891 
Advice to Farm Buyers. 
Will you tell what you can on the purchase of a 
small farm? What papers are necessary? What 
should one he most careful about in buying a place? 
How would you figure expenses of paying for a farm 
valued at say $1,500, $500 of which is paid in cash and 
$1,000 mortgage on the place? I am working at pres¬ 
ent and wish to pay for the farm, in case of purchase, 
before going on it, and having had no experience would 
be glad to know anything you may be able to tell me. 
The above need not take into consideration anything 
in the way of receipts from the place, just expenses. 
p. s. o. 
O person should ever think of purchasing a 
farm without first making a careful examina¬ 
tion of it for himself when the ground is bare, so 
that an examination can easily be 
made. Several examinations during 
Summer, so that the land may be seen 
in different conditions of drought and 
excessive moisture, may he profitably 
made. The amount of tillable land in 
the farm should be determined by 
measuring carefully. Do not accept 
estimates of the owner. Attention 
should be paid as to whether this land 
is stony, so that plowing is made dif¬ 
ficult, whether it is hilly, so that many 
kinds of farm machinery could not he 
worked to advantage, and to whether 
it is broken up into small fields by 
open ditches or other obstacles so that 
it is impossible to work the land to 
advantage. These obstacles, of course, 
may be overcome by removing stones, 
laying tile in the ditches, etc., but the 
cost of doing this should he taken into 
consideration. The texture of the soil 
should be studied iu reference to its 
suitableness for the purpose desired. 
A heavy clay soil may he suited to the 
growing of grass and grain, but would 
not be at all suited to the growing of 
potatoes, small fruits and garden 
crops. 
Tf live stock farming is to he fol¬ 
lowed, the amount of land which can 
be devoted to pasturage should he 
taken into consideration, together with 
the abundance of feed produced during 
the pasture reason, if the land is too 
rough to be broken up and re-seeded, 
as is the case with many of our East¬ 
ern pastures. The amount of wood¬ 
land should also he taken into consid¬ 
eration with a view of a future sup¬ 
ply of firewood for the family and lum¬ 
ber for repairing buildings and build¬ 
ing new ones which may he needed. 
' " e condition of the buildings should 
be noted as to whether foundations, 
sills, etc., are in good condition, as to 
whether the roofs are in good repair 
or whether they will soon need recov¬ 
ering, and as to whether buildings are 
suitable and adequate for needs of the 
family and the farm business. 
The water supply on the farm is 
something to be reckoned with and it 
should be ascertained if the supply is 
abundant during all seasons of the 
year, and is good and pure, so that 
there will be no danger from disease 
to the family or the live stock. 
While a personal examination will 
reveal to the experienced buyer many 
of these things, yet even he, and es¬ 
pecially the inexperienced buyer, will 
do well to go quietly and alone to visit 
some of the neighboring farmers for 
the purpose of getting advice regarding 
these points. A few hours spent with 
the good substantial farmers of the 
neighborhood will bring out many 
points regarding the farm in question 
which would require some years of 
experience to ascertain. 
While the above mentioned factors 
have to do with the ability of the 
farm to produce crops another and 
very important factor is that of the farmer’s ability 
to market the products raised. In this connection 
the nearness of the farm to the railroad station, the 
creamery, etc., should be taken into consideration. 
The condition of the highways should be noted as 
an important factor in the cost of getting the pro¬ 
duct to market. If the majority of the farmers in 
the community are engaged in the kind of farming 
which the buyer desires to practice, and have 
worked out a cooperative plan of marketing their 
produce, the farm will have greater value than a 
similar one located in a community where the buy¬ 
TH ED EiU E-iA.lv NEW-YORKER 
er will have to be a pioneer in his chosen form of 
agricultural enterprise.. 
The prospective purchaser will do well to visit 
the local banker, because bankers usually have a 
very fair and conservative idea of the value of farm 
property in the territory which they serve. Hank¬ 
ers are also interested in having the farms in their 
community fall into the hands of good respectable 
people who will make the best possible use of the 
land. If the purchaser needs to borrow money he 
will probably find it necessary to appeal to the lo¬ 
cal banker for a loan. The amount which a banker 
can loan on a farm is usually limited by the laws of 
the State. Bankers usually consider a farm mort¬ 
gage as a very desirable security and a person who 
has a good moral character, a reputation for meet¬ 
ing his bills promptly and who can show a good 
purpose for using the money would probably have 
no trouble in borrowing 00% of the value of the 
farm. The interest may vary in different States 
under different conditions but will probably be G%. 
