm for a home. It 
is certainly difficult to 
lay down a set of rules 
as a guide to selecting a 
(farm that would not 
have many exceptions. 
The variety and growth 
of timber may be a good 
guide and again may be 
misleading. Good, 
thrifty, hard maple tim¬ 
ber seldom grows on 
poor soil in this imme¬ 
diate section, but in some parts of the state the finest ' 
kind of maple timber grows on very poor soil with 
cold quicksand subsoil. If I were to be guided 
by the timber growth I would select thrifty hickory 
and white oak. 
It is generally difficult to find an ideal farm that 
is for sale at a reasonable price, but many farms are 
for sale that have become untidy and unproductive 
by mismanagement that by well-directed care could 
be made into fine farm homes. One of the first 
things to consider is nearness to market and the so¬ 
cial side. I would select a farm on a somewhat ele¬ 
vated section to be free from frosts, rolling enough 
for natural drainage, but not steep enough to wash, 
with a sandy loam soil and a rich clay subsoil. I 
should want to see crops growing and, if a neglected 
farm, to know it would produce if properly handled. 
There is almost always some good farmer in any 
section and you could be guided by his results, but 
not always by what neighbors say. 
