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A LIVING FROM THE LAND
[Illustration: (_Frontispiece_)
Country homes backed by intensive types of agriculture serve modern human
needs.]
A LIVING
FROM THE LAND
BY
WILLIAM B. DURYEE, M.Sc.
_Secretary of Agriculture,
State of New Jersey_
WHITTLESEY HOUSE
McGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY, INC.
NEW YORK AND LONDON
1934
_Copyright, 1934, by the_ MCGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY, INC.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be
reproduced in any form without permission of the publishers.
THIRD PRINTING
PUBLISHED BY WHITTLESEY HOUSE
A division of the McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
_Printed in the United States of America by The Maple Press Co.,
York, Pa._
_To my friend_
HENRY W. JEFFERS
PREFACE
Homesteading days are here again. The present movement of people back to
the land is of a different type and has different objectives from those
which prevailed when a continent was to be conquered and exploited. Today
we know that many urban industries will operate on a seasonal basis and we
know too that periods of unemployment and shorter working days will
provide more leisure and probably lower incomes for hundreds of thousands
of families. The utilization of this leisure time to supplement incomes,
to raise the standards of living and of health, and to attain some measure
of economic security will tend more and more to settlement on the land.
In these days of rapid transportation and all the attributes and
conveniences of modern country life, the hardships of the earlier period
of land development are non-existent. Although urban industrial
development has reached a point which will not be exceeded for many years
to come, the individual who needs additional income may adjust himself to
such circumstances by establishing a country homestead. Industrial
activity is tending to decentralize, largely as the result of widespread
power distribution, and a home in the country accessible to some form of
manufacturing or business employment offers undeniable attractions.
This book is prepared primarily for the family that is inexperienced in
country living and in soil culture. Such a family should know about the
nature of the soil on which it lives, how to make it serve the family's
needs and purposes, what to do, and what to avoid in order that success
may be attained and failure averted. Students of agriculture as a vocation
and practical farmers may find, beyond the elementary facts presented,
information of value and help to them. To know and to understand the
science and practice of agriculture is to have power to cope with and to
enjoy soil culture and animal husbandry. If this little volume helps to
answer clearly and definitely the many inquiries that are in the minds of
prospective and active homesteaders, it will have served its purpose.
The knowledge of many practical people and the resources of agricultural
institutions and agencies have been drawn upon for this book. Grateful
acknowledgment is made to those who have contributed constructive
criticism and have helped in the preparation of material. Especial credit
is due to the personnel of the New Jersey and New York colleges of
agriculture and to my associates in the New Jersey Department of
Agriculture.
WILLIAM B. DURYEE.
TRENTON, N. J.,
_December, 1933_.
CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE ix
CHAPTER
I. TURNING FROM THE CITY TO THE COUNTRY 3
II. GETTING ESTABLISHED IN THE COUNTRY 12
III. FINANCING AND PROTECTING THE INVESTMENT 26
IV. ATTRIBUTES OF A HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY 40
V. SERVICING THE HOME 54
VI. MAKING THE SOIL PRODUCE CROPS 73
VII. FOOD FROM THE GARDEN 95
VIII. HOME FRUITS AND BEES 110
IX. POULTRY AS A SOURCE OF INCOME 123
X. SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY 138
XI. THE FAMILY MILK SUPPLY 159
XII. MARKETING FARM PRODUCTS 170
A LIVING FROM THE LAND
_Chapter_ I
TURNING FROM THE CITY TO THE COUNTRY
America was founded on the rock base of agriculture. The early settlers
tilled the soil and derived from it the simple things that they needed.
Necessity compelled them to be self-reliant, courageous and resourceful.
The establishment of a home in early days meant the clearing of land, the
erection of a house for human habitation and the building of shelters for
a few farm animals. Each farm home became practically self-sufficient so
far as the family needs were concerned. Clothing was made there for each
member of the family. After clearing and subduing the land, the settlers
were able to produce their cereal foods. Animals were slaughtered and the
meat processed to provide sustenance throughout the year. Through the
exchange of commodities and ideas with neighbors, advances in living
conditions were made.
The family that was not resourceful in those days failed to survive.
Neighbors were too busy working out their own existence problems to
succor the incompetent. Resourcefulness was called upon in meeting
onslaughts of beasts or human marauders. Thus there was built up a
tradition of seeking and utilizing resources that has gone on to make our
country great and the wonder of the rest of the world.
Since pioneer days we have built a great industrial, commercial and
financial machine. American inventive genius, coupled with the best brains
of the civilized world, attracted by resources and opportunities on every
hand, has invaded every field and created a great industrial
superstructure.
