How to start with a capital of 20,000 dols.
| dols. | |
| 80 acres of land, 12,000 dols., half cost | 6,000 |
| Trees, such as orange, olive, fruit, etc. | 2,000 |
| House and barn | 2,500 |
| Horses | 400 |
| Cow | 50 |
| Poultry | 25 |
| Furniture, etc. | 600 |
| Waggon, tools, etc. | 400 |
| Labour, per year, 3 men, etc., for, 3 years, including living | 4,000 |
| Interest on 6,000 dols. at 8%—480 dols. per year, 3 years | 1,440 |
| ------ | |
| dols. 17,415 |
Leaving a balance of 2,585 dols. for first payment of land, or for other improvements and unforeseen expenses.
Profit the fourth year should be about 4,000 to 5000 dols. at the lowest.
How to start with a capital of 10,000 dols., i.e., say £2,000.
| dols. | dols. | |
| 40 acres of land | 6,000 | |
| House and barn | 1,200 | |
| Well and pump | 100 | |
| Horses | 200 | |
| Waggon and tools | 350 | |
| Furniture, etc. | 500 | |
| Cow | 50 | |
| Trees, etc. | 1,200 | |
| Seed, etc. | 100 | |
| ---- | 9,700 | |
| Living one year, etc.; incidentals | 300 | |
| ----- | ||
| dols. | 10,000 |
PROFITS.
| dols. | dols. | |
| First year.—Land between the trees, cultivated in potatoes, vegetables, etc. | 500 | |
| Poultry, eggs, etc. | 150 | |
| --- | 650 | |
| (Eggs and poultry pay for groceries. Many families are doing this now.) | ||
| dols. | dols. | |
| Second year.—The same as above | 650 | |
| Third year.—The same as above | 650 | |
| Yield from Fruit, 10 dols. per acre | 400 | |
| ---- | 1,050 | |
| Fourth year.—The same from poultry, etc. | 650 | |
| From Fruit trees, 50 dols. per acre | 2,000 | |
| ---- | 2,650 | |
| Fifth year.—The orchard is now in good bearing, and should pay from 100 to 250 dols. per acre; say the lowest | 4,000 | |
| (No time to attend to any but Fruit trees unless a man is employed, so only the return of Fruit trees is given). | ||
| Sixth year.—The orchard now pays, if properly attended to, from 150 to 350 dols. per acre; say the lowest | 6,000 | |
| Seventh year.—The orchard pays, if properly cared for, from 200 to 450 dols. per acre; say the lowest | 8,000 | |
This clear after expenses have been deducted. The farmer can take care of 20 acres himself, with occasional help. With 40 acres he requires one man more, his son or hired help.
The first three years he will only make his living ordinarily so; after that time he will make money. Poultry, and vegetables should, during the first year pay for all expenses at least, and in many instances leave a large surplus. All this depends upon the capacity of the settler. With good land such as this 100 dollars or more could be made from vegetables the first season by a capable and experienced man. At least it has been done repeatedly.
If poultry is properly cared for, a family will make its living by selling eggs and chickens until the trees come in bearing.
How to start with a capital of 8,000 dols., i.e., say £1,600.
| dols. | |
| Land, 40 acres, 6,000 dols., half cost | 3,000 |
| House and barn | 1,500 |
| Horses | 200 |
| Cows and chickens | 75 |
| Waggon and tools | 200 |
| Sundries, tools, etc. | 400 |
| Trees, etc. | 1,200 |
| Well and pump | 100 |
| Or windmill and tank | 250 |
| Interest on 3,000 dols. at 8 % for three years | 780 |
| Sundries for living, etc. | 295 |
| ----- | |
| dols. | 8,000 |
The fourth and fifth years there should be a gross profit of at least 2,650 dols. a year, enough to pay for the balance due on land.
How to start with, a capital of 5,000 dols., i.e., say £1,000.
| dols. | |
| Land, 20 acres, 3,000 dols., half cost | 1,500 |
| House and barn, etc. | 1,000 |
| Trees | 600 |
| Horses | 200 |
| Cow | 50 |
| Household furniture | 100 |
| Waggon and tools | 200 |
| Well and pump | 100 |
| (If tank and windmill required, from 250 dols. upwards extra). | |
| Seed, etc. | 50 |
| Sundry expenses and chickens | 300 |
| Interest for three years on balance of land at 8% | 360 |
| Capital on hand to pay for part of the land | 840 |
| ----- | |
| dols. | 5,300 |
What some people have started with, and come out all right.
| dols. | dols. | |
| Land, 3,000 dols., cash, balance credit | 1000 | |
| House and barn | 500 | |
| Horses | 150 | |
| Cow | 50 | |
| Poultry | 25 | |
| ___ | 225 | |
| Provisions, sundries, etc. | 100 | |
| Furniture and tools | 150 | |
| Sundry expenses | 100 | |
| Waggon and horses | 150 | |
| _____ | ||
| dols. | 2,225 |
But ordinarily, this is too little, as the planting of the land cannot be proceeded with at once, and work must be procured among the neighbours, etc.
The estimates, were furnished us by Professor Eisen, who remarked that, probably, in giving estimates all persons would vary somewhat, but these, and other estimates which he gave, are really more than estimates, because they are the actual results of past experiences.