Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1901 — Money and Contentment in Farming. [ARTICLE]

Money and Contentment in Farming.

The Indianapolis News in an editorial on “Money-Making Farming” tells of the method of S. W. Allerton of Chicago, who is one of the largest farmers in the world and has given some interesting facts about agriculture. He says it is senseless to say there is no money in farming. He says in one year be cleared $36,000 from 3600 acres. He says the secret of successful farming lies in intelligent system. The farmer may, and generally does, practice petty economies bnt he will not be able to do things on a large scale unless he systematizes his entire operations. By this he means many things, the most important of which is crop rotation and preserving of a careful balance between crops and live stock. For the most part, he says, farmers understand by 01 op rotation sowing a field in oats one year and wheat the next, alternating thie course year after year. Here is where the mistake is made. No allowance is made for giving the ground a rest. No plan is made to return anything to the soil. Every field he says, used for wheat, corn or difi should have a season’s rest once in three or four years. Give every field a ohanoe to serve as pasture land as frequently as this, and it will pay big returns every year. Mr. Allerton began farming about thirty years ago on a hundred sores. He saved $3200 from it in three years, besides making a good living, and there he demonstrated to his own satisfaction this principle of rotation, and has since followed it on a larger scale. Another thing about Mr. Allerton’s farming is his insistence that the farm should be made attractive to the women and yonng folks. On every one of his farms he gives special attention to the kitohen, where everything within human reason is done to make it convenient for the wife of the farmer* He has two or three fine top baggies on every one of his farms, which the yonng fellows are privileged to nse, thus making as good a sho wing as the sons of independent farmers. Convenient kitchens and top buggies, he thinks have done a great deal to securing cheerful and contented tenants and add to good farming. If there is no orchard on the farm that Mr. Allerton buys he plants one. If

there is no school-house convenient he builds one. The distriot school system, he declares, is the salvation of our country. Mr, Allerton’s farms are all connected with his office in Chicago by telephones. He keeps in touch with the weather bureau and has daily talks with bis farm foremen over the telephone: Since Mr. Allerto n. speaks from facts and not theory apd since he is a farmer and farm manager and has been for a generation and in every case successful, what he says is worthy of oareful attention and if some farmer will inquire moro deeply it may be the means of benefiting him to no small degree. Absolute Slaughter Sale of shoes at Ellis & Murray’s. , w2d4 Don’t forget the grand free street parade given by the Gollmar Bros. & Schumans 2 big shows united at' 10:30 o’clock a. m. at Rensselaer July 29.