With the genesis and development of a great industrial era in the United
States there started a movement of population from farms to established
centers of population. The application of the sciences to the problems of
filling human wants gave this movement greater impetus. Mining and the
refining of metal ores, the exploiting of coal deposits, the building of
railroads, the construction of buildings for business and residential
purposes, as well as dozens of other great enterprises, served to draw
from the country the best of its human resources.
Inventive genius began to concentrate on the solution of engineering and
construction problems created by congestion of population and successive
steps in industrialization. This same technical genius was applied also to
farm operations which required laborious effort by men and work animals.
That this development itself progressed rapidly is demonstrated by the
fact that while in 1810 the effort of nearly every person was required to
produce enough food to sustain the population, in 1910 the efforts of
one-third of the people were sufficient to provide food for the nation and
export vast quantities to other countries.
While the nation continued to grow rapidly in population and sought to
apply to ordinary practices the newer labor-saving devices, all was well.
It was inevitable, however, that the great industrial machine should
become over-developed, at least temporarily. Instead of machinery being a
servant of mankind it became an octopus that could not be checked.
Individual initiative, the wellspring of earlier developments in the
process, became atrophied. There came about such a high degree of
specialization in human effort as to make men dependent upon others for
work to do. Consequently, even a slight throwing out of gear of the
machine created unemployment, which reduced buying power for the
machine-made products and started a vicious downward spiral accompanied by
every form of economic distress.
When such partial or complete breakdown of the superstructure occurs,
thoughtful people are brought "down to earth," both collectively and very
intimately in thousands of individual cases. They begin to get back to
fundamentals and to seek means of becoming so reestablished as to avoid
future cataclysms. The family attracted to the city by the lure of high
industrial wages and by crowded avenues finds in such a breakdown that it
has lost its moorings.
In seeking means of reestablishment free of the terrifying complications
of industrial life, the mind turns to the country, to the soil, to growing
things that are not visibly affected by economic cycles. The open country
seems ready to welcome back her errant children graciously and to enfold
them within her protecting bosom. We cannot go back, however, to pioneer
days. Free land is not available and we have not the arts or the patience
to practice the means of livelihood of those days. To make the new or
renewed relationship with the soil a success, it is necessary to
understand that country life, too, has changed during industrial
revolutions. Mother Earth is now, as ever, a generous but exacting parent.
To try to reestablish relationships in a blind and haphazard manner is
likely to lead to further disaster. Such a debacle is quite needless,
provided some fundamental principles and practices are understood and
followed.
Unquestionably, the open country is now making the greatest appeal as a
place of residence that it has made at any time in the history of the
nation. To list the conveniences which now exist in the country is to
duplicate those which many people have considered as available only in
cities. In most areas of the country, for example, there are daily mail
delivery, telephone service, some measure of fire protection, and
transportation by automobile, bus or train. It is quite possible, for
example, to step into a bus at one's dooryard and be carried to any part
of the United States by the same method of transportation.
The development of the radio has brought to the country home all the
surging activities of national life and varied educational and
entertainment programs. The spread of electric light and power lines
through the country constitutes a boon that makes possible the use of all
kinds of electrical appliances known in the city, including refrigerators,
cooking ranges, washing machines, water pumps, water heaters and hundreds
of other machines and appliances, some of which are in their infancy. No
great difficulty is experienced in locating in the open country where such
electrical facilities are available.
[Illustration: (_Courtesy U. S. Department of Agriculture_)
An attractive farmstead offering requisites of a home in the open
country.]
[Illustration: (_Courtesy U. S. Department of Agriculture_)
Floor plan of house shown on opposite page.]
On the main highways in the northern sections of the country a heavy fall
of snow used to mean isolation for weeks. Today the snow is removed as
rapidly as it falls, and these highways are kept open. The problems and
perils of isolation are thus removed.
Tradesmen of all kinds are directing their sales toward country homes, and
supplies of ice and all kinds of food can be obtained almost daily at the
farm doorstep. There is also a tendency to develop factories in the
country away from the high-rent areas of cities and to utilize the
services of persons living in the vicinity of the factory for full or
partial time in the plants. The cost of living can be reduced by living in
the country, and opportunities for purchasing foods and other products at
wholesale prices and storing them against the time of need make further
economies possible.
