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United States Department of Agriculture Page
Bulletins and Special Articles of Interest to the Northwest, Issued by the Government; Suggestions Covering a Wide Range
of Activities; Results of Federal Investigations, Etc.
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
The City Man
Dapsrtmont of Ari:ultara advises (
4 city man wbo would bo firmer to try
6 It out as a farm hand beforo lying
ip his Barings in a ranch. y
THE Department of Agriculture
receives many letterB from city
people wbo have read glowing
accounts of the wealth that may be
made on the farm. A largo percent
age of these people have already
bought farm land. Some of them
appear to believe that the reason all
. farmers are not rich Is because of
extravagance, wastefulness, Ignor
ance, and a lack of business ability.
To these letters tho department's
specialists reply much, as follows:
"As a matter of fact, farmers as
class are Intelligent, Industrious
and economical, and many of them
are men of good business judgment.
Further, those who have made a
thorough study of the business side
of farming know that it Is not an
easy matter to make money on the
farm. Only the most practical and
experienced farmers are malting any
considerable profit out of their busi
ness. Most of the money that has I
been made on the farm In recent
years has boon made, not by farm
ing, but by the rise of price on farm
lands. In the nature of things this
rise can not continue Indefinitely,
and some one will own this land
when the price becomes practically
Stationary or perhaps starts to de
cline. "While It Is true that occasionally
a city bred family makes good on
the farm, this Is the exception and
not the rule. It Is always a risk to
Invent In a business without first
making a thorough study of that
business. Many city people who
have saved up a few hundred dol
lars and who have had little or no
Size of Business and Income
i 8 $
. Tho itio of litn farm tnisinpM Is if
4 on of lha moat important factors iu $
A aontmlling tho farmnr's Income,
point out tho Dofiartmnnt of Ayrl-
tulturo In tho following article.
f .f ,.,,?, f, ,
A CAREFUL study by Government
oiports in regard to tho profits
made by a large number of
farmers in different parts of tho
United States shows that the size
Of the farm business is ono of the
most Important factors controlling
the farmer's Income. The problem
of how large an Investment is need
ed In order to carry on a certain
type of furmlng to advantage Is of
tho utmost Importance. The amount
of this Investment will vary accord
ing to tho type of farming and to
tho region selected.
In a survey of over 100 farms In
an Irrigated district In Utah only
three farm owners with less than
$10,000 total capital received a
labor Incomo of more than $1,000 for
their year's work.
Dy labor Incomo In this case Is
meant what remains of tho net In
como after deducting 6 per cent for
Invested capital and working capi
tal; In other words, what the farm
er himself receives for his year's
work and supervision.
In a group of 3S of these men,
who had small farms and an aver
age' capital of $5,345, tho aver
ago labor Incomo was $235. One
out of every flvo received nothing
for his labor and made less than
5 per cent interest on his farm In
vestment. With high-priced land
this amount of capital gave htm too
small an area to utlllto to advant
age, If land were cheaper, so that
a much larger area could bo ob
tained Willi this same amount of
money, thou $10,009 might bo a
as a Farmer
farm experience, but who are Im
bued with a rosy vision of the Joys
and profits in farming, bny poor
land at high prices and thereby lose
the savings they have been years
in accumulating. One city family
paid J 1 0,000 cash and assumed a
$12,000 mortgage on a farm worth
only about $11,000. Another paid
$2,000 cash and signed a mortgage
for $6,000 on a farm that was later
appraised at $3,000. A city family
that had caved $2,000 nscd this
money to make a first payment on
cheap farm land and when their
eyes were opened found they still
owed considerably more than the
farm was worth. For seven years
they have worked almost night and
day to meet the Interest, without
being able to reduce the principal.
These instances could be multiplied
almost indefinitely.
' "In purchasing a farm great care
should be taken to get a good farm
at a fair price. To pay or agree to
pay more than the farm is worth
la to invite failure. From a busi
ness standpoint no farm that does
not pay interest on the total in
vestment, depreciation on equipment
and wages for all labor performed
on that farm Is successful.
