Daily Kennebec Journal

Daily Kennebec Journal

RENTED FARMS.

We certainly advocate the renting of farms by young men who have not sufficient capital to purchase land. The ownership of land is by no means necessary to success in farming; on the contrary, there are thousands of farmers who would be better off if they had some money in their possession to stock a rented farm, rather than own some land which they have not means to cultivate. Money invested in land is well called real estate, because there is no possession surer than a piece of land that is paid for. But as a compensation for perfect security, the investment should be low. No farmer can or should afford to pay more than four per cent. on the value of land as rental. Interest has been and is too high for the farmer's profit. If farms can be rented for this rate, it would pay many now owning land to rent instead. Money used in fluctuating business, such as the cultivation of land, ought to pay from ten to twenty per cent. Every good farmer should be able to make that profit from his working capital; that is, live stock, tools, seed and fertilizers. Therefore one who rents his land, provided he has a long and secure lease at a reasonable rent, should make more money in proportion to his capital than he who owns his land. Every farmer should, if he can, own his farm and have sufficient capital to work it; but as this is impossible, then let those who cannot do both rent farms and use sufficient capital to work them thoroughly and profitably.

-American Agriculturist.

COAL ASHES.-"What use are coal ashes?" says a writer in a contemporary. "The question has never been satisfactorily answered." You are mistaken. It has. As a manurial agent they are of no perceptible value. As an agent in loosening heavy soil, or in consolidating a very light soil, they are of value. We have experimented with them for a number of years. We applied some years ago about three inches all over the garden, the soil of which was rather low and heavy, and they had a direct tendency to make it more friable. Their presence was observable for years; but that they acted in any degree as a fertilizer we could not discover, nor do we believe they did. The best use to put coal ashes to is to make good garden walks and carriage ways with them. There is nothing better, if so good, for these purposes. They are always dry, and never become soft, not even in a thaw, which causes the gravel way to freely yield to horses and vehicles

-Germantown Telegraph.