The greatest asset that the country has to offer relates to the health and
character of those who live close to nature. It has long been recognized
by many European countries that the ownership of even a small tract of
land, no larger than a city lot, perhaps, is a definite asset in building
a nation and in building individual character. In Germany, in Denmark and
in many other nations, the government lends its aid toward the
establishment of people in the country and makes it possible for them to
acquire and retain small holdings of land which they may call "home." It
is on these small tracts that one sees veritable bowers of pastoral
industry and beauty.
Residence in the open country, in contact with the soil, contributes to
physical strength and to mental health. When a man lives in the country,
his house, his way of living and his contribution to the community stand
out where all may see them. These latter assets have always been inherent
in country life. When to these are added the conveniences and the
opportunities for community enjoyment that are now a part of rural life,
its appeal is not difficult to understand.
Anyone who intends to live in the country has his individual problems to
meet and to solve. In the solution of these problems there are many
resources and avenues to which he may turn in the present day for help and
for guidance. The tragic mistakes that have been made in the past can and
should be largely eliminated in the future. A clearer understanding should
be gained as to what one may obtain in the country in the form of a better
way of living, serving as an anchor to the windward even under favorable
economic conditions.
_Chapter_ II
GETTING ESTABLISHED IN THE COUNTRY
In the selection of a residence in the country, the settler must decide
whether he wishes to locate on a farm of considerable acreage or whether
he wants to have a relatively small tract ranging from 2 to 15 acres. In
the latter case, he is thinking primarily of a place of residence with
sufficient acreage to make it possible to secure a partial living from the
land immediately surrounding the home. The trend in such purchases is
toward the smaller place for a number of reasons.
A large farm acquired by a relatively inexperienced person means a very
considerable burden in the development and maintenance of the land itself
on a producing basis. Capital is required for the purchase of equipment
and power. Parts of the land may need to be drained, and taxes must be
paid whether the land is productive or not. A person acquiring a farm of
50 or more acres will find that the major portion of his time, thought and
capital will be called upon to make it a success. If he has definitely
cut off his city connections and the idea of having a job there, and has
had experience in farming, then he may be in a position to take over a
large acreage so that his full time and possibly that of other members of
his family can be spent on various projects on the land he acquires.
We are here primarily concerned, not with those who desire to enter upon
farming on a large scale, but with the family which would like to live in
the country, secure a partial living from the land surrounding the home
and still have the opportunity of gaining a livelihood from some
industrial or commercial activity located in a near-by city or town. It is
quite likely that we shall have a shorter working week and probably
periods of unemployment for hundreds of thousands of ambitious people.
Therefore, a place in the country that is well located with respect to
hard-surfaced highways and accessible to urban centers offers
opportunities for combining the advantages and economic assets of country
life with urban employment.
_Getting Started Right._--Too much emphasis cannot be laid upon getting
the right start, particularly with respect to location. This is not only
essential for the satisfaction of the present occupant of the premises,
but also gives definite sales value in case circumstances make a change
of location desirable or necessary.
It will often appear that the best location is on the outskirts of a city
or town and from some angles this is good reasoning. There are some
factors, however, that make such a location undesirable. For one thing,
the tax rate is likely to be higher in such areas than in the open
country, thus adding to overhead without compensating advantages. In the
second place, urban centers develop without regard to soil type and this
is an essential factor to the family that expects to engage in some
agricultural pursuit. Again, the type of inhabitants that live on the
fringe of towns and cities may not make good neighbors or associates for
children, especially. None of these disadvantages may be present in
locations close to centers of population, but the prospective settler
should give all these factors full consideration. The sales argument
frequently advanced that such locations will grow in value due to growth
of population may be fallacious.
Many have found that the higher costs of living in these areas often
prevent the owner from holding on until the slow growth of population
outward makes a worth-while profit possible from his real estate.
Furthermore, the growth of cities and towns is definitely slowing down.
The expansion of city areas is greatly curtailed and is not likely to be
resumed soon.
The most important time to get expert opinion as to location is at the
beginning and not after purchasing. There are available in every locality
persons whose advice is useful in such matters. The county agricultural
agent located in nearly every county seat knows the countryside and his
advice on the subject of definite location should be sought once one has
decided upon the general area which seems attractive. In determining on
specific location the bank which has a clientele in the country will often
be found a helpful guide through suggestions or through ability to refer
the questioner to reputable and informed persons with more definite
knowledge.
Another source of information is the local dealer in farm supplies. He
will be found to know general soil types in the vicinity, especially those
types which bring business to him because they are productive. Owners of
such land are able to buy and use to advantage the supplies he has to
offer to the grower.