"Even when great care is taken
In making the investment only in
exceptional cases should the city
bred family attempt farming. Gen
erally the best advice that can be
given to tho city-bred man who de
sldos to becomo a fanner is that be
fore purchasing a farm he work as
a farmhand for two or three years.
This will give him an opportunity
to learn at first hand many things
about the business, as well as the
practical Rldo of farming. In no
oilier way, as a rule, can ho get
good farm training and experience
at less trouble and expense or with
out danger from financial disaster."
sufficient Investment to give the
farmer a substantial Income.
In tho Central States, where corn,
wheat and oati nro the prevailing
crops and wlioro land Is from $160
to $250 nn acre, $10,000 would be
entirely too smnll an Investment to
yield the owner a good Income for
tho reason that 40 to 50 acres, the
total amount of land he could pos
sibly buy with this nmount of
money, would not utilize his teams,
machinery or labor to the fullest ad
vantage.
On the other hand, the number
of acres Is not always a true meas
ure, as a big business can be con
ducted on a small area. Twenty
acres of truck nnd small fruits may
equal a 200-ncro farm devoted to
grain, hny, cattle and hogs. It Is
the type of farming that determines
the numhor of acres necessary for
efficient operation. Many persons
have made tho mistake of buying
too high-priced land for successful
general farming. In other words,
they paid truck farming prices for
land which on nccount of market re
lations should bo used for only
grain and general farming.
Tho proportion of tho total In
vestment that should be used as
working capital Is equally ns Im
portant as size of Investment. Gen
erally speaking,' about 75 per cent
to 88 per cent of tho farmer's In
vestment Is In real esato, the other
13 per cent to 25 per cent being' In
livestock nnd other equipment. This
proportion will vary according to
tho typo of farming followed. In
regions where dairying Is the main
enterprise, tho amount of working
capital may represent one-fourth of
the entire Investment.
A third, point In tho consideration
of tho farmer's Investment Is the
qunllty of material In which work
ing capital is Invested. This Is ep-
Table Sirup from
Apples
$
Tho following article ami ont by $
J. tho Washington Stats Collets at Pall-
$ man, comments upon a bulletin of
ij ho United Btatoa Department of
$ Agriculture, recently pnlilished in
3 these columns, and suggests a modi- $
i$ ligation of tho recipe for making
$ table sirup from apples. Editor. 3
8
RECENTLY the Office of Infor
mation, TJ. S. Department of
Agriculture, released a paper
on "Discover Way to Make Fine
Table Simp From Apples." The
patent applied for is In the Interest
of the public and is believed to be
of value In utilizing undosirable or
unmarketable apples.
The paper containing the infor
mation shows that the sirup is made
from apple cider and that one gal
lon of sirup is obtained from every
seven gallons of elder. In some re
spects the sirup Is similar to cider
Blrup that was known to ns 20
years ago. In other respects this
sirup is similar to cider butter.
Inasmuch as the new process was
designed chiefly for the cider mill
or other manufacturer who desires
to manufacture and sell cider slnip,
the question immediately arose as to
whether or not snch a process would
be feasible. From the home manu
facturer's point of view the Intro
duction of milk of lime (slaked
lime suspended In water) did not
appear practicable because it would
he difficult to teach tho average
person the right amount of milk
of lime to nse. As outlined there
Is another objection In that the ad
dition of water contained in the
milk of lima dilutes the cider and
consequently Increases the time for
the concentration of the cider to
the proper consistency.
Taking these objectionable fca
tnres Into consideration, Trofessor
Geo. Olson of the Stale Experiment
Station at Pullman, Wash., has
modified the original process In such
a manner as he believes to make It
of practicable use to not only the
cider mill, but also to the house
wife. Whatever changes have been
made In the process It Is hoped that
It will not modify the patent In any
way whatsoever. With this under
standing, any one who doslrcs to
make sirup according to the modi
fied method does so without Infring
ing upon anyone's personal rights.
