the privilege of joining to 720 rods of fence on adjoining farms, I thus enclosed 360 acres, and had 280 prepared for seeding. “The breaking was done from the 27th of May to the 9th of July. The greater portion of this ploughed land might therefore have been planted in corn, and harvested in time for seeding with wheat; and thus I might have added considerably to the avails of the first year, had I not been 80 miles distant, engaged in the labors of the Jacksonville district. $230 00 243 75* I paid for harvesting, threshing, packing, and delivering at the Sold at the Clinton depôt, 43782 bus. of wheat, for...$4378 82 $1567 94 1650 00 $3217 94 50 00 Making the gross income of the first year. 4.428 82 3,217 94 And you have the net proceeds of the first year................ 1,210 88 1,094 19 2,305 07 Making the entire avails of the first year........ .......... "Furthermore, to do justice to the productiveness of the soil, and to show what the well directed efforts and judicious management of a well-trained and practical Illinois farmer would have done, it should be stated that, at least in my judgment, some 1500 bushels of wheat were wasted, by untimely and careless harvesting and threshing, equal to $1500 net proceeds. Then add $55 33, excess of payments for ploughing and seeding only 280 acres, which a skilful farmer would have known before making his contracts, and you have a loss which ought to have been a gain of $1,555 33. This amount saved, would have shown the avails of the first year's operations, on 280 acres of the farm, to have been $3,860 40. "Now, sir, if one under such circumstances, with but little more than a theoretical knowledge of farming, has succeeded even so well, having hired all the labor, and mostly at very high prices, how much larger profits might have been realized by a skilful and practical farmer, devoting his whole time and attention to his appropriate occupation. How much more successful thousands of farmers and farmers' sons, on our eastern seaboard, and in the Eastern States, might be, were they, or could they be induced to move on and apply their skill, industry, and economy, in the cultivation of the rich and productive prairies of Illinois." The "Prairie Farmer," of January 24, 1856, contains the following letter of a farmer residing in Warsaw, Hancock Co.: "I purchased these acres of woodland, three-fourths of a mile from town, for the purpose of making a fruit orchard. By the time I could get it cleared and enclosed, the season had so far advanced that I could not plant trees-so I contented myself with putting in such a crop as the advanced season would justify. About the 20th of June, I finished planting three acres of white beans, two of corn, pumpkins and garden vegetables, and half an acre of potatoes; and later, say about the 1st of July, I sowed about two and a half acres of buckwheat. "In the autumn I harvested the following crops, worth, in the market at home, the prices annexed: Pumpkins, cabbages, tomatoes, melons, sweet potatoes, &c....... Total............. $70 00 35 00 16 00 15 0Q 14 00 $150 00 "This, it strikes me, was a tolerably fair result. I did not expect to do much, as the season was so far advanced when I commenced; yet I have demonstrated to my own satisfaction, that with a good season next year, and fair prices in the fall, I can make my little farm of ten acres bring me $300besides growing an indefinite number of young fruit trees; and that too without going beyond mere ordinary farm crops. H. H. Hendrick, Esq., of Batavia, Kane Co., calculates the value of a farm of 160 acres, as follows: "A small farm would be worth more per acre, with the same improvements, than a very large one. For example, take 160 acres, purchased at $10 per acre: First cost of 160 acres, at $10 per acre...................................................... 160 rods fence on front side, or road, $1 per rod...... Building house, &c..... .$1600 00 225 00 160 00 240 00 Fruit trees, &c.......... Amounting to.......... 500 00 25 00 ......$2750 00 4000 00 1,250 00 ......... It is probably now worth $25 per acre, which will be...... Or, at $20 per acre, still leaves a balance of....... "It is probable that the fence may be built for a little less than $1 per rod; but as I have made no allowance for cross fences, yards, &c., and calculated only half of three sides, and one whole side for the road, I think the excess of price will not more than pay the expense of building the necessary fences inside. I have also left sixty acres for meadow and pasture. If the purchaser have means to make the necessary improvements, or most of them, I think he would do well to settle on such lands." The "Prairie Farmer," of February 14th, 1856, contains a very detailed account of the management of a farm, by Mr. Wm. P. West, of Blackberry, Kane Co. This account, which has but this present moment been published, was originally intended for the Agricultural Society, of Kane Co. The farm of Mr. West containing 240 acres, this account deserves particular notice, because of its comprising all the branches of rural economy. The account is herewith subjoined: June.—To breaking 23 acres, 3 inches deep, at $1 50 per acre 66 cost harvesting 23 acres, at $150 per acre...... DR. $34 50 16 00 34 50 2.00 12.00 34 50 1853. 55 20 13 80 $202 50 CR. $655.50 202 50 $453 00 Aug. 20.-To 4 days' work, man, horse and shovel plough, at DR. $1.50 $150 per day... ............ 6 00 66 "2 days' work, man, horse, and small harrow, at "6 days' work, hoeing in wheat around hills........ 6 00 26 25 31 52 66 66 "36 bu. oats for seed, and 1 day's work at $1...... 10 00 60 00 Total... $88 00 1853. By 87 bu. per acre, making 1050 bu., at 25c............ Net profit....... Net profit per acre........................................................................................................ 1852. 9 ACRES SPRING WHEAT. Sept.-To 5 days' ploughing, 8 inches deep, at $2.... 66 "19 bu. Rio seed wheat, at 75c.......... 1853. March 25.-1 day sowing the same....... CR. $262 50 88 00 $174 50 $7 33 DR. $10 00 14 25 1 00 6 00 14 25 18 24 To carting the same to market at 2c.................... 4 56 Total cost................ $68 30 ......... 1853. By 9 acres, 24 bu. per acre, 228 bu., at $1...................... Net profit... Cost per acre.......................... Net profit per acre...................................... By 2 acres, 22 bu. and 7 qts. per acre, 50 bu. at 50 c............ $25 00 Cost....... To 1 day's work sowing same. ................................................................................................... ........................... DR. $5.00 4 80 1 00 ........................ 3 00 8 25 3 64 25 69 $72 90 40 25 32 55 By 5 acres, 33 bu. 3 qts. per acre, 180 bu., 40c......... One half of this was fall ploughed, the balance timothy sod, broke May 1st, 1852, 7 inches deep. Cost of tending about the same as fall ploughing. To 28 acres ploughing, at $1 per acre............................................................ .............. To 5 days' harrowing, at $2...... To 9 days' planting, 7s........................... To 26 days' cultivating corn, $1 25. To 12 days' hoeing, 88c. To 57 days' husking, $1....... Shelling and marketing 1710 bu. at 4c......... ....... $28 50 10 00 3.00 8 31 30 50 10 56 57 00 68 40 |