_Size of Tract._--There is the possibility that a person who goes back to
the land may acquire too little land as well as too much. Inadequate land
resources may seriously hinder possibilities of revenue from the place and
cramp facilities for his enterprises. In this connection it may be
helpful to point out that an acre of land comprises 43,560 square feet. A
city lot measuring 50 by 100 feet contains 5,000 square feet. An acre
therefore would comprise about eight and one-half such city lots. A 5-acre
tract is usually a minimum area for a small agricultural enterprise and
many have found it entirely adequate.
The size of the tract to be acquired and the enterprises that can be
engaged in will depend in considerable measure upon the size of the
occupant's family--whether they can assist in its operation and whether
the owner himself intends to put in all or only a part of his time. The
possibility of securing extra labor should also be looked into before
larger operations are attempted. No definite formula can be set down for
desirable area and enterprises in relation to time available for
operating. However, the owner will realize that one pair of hands can do
only so much work. To try to operate beyond the capacity of his own time
and that of others available is to become involved in striving to keep up
with exigencies that may make country life a struggle instead of a
pleasurable existence. It may result, too, in losses due to inability to
get things done on time, and nature deals harshly with those who neglect
the seasonable operations that come in any agricultural enterprise.
"Bulling through" or skimping or cutting corners simply will not work when
one is dealing with plant and animal life and only failure will come to
him who undertakes to bluff nature.
The successful operator of a farming endeavor must always be on top of his
work, that is, able to plan and direct his energies in the most productive
way at the right time. This is really managing and is likely to lead to
success and satisfaction. To have so much to do that one emergency after
another must be met brings the operator down under his farming projects.
He ceases to manage under these conditions and becomes driven by his own
creations. To avoid this unhappy state, which is entirely unnecessary,
planning must be effectively done and operations undertaken in a gradual
way up to one's capacity.
_Cost of Land._--The price one should pay for land in a relatively small
tract cannot be arbitrarily fixed. Those who own large farms or tracts
expect to receive a bonus for the acres located along a highway as
compared with an average price for the entire place. It should be possible
to buy a 5- or 10-acre tract of land in the open country with highway
frontage for from $150 to $250 an acre, depending on location. If the land
is located near town or city where speculative operations have enhanced
values, the cost will be considerably more. Where an entire farm is
desired, the buildings are frequently given no value, the cost being the
price of the land only. As has been stated, it is quite possible to
acquire too much land as well as too little. A few acres selected from a
tract of good, productive soil will usually be found a better investment
than a large farm that has been abandoned because of lack of fertility.
_Accessibility to Cities._--In deciding upon the location of a farm,
methods of transportation that are available are as important as nearness
to cities. A location near a railroad station offers the possibility of
low commutation rates to a point of industrial or commercial employment. A
location abutting upon an improved highway means that transportation by
bus or by personally owned automobile can be utilized at the least expense
and trouble the year round. The recent development of bus lines covering
almost every main artery of travel offers facilities for quick and
economical transportation unknown to country residents even a few years
ago. Furthermore, the selection of a place of residence accessible to
transportation to and from it is a factor to be borne in mind in
connection with the possible resale of the property, should that at any
time be desirable or necessary.
_The Soil._--The type of soil is a highly important factor in determining
upon location; also important is its crop-producing capacity. For all
general purposes, a soil which is loamy in texture is desirable. Types to
be avoided are the extremes of clay and sand. A heavy clay soil,
particularly where the land is in a depression, not only inhibits plant
growth of all kinds but is often undesirable as a place of residence from
the standpoint of healthfulness. A condition of extreme muddiness in wet
weather creates an unpleasant reaction on those forced to live near it. On
the other hand, areas which are so sandy in character as to furnish no
fertility for the growth of plants will be found undesirable in making the
surroundings of the home attractive and in growing the vegetables and
fruits which should constitute a part of the living.
One method of judging the soil consists of examining the vegetation that
is already growing upon it and determining on that basis whether it is
likely to be favorable for the growth of desirable plants. For this
reason, the selection of a site during the growing season is recommended,
rather than during a dormant season when it is difficult to form an
estimate of the vegetation that the soil will support.
_Availability of Electricity._--While it is possible to secure individual
electrical generating plants, it is far preferable to establish a home
where electric lines may be tapped. The obtaining of electrical energy
from a commercial line is desirable because of its greater dependability,
generally lower cost and the fact that unlimited use of electricity may be
obtained without the overloading that frequently occurs where individual
plants are set up. Probably the availability of public utility lines is
the greatest asset of comfortable country life and one of the most
important factors in creating genuine resale value. These lines bring to
the country dweller most of the advantages that are enjoyed by city
residents. This is true not only because of the advantages of electric
lights, but also because electricity makes possible the use of such modern
appurtenances to the home as electric refrigerators, washers, radios,
water pumps and various devices and machines for use in connection with
poultry keeping and vegetable growing.