The modified process as worked
out at the Washington State Ex
periment Station Chemical labora
tories differs from the U. S. Depart
ment method In that precipitated
chalk (lime carbonate) is used in
place of milk of lime and an un
treated boiled applo cider Is used
to rendor the chalk treated elder
slightly acid.
The ample addition of milk or
lime or precipitated chalk changes
the coloring matter In apple cider
to nn Inky color. Lime also tends
to impart a chalky flavor. Its chlof
use, however, Is to neutralize the
mallo acid In the elder nnd form
what Is known as calcium malato.
Tho difference In the use of milk
of lime compared with precipitated
dally truo in regard to livestock.
Investigations relating to profits In
farming show conclusively that the
efficiency of the animals to which
the crops are fed Is one of the
mbst Important factors In determin
ing the farmer's net Income.' This Is
to be expected, since on many farms
In this country the bulk of the
crops Is In reality Bold to the dairy
herd or to meat producing animals.
If these aro of such poor quality
that they yield low returns for their
feed the Income to the farmer must
be correspondingly smnll. Hence, no
matter how large the total Invest
ment, If the quality of the equip
ment Is deficient financial failure Is
inevitable,
chalk is In Its limits of reaction
The milk of lime must be cautious
ly added so as to avoid an alka
line reaction, otherwise more cidef
will have to be added until the color
of the liquid returns to an arabef
one. This moving from tho alkaline
to tho slightly acid is not easily ac
complished and in the hands of the
average person may make a product
varying more or less in flavor. On
the other hand, precipitated chalk
will react with the acid In the cider
to form a neutral product (neither
acid nor alkaline) and which is
easily made slightly acid according
to the following Instructions
For every 100 pounds of cider
add li pound (ample In most cases))
of precipitated chalk or enough.'
more to make the treated elder take
on a bluish to blackish color. Boil
the cider for five to ten minntes
and filter while hot. Collect the
filtered material into open kettle
or pans, add five pounds of boiled
and filtered apple cider that ha
not been treated with lime carbon
ato. Boll again until the cider has
reduced to one-seventh its original
volume, then filter under pressure.
The sirup formed is "distinctive" in
flavor and appearance.
from a tank that If
bound to ret fouL
when itcoiu bat So
thouiand gallons!
for pure water" dtrecr
from well" with the
PFAU
Pneumatic
Water System
The Pka pump goes direct Into well
ind (upp)ief constant ncver-UUing
yfttttire. Jort like tftawfof wtm from
l bubbling tfflrif. PoibaitUadioat water,
No bettcl farm fiit protection known
Mltldls runns,
Free Catalog
roan for tbe aiktnr. Will yon cat! tor It
kall wemaillltoyout Ulna know at?w
THOU J. ROSS
89 E. Morrison Strest
Portland, Oregon.
COMI RtAOV TO PUT ON
Better Walls and Ceilings
(or Less Money
Tod save time and money
by nsing "Bishoprlo Wall
Board" oi walls and cell
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strong and rigid. Is damp
and vormin proof.
The wall board comas In
lief l raady to nail to
tuddlna; or ovor old wall.
Goas on dry. Ko tools: bnt
aw and bammtr naadad.
Makta a suiootli, sanitary
Willi raady for paytr et
Othar dsooratioa.
"Blatinprlo" Is the only
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lath FURTHER tonirlnn.d
and watarnrooi ad with as
phalt maatlo and surfaoait
with haavy flbra board.
Writ Mmt Ibr f M4A
i0Na Pimm anrf Snmph s . f ,
Italian tumnttd mnttrhrrm
Central Door & Lumber Co.
uosMssa HAituraofVNSRa
Cllasn flt
ronlind, Ora.'
I Aim Mira
1 nf Hiaitnnrlfl
jdlucco Uoarf.
a1MW IVOR'S
m ' 1 fl. .' aW