RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
47 » 
An Elderly Man and Small Farm 
I bought a small farm of about 2* 
acres, thinkiug of having it easy, as I 
am quite of age. I find the work is too 
much, to do my own plowing, etc. What 
could I grow, or do, to have it easy and 
be able to do it alone? Would two or 
more cows pay ou the place, also chick¬ 
ens? I thought by turning the field into 
hay cows could be kept and have a little 
income.. I have one cow now, also over 
100 chickens, but they only lay a few 
eggs, just enough for home use. From 
this flock of chickens I ought to be able 
to sell a few eggs. My neighbors give 
me all sorts of advice; it is hard for me 
to make the best of it; each one’s idea 
is different, and I am not a farmer. Will 
you. or some of the practical farmers, 
give me some good advice ou how to get 
along? Which are the best cows to keep 
to sell milk, and what chickens for egg 
production? I have the Barred Rocks 
•and Leghorns. How can the hens be 
c D, llefl . to select the laying ones from 
others? Should chickens be fed all they 
can eat. or should they have enough food 
and keep them scratching? I have tried 
all kinds of feeding, but few eggs are the 
result. I have a small brook running 
through farm. Would it pay to raise 
ducks and geese? Some advise me to get 
a lot of sheep in Spring and sell them in 
. ij ™ e ‘ V cou l ( l ^'od ou the farm and 
would cost nearly nothing to raise because 
they are not held during Winter. 
Hunterdon Co., N. J. l. f. h. 
Here is another of these cases where 
the personality of the man must decide, 
^ot knowing any of the circumstances 
beyond this bare outline we can only 
give general advice. What can one 
rather feeble man do to get a living from 
-0 acres? We have applied to several 
men about the age of L. F. IT., and their 
advice is influenced by what they are 
doing and what they like to do. All 
agree that he should not try to plow over 
two or three acres. The rest should go 
into grass for hay or pasture. Three or 
four good cows ought to pay if it is pos¬ 
sible to sell the milk to some local dealer. 
It seldom pays to try to peddle a few 
quarts. Good grade Holstein cows would 
be suitable. The hens you now have 
probably cost more than they bring in. 
The two breeds are good, but either you 
have poor specimens, or you do not give 
them good care. Our advice is to write 
the New Jersey Experiment Station at 
New Brunswick and ask for bulletins 
and advice. The Farm Bureau agent at 
the county seat will come if you ask him 
and look things over. If there is a de¬ 
mand for little pigs in your neighborhood 
two good brood sows would pay. You 
can seed a crop like peas or rape to make 
pasture for the sows. Such sows pay us 
well and do not require much work. 
Sheep do well on some farms, but we 
think the sows would pay you better, 
though we would not advise you to raise 
the pigs for pork. Sell them at 10 to 12 
weeks old. You should try to raise some 
crop that comes within your strength and 
brings a good price. If you are inter¬ 
ested in fruit half an acre or so of straw¬ 
berries ought to pay, and with some help 
you can probably care for such a crop 
Following that a fair-sized patch of cab¬ 
bage ought to bring some money. These 
crops will not interfere and will make 
good use of your chicken manure. Do 
not attempt to cultivate too much ground. 
Keep most of it in grass and raise only 
those crops which give good returns from 
a small area. Ducks and geese both pay 
well when reasonably handled. 
Moles Damaging Roots 
I’nder Ruralisms, page Sl>, in answer 
to D. S. B., you state that moles never 
injure the roots or trunks of trees, and 
you are partly right, as moles never work 
above ground, but as to mice they do not 
work under ground but above the ground. 
Moles are the animals that have injured 
D. S. B.’s trees under ground, and not 
the mice, as the mole digs his under¬ 
ground tunueling, and when he hits a 
root he will not work around the 
root, but will eat right through it. If 
he happens to hit the tap-root the tree 
will topple over or fall entirely down, 
but if one of the side roots is hit the 
tree will lean to that side from where 
the root is not injured. The mole will 
sometimes work in the nursery, and when 
he hits a row of trees will follow the row 
and eat the roots, and one can lift the 
trees with one’s finger, or if he gets into 
a row of fleshy-rooted plants like the 
peonies or Dahlias he will eat them up 
entirely. P. p. k. 
Starbuck, Miun. 
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Buyers Being Placed 
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