_Type of Buildings._--Especial attention should be given to the
adaptability to the buyer's needs of the residence and the other buildings
that may already be in existence. If the plot being considered is on a
main highway, it is highly desirable to have the residence located back
from the highway a hundred feet or more as a means of eliminating noise
and promoting safety especially if children are in the family. The
location of a home directly on one of the main arteries of traffic
destroys many of the advantages of country life, owing to the distracting
noises that accompany intensive truck and passenger traffic.
The age of buildings and their previous care have a direct relation to
their value, particularly if they are of frame construction. If the
buildings have been standing for a number of years, full allowance must be
made for depreciation and repairs incident to weathering and long usage.
The actual investment represented in a building erected under war or
post-war conditions may not be in line with present values. In measuring
the value of the principal buildings that are already on a tract, careful
consideration should be given to the cost of replacement. Consideration
should be given also to the outbuildings that may be on such a place.
Instead of being an asset to the property, they may be a distinct
liability if they are not directly useful to the intending purchaser. From
the standpoint of economy of maintenance and generally good appearance, it
is much better to have one building serve a number of purposes than to
have a number on different parts of the property, adding to the cost of
maintenance and multiplying steps.
_Educational Facilities._--Where there are children in the family, the
location of schools and the facilities which they offer should be
investigated by the prospective buyer. It is desirable to locate as near
to schools as possible. In recent years there has been a strong tendency
throughout the country to do away with local schools and to consolidate
educational facilities in one building. Coupled with this trend is the
free transportation of pupils to consolidated schools. Therefore, it is
highly important to locate either near a school which will be kept in
operation or where transportation facilities are available to and from the
home and the school. It should be said that the trend toward consolidation
of schools has carried with it great benefits to children who live in the
open country by affording them educational facilities that are not
exceeded by most city schools.
_Community Advantages._--The community, in addition to educational
facilities that are available, should include those opportunities that
appeal especially to the family. The accessibility of the church of one's
preference should not be overlooked, and the general type of community
life is highly important too. Some communities are known for the
law-abiding proclivities of their residents while others do not have a
savory reputation from the standpoint of the peace and security of their
more respectable inhabitants. One should establish a residence in the
community with the thought that he is to become a factor in the life of
that community. He should be sure that there is a genuine spirit of
healthy and cooperative activity which constantly tends to upbuild the
neighborhood, by keeping out or suppressing undesirable elements and by
developing a concerted feeling of responsibility for the welfare of all
who live within its boundaries.
A resident of a city moving to the country frequently finds a difference
in his neighbors' viewpoint that surprises him. There is, and must be, in
the rural community a closer relationship between the people in that
community than ever exists in an apartment dwelling in the city. In the
country, one's neighbors are apt to show a surprising amount of friendly
interest in one's doings, since the whole trend of the community is based
upon the actions and attitude of the relatively few people who live within
it. It should be repeated, therefore, that the type of community and the
facilities which the people of that community have developed should be
given careful attention by the prospective resident and he should
determine for himself whether the particular community that he has in
mind is in accord with his ideas and ideals. To be out of step with the
community in which one lives is apt to create dissatisfactions and a
critical attitude on both sides that is not conducive to happiness.
A home in the country has more of the attributes of genuine ownership than
has a home anywhere else. The country home must be established with an
idea of permanence and of becoming really rooted in the soil where one
locates, if the true benefits of rural home ownership are to be secured.
_Do's_
Decide either on large farm or on house and small acreage.
Determine accessibility at all times of the year.
Purchase soil of loam texture, mixture of sand and clay.
Determine whether electricity is available.
Locate back from highway.
If present buildings are to be used, be sure of their condition and need
of repair.
Find out type and accessibility of schools and other community buildings.
Prepare to be _of_ the community as well as _in_ it.
Remember there are advantages of small tract over large farm where
available time is an important element.
Use local sources of information as to desirability of tract before
purchasing.
Work out a plan of management that fits into the time available for the
farm duties.
_Don'ts_
Don't overlook intrinsic values of the location, such as soil, low tax
rate and good neighbors.
Avoid excessive capital outlay.
Avoid extra heavy or extra sandy soils or evidently unproductive ones.
Don't overlook advantages of electric light and power.
Don't buy a place just because it has buildings. They may not be adapted
to your needs.
