10 Acres Enough BOOK--Free Download--great reading

[FarmerChick]

http://www.archive.org/details/tenacresenoughpr00morriala


on left side, download PDF file and read
great book and enjoyable reading....farmer from the 1800s
really cool!!!

 

[Wifezilla]

Great find! Thanks

 

[FarmerChick]

This is just too cool to be reading from so long ago. I love it!!!!

He bought land and signed his wife's name on the deed and wrote:

It is thus that small acts of kindness make life
pleasant and desirable. Every dark object is made
light by them, and many scalding tears of sorrow are
thus easily brushed away. When the heart is sad,
and despondency sits at the entrance of the soul, a
little kindness drives despair away, and makes the
path cheerful and pleasant. Who then will refuse a
kind act ? It costs the giver nothing just as this
did ; but it is invaluable to the receiver. No broader
acres, no more stately mansion, whether in town or
country, could now tempt my wife to leave this humble
refuge. Here she has been ever happy, and here,
I doubt not, she will end her earthly career.





And this: which I couldn't agree more!!!! and we need to hear it this age and time!!!!

This lodgment was effected on the first of April,
1855. "When all our household fixings had been
snugly arranged, and I took my first walk over my
little plantation, on a soft and balmy morning, my
feeling of contentment seemed to be perfect. I knew
that I was not rich, but it was certain that I was not
poor. In contrasting my condition with that of
others, both higher and lower upon fortune's ladder,
I found a thousand causes for congratulation, but
none for regret. With all his wealth, Rothschild must
be satisfied with the same sky that was spread over
me. He cannot order a private sunrise, that he may
enjoy it with a select circle of friends, nor add a
single glory to the gorgeous spectacle of the setting
sun. The millionaire could not have more than his
share of the pure atmosphere that I was breathing
TEN ACRES ENOUGH. 41
while the poorest of all men could have as much.
God only can give all these, and to many of the poor
he has thus given. All that is most valuable can be
had for nothing. They come as presents from the
hand of an indulgent Father, and neither air nor sky,
nor beauty, genius, health, or strength, can be bought
or sold. Whatever may be one's condition in life,
the great art is to learn to be content and happy, indulging
in no feverish longings for what we have not,
but satisfied and thankful for what we have

 

[davaroo]

With land at $10,000 or more per acre in many, many places, ten acres might be too much. But the spirit is still willing....

Another great book one might wish to consider is, "Five Acres and Independence" by Maurice G. Kains. Same idea, several decades later in the writing.


Not free on the net, it can be had for under $10 with a little looking.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i read this book when i was trying to decide if i should give up my 'big life' and move to a farm. i couldnt BELIEVE how similar the decision making was for me and for the author. right down to how his city house was destroyed - the economy where i lived was destroyed. and i love how he practices gratitude.... i just loved it.

 

[freemotion]

I used to yearn for yet a bigger property. I have horses in my dna, and horses thrive with plenty of room.

Now I work feverishly to maintain my 3 usable acres. For dh and I, it is plenty. Maybe a bit more would be necessary to be totally self-sufficient, if we were to cut all our own wood for heat, for example....but now, horseless for the first time in many, many years, the pasture looks huge. Decadent, really. But I love it and am very content here now, no yearnings for more. Only to get off the busy road....but even that...so many improvements have been made here, to start over would be agony.

For me, my four acres is enough, even with part of it swamp. (Anyone want to buy a large and vigorous herd of mosquitoes? Cheap! )

 

[xpc]

I downloaded the 16 meg file and will read the 268 pages between projects.

When I bought this country home 5 years ago it was for investment and not retirement so it is only 1 acre, a bit smaller than I would want. It is 220' wide with the nearest neighbor being further than I could throw a rock (Brett Favre maybe). Since living here for two years now I have rethought my needs and think 2-3 acres of mixed woods and open land would be perfect.

Just big enough to hide the cabin in the woods and plenty of open sunny land for a garden plus wide enough to keep ensuing neighbors at an arms length. Also less property to manage and pay taxes on in retirement age.

 

[davaroo]

I used to yearn for yet a bigger property. I have horses in my dna, and horses thrive with plenty of room.

Now I work feverishly to maintain my 3 usable acres. For dh and I, it is plenty. Maybe a bit more would be necessary to be totally self-sufficient, if we were to cut all our own wood for heat, for example....but now, horseless for the first time in many, many years, the pasture looks huge. Decadent, really. But I love it and am very content here now, no yearnings for more. Only to get off the busy road....but even that...so many improvements have been made here, to start over would be agony.

For me, my four acres is enough, even with part of it swamp. (Anyone want to buy a large and vigorous herd of mosquitoes? Cheap! )

You do make an interesting observation about providing sustainable heat.

The trick is, of course, in keeping whatever land you have under total production. Making every square foot of it produce and pay is the challenge. Even in those idyllic 'better days' we read about, there was still need for exchange and barter with the neighbors. After all, no man is an island... so "Let 'em come and pay!" That's my motto...

Regardless, no one should feel they are held from their dream simply because they do not have acres of land to work. I know there are people who do a lot towards being self reliant, even in the midst of teeming Suburbia. Far better is it to encourage everyone, apartment dweller or land baron, to do all they can to both feed themselves and earn a profit on what they have.

It would be nice if everyone lived on 10 acres of fertile land, but there is only so much to go around. To borrow from the old CSNY song:

"If you cant have just what you want, love what you got."

 

[freemotion]

I am a big fan of creative bartering. I would love to find someone yearning for a goat but who has no room, who would cover for me when I have an emergency or a business trip or that elusive ideal, a vacation. I would happily provide milk throughout the lactation in exchange for a few bursts of caretaking all the animals throughout the year. Suburbia needn't be a hindrance, even for livestock, if one is creative. I live smack in the middle of suburbia, too, just landed in a fortunate spot, zoned business (we can see a major grocery and other stores from our front yard!), residential (all the yards are 75' wide, including our front yard, and farm (our pasture in the back juts into a christmas tree farm.)

I agree, anyone can live sustainably to a large degree no matter where they are.

 

[k0xxx]

Thanks for posting this, it is enjoyable reading.

On the download page I read the following, "This book has an editable web page on Open Library." I read it as "edible", and it fried my brain trying to figure out what an edible web page was. I guess I better go have breakfast.


Thanks again.