Payments should be made promptly, because only in 
this way can a farmer or any other person gain a 
reputation which will enable him to secure credit 
necessary for doing business. A poor man of whom 
it can he said “his word is as good as his bond” will 
he able to do business easily where a rich man of 
whom the opposite is true will be hampered. 
After having satisfied himself that the farm meets 
the necessary requirements and can be purchased 
at a reasonable price, as determined by land values 
in the community, the purchaser should he very 
careful to see that he obtains a proper title. The 
seller should be required to furnish an abstract of 
title and a full warranty deed. The purchaser 
should employ a reputable lawyer to represent him 
in the transaction, in order that there may be no 
mistake regarding the title or the deed. The deed 
should be properly recorded at once 
after being executed. A few dol¬ 
lars spent in making sure of these 
points may save many dollars and 
much trouble later. 
In summary I would say to all in¬ 
experienced persons who are intending 
to purchase farms, take plenty of time, 
do not heed the real estate agent who 
tries to hurry you for fear you will 
lose a great bargain, get all the ad¬ 
vice you can from the local banker 
and local farmers and use your own 
common sense and judgment, because 
a wise purchase may determine the 
difference between success and failure 
in the enterprise upon which you have 
set your heart. e. s. brigiiam. 
Vermont. 
Killing Quack Grass by 
Cultivation. 
HACK grass is so thoroughly es¬ 
tablished generally over the terri¬ 
tory known as the (ienesee Valley, that 
the loss in dollars to cultivated crops, 
especially beans, is necessarily heavy. 
In pastures it is of some value if fed 
early and often, and in the mea¬ 
dows if cut early quack grass makes 
good feeding hay, although for haling 
for market, it does not grade at all 
with Timothy, so taking it all around, 
we would be much better off without 
it. It seems strange that so many up- 
to-date farmers will go on year after 
year fighting a losing battle with this 
pest. I know whereof I speak, for as 
a boy and later, I have helped dig and 
rake off and burn quack roots only to 
see a better and more thrifty crop 
come back the next year. A heavy 
quack grass sod returned to the same 
soil in the form of humus is not a dif¬ 
ficult or costly operation according to 
my experience; in fact I have found 
it to be the least difficult to extermin¬ 
ate of all the bothersome weeds we 
have. 
Let us sit down and reason together 
in regard to this. First, it has a shal¬ 
low horizontal root system that keeps 
the mass of root growth near the sur¬ 
face. If plowed deep, it comes back; 
then each point is capable of produc¬ 
ing a new plant, and the more the roots 
are cut up with cultivator and spring- 
tooth harrow the more new and vig¬ 
orous plants there are. It makes its 
strongest growth during the cool damp 
weather of Spring and early Summer. 
A field Fall-plowed or early Spring- 
plowed gives the grass, I care not ho\y 
much the soil may be worked, the best 
possible opportunity to send up a vig¬ 
orous growth before the planted crop, 
whatever it may be, has a chance at 
all to germinate, form a root system, 
make a growth and contend with the 
enemy which is already strongly en¬ 
trenched. On the other hand, if the 
sod is plowed over a fair depth, say 
seven inches, near the time to plant the 
crop, a good green crop is turned un¬ 
der to enrich the land, and before the quack has had 
time to recover from this smother and surprise, the 
crop of beans, for instance, has an even chance with 
the quack, for the cultivators can soon get busy. I 
think corn is better for the first crop on quack sod, 
the first year, but I have often planted beans in 
such cases. 
After the crop is harvested, say in November, if 
this land is plowed over shallow, the roots beipg at 
their season of rest are in a weakened condition, 
and the exposure to the Winter’s freezing and thaw¬ 
ing kills most of them and reduces the vitality iu 
Soy Beans in New Jersey. Fig. 332. 
Hay-loading with Gasoline Tractor. Fig. 333. 
Q 
off 
Hay-loading by Horse Power. Fig. 334. 