Don't buy too much land. It can be a burden.
Don't let the farm become your master.
Don't pay too much for land. There is plenty of it.
_Chapter_ III
FINANCING AND PROTECTING THE INVESTMENT
Acquiring land for residence and for subsistence calls for the exercise of
good business judgment. Not only must the site and general location be
acceptable to the family, but the investment involved should be within the
capacity of the owner to finance without undue strain on his resources. It
should be recognized that there will be ordinary living expenses to be met
in the country and perhaps some extraordinary demands resulting from
emergencies. Consequently, adequate thought and preparation must be made
for financing the investment and making sure, as far as that is possible,
that the investment in a country home will not be lost through inability
to meet possible contingencies.
It goes without saying that the capital investment should be kept as low
as possible. Wherever feasible, the cash available should take care of the
full investment without the necessity for additional financing. This
reduces the drain upon resources through obviating the necessity of
meeting interest payments on mortgages and makes possible the use of any
surplus funds for improvement, for education and for giving the family the
advantages which country life offers. If it is necessary to borrow funds
for financing the purchase, special attention should be given to the type
of mortgage which is obtained.
_Mortgage Financing._--One of the most desirable types of financing is
through a financially sound building and loan association whereby the
interest and the amortization of the mortgage are taken care of through
monthly payments. Such building and loan mortgages are available in most
localities throughout the country. A series of monthly payments can be
made which will take care of the interest payments and the mortgage itself
so that within a period of from ten to twelve years, in most cases, the
mortgage is amortized and the owner has the advantages of a home that is
free of encumbrance. For example, if the mortgage amounts to $3,000,
subscription to fifteen shares of a building and loan association at $1 a
share per month would make it possible to clear off the mortgage in about
eleven years. This would call for the payment to the association of $15
per month and interest. Through the compounding of interest, the mortgage
can be lifted at less expense than any other procedure.
Another satisfactory plan is to place the mortgage with a bank or
financing company or insurance company that will not call the mortgage so
long as the payments are met, and at the same time start saving through a
building and loan association so as to complete the payments over a series
of years.
There is a far greater sense of security in having no mortgage or in
setting up a definite and practical procedure for eliminating it than in
always having a mortgage encumbrance with its interest payments and the
possibility of having it called at an inopportune moment. A home that is
free from mortgage can be carried at small cost, especially where the
owner is willing to make most of the repairs and attend to the upkeep
himself. The demand for outlay of cash for mortgage interest may be
financially embarrassing, especially where income is not guaranteed or may
be jeopardized through a drastic reduction at critical periods or as the
result of emergency expenses in the family, such as are entailed by
serious illness.
_Taxes._--One of the factors that is frequently overlooked in the purchase
of a residence in the country is the cost of meeting taxes. Since taxes
must be met if the property is to be held, it is highly important that
the location be one in which tax rates are not excessive. On the other
hand, an exceedingly low tax rate may indicate lack of progressiveness in
the community and lack of facilities which from many angles would lessen
the value of the tract as a place of residence. In most localities, the
tax rate is based principally upon the costs of building and maintaining
highways and schools. Good facilities in both of these respects are highly
desirable, and yet excessive expenditures in either direction may so
advance the tax rate as to make them expensive luxuries.
In many rural communities, taxing districts are burdened with the costs of
building monumental schools or a very elaborate system of roads,
undertaken at some time through the flotation of bond issues. The
establishment of a sinking fund for payment of interest and amortization
of these bonds frequently constitutes a very heavy drain upon the
residents of the district. It is, therefore, necessary to determine not
only the tax rate in the locality under consideration, but also to know
definitely what are the current charges for maintenance of government.
Taxing methods vary so widely, even in adjoining districts, that the only
method of determining the annual charges for taxes is to secure from the
present owner or from the local tax assessor the definite payments that
must be made.
As a means of saving trouble later, an investigation should be made of the
property under consideration to make sure that taxes have been paid to the
date of purchase. This is distinctly the obligation of the owner. Unpaid
taxes constitute a lien on the property, and an investigation of the
status of the tax payments is essential in protecting the proposed
investment.
_The Title and Survey._--A great deal of possible trouble can be
eliminated by making sure that the title is clear. An investigation should
be made along this line by an attorney or agency equipped to secure
information from appropriate county offices. Very often the owner has had
a recent search made and is willing to pass this on to the purchaser, thus
saving expense and delay in tracing back the records over a long period of
years. Such study will show whether there are encumbrances or liens of any
kind on the property, and these, of course, must be cleared up before any
transaction is entered into.
The potential buyer should also have a survey made by a competent engineer
to definitely fix the boundaries of the property. Stakes can then be
placed, indicating the corners and any irregularities in the outline of
the area under consideration, showing the new owner exactly where his
property extends. In many sections of the country the buyer is in a
position to demand of the owner that such a survey be made at the owner's
expense. This survey is particularly important where an area of
considerable size has been cut up into parcels for sale to individuals.
The steps that have been outlined to protect the investment are only those
which a prudent purchaser will insist upon before transfer of ownership
takes place. Frequently a buyer becomes so enamored with a property that
he hopes nothing will interfere with his acquisition of it, and he is apt
to mentally minimize the possibilities of a cloud on the title or the
exactness of the property lines. So many people have suffered serious
losses from failure to look thoroughly before leaping that emphasis is
given to these points as a means of securing ample protection for the
buyer.
_An Income from the Investment._--It is presumed that in most cases the
owner of even a small tract expects to secure some financial returns from
the land as a means of adding to his income. The plan that is proposed as
a means of securing an income from the land should not be too complicated
and should be of a type that can be carried on when the owner is
necessarily engaged in other work. This, of course, may run the gamut from
a small home garden to supply the vegetable needs of the household to the
operation of a larger tract on a commercial basis. Furthermore, as we get
into the commercial type of production, that may be planned as a means of
materially supplementing an income or eventually supplying the entire
family income.
Especial attention has been given in recent years to the use of poultry as
a means of supplying an income to the family which is willing to use its
own resources for taking care of the flock. Another means of securing an
income is the growing of vegetables and the sale of these vegetables at a
stand erected near the house for the convenience of the traveling public.
Many who engage in vegetable growing or egg production on a relatively
small scale will find an outlet for their products through associates in
some other line of work, who will be glad to buy from their country
friends on the basis of quality and freshness that may not be obtainable
through their community stores.
It should be pointed out that where the area under cultivation is small,
the production must be intensive. In other words, it would be uneconomic
for the owner of a small tract to try to supplement his income through the
growth of staple crops. He must specialize in some particular phase of
agriculture, horticulture or animal industry that will bring the largest
possible net returns per acre even though that implies a considerably
larger labor cost per unit of operation than would be the case in the
growing of the staple crops, such as the cereals. The successful
production of vegetable crops or poultry products, for example, and their
successful merchandizing, rest primarily on the interest and the
adaptability of the individual.
_Avoiding Causes of Failure._--To know what procedures to avoid is to be
fortified against failure and to be prepared to take advantage of those
constructive measures which are conducive to success. A recent survey has
been made in an eastern state on the causes of failure in farming,
frequently followed by necessitous abandonment of the farm and home. This
survey shows that one of the principal causes of failure is the effort to
manage a farm that is too large for the operator's capacity; his
inexperience and lack of knowledge constitute too great a handicap on a
large acreage. Best results can be secured in farming only by seeding,
cultivating and harvesting at the proper time in each case. To a greater
extent than is usually realized, success depends upon good management,
which means doing the things that need to be done at the right time.
If the farm is large there is a necessity for employing hired labor, and
the costs of this labor, especially under inexperienced management, are
likely to be out of line with the value of the products raised. In many
instances the lack of technical experience can be corrected by dependence
upon governmental agencies, such as experiment stations, county
agricultural agents and departments of agriculture. These services are
available to every farmer, in most cases without cost, and all that he
needs is the will to avail himself of such expert help. In the cases of
farms that have been abandoned, we find that the operators did not make
contacts with dependable sources of information, an indication of the
necessity of cooperating with the agricultural agencies or with
experienced and successful neighboring farmers.
Still another cause of failure lies in the purchase of a farm at a price
which requires the assumption of a mortgage which is too high in relation
to the income from the farm. In short, an attempt to operate on an
overcapitalized basis will, sooner or later, lead to disaster. Failure to
locate on a productive type of soil may easily lead to loss of the
investment. If the local conditions, including good roads, school
advantages and a healthy community spirit, are lacking, there will develop
a feeling of discouragement and mental dissatisfaction which destroys
morale and creates the desire to get out from under at any cost.
_The Stocked Farm._--The question is frequently raised as to whether a
farm should be bought already stocked with work and domestic animals and
with farm equipment or whether it should be stocked by the operator
himself. This will depend, of course, upon the type of equipment which may
be available in the individual case. Sometimes fairly good equipment will
be sold with the farm as a means of facilitating a sale, but the value of
each item should be determined by someone experienced in prices of such
livestock or commodities as may be sold with the farm.
In many cases the buyer has loaded himself with animals or equipment that
are ill adapted to the farm or that are of no particular value, and in
struggling to get along with them he may seriously handicap the efficiency
of his labors. In most cases it will be found a better practice to add
stock and equipment as the need becomes definite and the finances of the
operator make it possible for him to add them to the farm. In this way he
will be fairly sure of acquiring only those items which will be of direct
use and benefit to him and will avoid an accumulation of worn-out or
antiquated articles which will not meet the requirements he must observe
in selecting tools for his work.
_Avoiding Fire Loss._--Possibility of loss by fire is an ever-present
reality to the owner of a country place. There are two methods of
preventing loss, and the observance of both will contribute to the peace
of mind of the owner.
In the first place, he should make sure that adequate insurance is carried
on his buildings and equipment so that in case of loss through fire there
will be sufficient indemnity to permit the rebuilding of the destroyed or
damaged structures. Lightning heads the list of the causes of farm fires
and is frequently not reckoned with by urban residents who have seen
little evidence of its destructiveness. In cities, points of electrical
concentration are avoided by diffusion through piping, metal poles and a
number of other conductors of electricity. The owner of a country home can
secure quite complete protection from damage through lightning by the use
of electrical conductors, usually called lightning rods, properly
installed. Such equipment does away with 90 per cent of the risk caused by
lightning.
In installing a system of lightning rods, it is well to observe a few
simple precautions. The most exposed parts of a building should be
provided with rods and the rod points should extend 3 to 4 feet above the
structure. Conductors from the rod point should go in the most direct line
possible to the ground and sharp bends in the conductors should be
avoided. One of the most essential precautions is to thoroughly ground the
conductors. Water pipes on the buildings furnish excellent grounding. The
grounds for the conductors must be deep enough in the soil to reach
permanent moisture. Lightning rods that are not properly constructed or
properly grounded may be a worse menace than if no such protection is
attempted. Specific methods of protecting farm buildings from lightning
damage can be secured from state agricultural agencies or from reliable
commercial firms which make a practice of erecting them.
Another cause of fires lies in unsound chimney construction. By using care
and the proper materials in the building of chimneys, fire may be avoided.
Chimney bricks should be laid flat rather than on edge, thereby
practically eliminating the development of chimney cracks through which
sparks can escape into floor spaces, attics and roofs.
Fire risks to residences and other buildings can be reduced by building
the roof of fireproof or fire-resistant materials. Wooden shingles, while
attractive and inexpensive, may become so dry at certain seasons of the
year as to furnish tinder for sparks that may rise from a brush fire or
from burning buildings in the vicinity. The use of slate or asbestos
shingles is recommended for roofs and there are other materials now on the
market which have fire-resistant qualities and can be safely utilized.
Flying sparks carried along on high winds constitute little menace to
those who have equipped their roofs with non-inflammable materials.
It is important to see that electrical wiring has been properly installed,
and for this purpose it is safest to secure expert help. If the menace of
fire is properly evaluated by the owner, he will naturally take suitable
precautions to cope with it, both through utilizing adequate preventive
measures and through having available equipment to make possible the
smothering of accidental fires which may develop. The application of these
available common-sense methods of fire prevention will practically
eliminate the fire risk. An ounce of such prevention effort is to be
stressed rather than placing dependence on means of fire suppression after
the combustion occurs.
_Do's_
Keep capital investment as low as possible.
If part of capital must be borrowed, select type of mortgage that can be
paid off most conveniently.
Determine tax rate before buying.
Make sure that title is clear and the property lines definitely fixed.
If some income is expected, check on possibilities of location with that
in mind.
Plan to secure income from intensive crop and animal projects, _e.g._,
vegetables and poultry.
Use governmental aids to the fullest extent.
Carry adequate insurance on buildings, equipment and furniture as
protection against fire loss.
Install protection against lightning.
Be sure electrical wiring is properly installed.
_Don'ts_
Don't become heavily involved with fixed financial obligations at outset.
Avoid localities with heavy bonded indebtedness, resulting in excessive
taxes.
Don't expect to get an income from growing staple crops such as grains.
Don't become dependent on hired labor if it can be avoided.
Avoid unproductive soil and top-heavy investment of capital.
Don't buy a stocked farm unless the stock is adapted to needs and properly
valued.
Don't neglect to take every precaution against fire.
Don't forget chimney flues are potential risks.
Avoid roofs of inflammable materials.
_Chapter_ IV
ATTRIBUTES OF A HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY