What do you think?
Rate this book
Ten Acres Enough: The Classic 1864 Guide to Independent Farming
When author Edmund Morris left the Philadelphia business world in the early 1800s and bought a small farm in the New Jersey countryside, he was so pleased with the results of his venture that he decided to tell others how he accomplished it.
His simply written chronicle — one of the most popular books of its time — emphasizes that agricultural success depends not on how much you grow but on what and how. Between thoughtful discussions of choosing the location, selecting crops, and planting an orchard, he contrasts city and country life, despairs over weeds and raising pigs, counts his gains and losses at the end of the first year, and writes warmly about the joys of establishing a home.
Excerpt:
What Jethro Tull did to improve tillage, the author of "Ten Acres Enough" did to prove that intensified agriculture on small areas could be made not only to support a family, but to yield a handsome profit, and health, freedom and happiness as well. It has taken two centuries for the most advanced farmers to appreciate Tull and his teachings. It has taken nearly half a century in this progressive age to appreciate and to put in practice, in a feeble way, the fundamental principles which underlie all our dealings with Mother Earth as set forth in this modest volume of two hundred pages.
If one totally ignorant of the principles and practices of the various operations necessary to bring to perfection the many plants with which Agriculture has to do, were limited to two publications, I would advise him to purchase "Horse-Hoeing Husbandry" and "Ten Acres Enough."
"The mistaken ambition for owning twice (often ten times) as much land as one can thoroughly manure or profitably cultivate, is the great agricultural sin of this country," says the author.
His simply written chronicle — one of the most popular books of its time — emphasizes that agricultural success depends not on how much you grow but on what and how. Between thoughtful discussions of choosing the location, selecting crops, and planting an orchard, he contrasts city and country life, despairs over weeds and raising pigs, counts his gains and losses at the end of the first year, and writes warmly about the joys of establishing a home.
Excerpt:
What Jethro Tull did to improve tillage, the author of "Ten Acres Enough" did to prove that intensified agriculture on small areas could be made not only to support a family, but to yield a handsome profit, and health, freedom and happiness as well. It has taken two centuries for the most advanced farmers to appreciate Tull and his teachings. It has taken nearly half a century in this progressive age to appreciate and to put in practice, in a feeble way, the fundamental principles which underlie all our dealings with Mother Earth as set forth in this modest volume of two hundred pages.
If one totally ignorant of the principles and practices of the various operations necessary to bring to perfection the many plants with which Agriculture has to do, were limited to two publications, I would advise him to purchase "Horse-Hoeing Husbandry" and "Ten Acres Enough."
"The mistaken ambition for owning twice (often ten times) as much land as one can thoroughly manure or profitably cultivate, is the great agricultural sin of this country," says the author.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1864
111 people are currently reading
580 people want to read
About the author
Edmund Morris
22 books1 followerThere is more than one author with this name
Edmund Morris (1804-1874)
Edmund Morris (1804-1874)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 3, 2012
This should be a must read book for anyone with more than a passing interest in agriculture, extreme gardening, or organic food. Written around the Civil War, it is one man's chronicle of moving from the city to a 10 acre farm and his method and advice for others wishing to do the same. While it is not a technical manual, it does give some interesting information about how farming was done in the mid-19th century, and some advice that would be still applicable today. (Although his situation and economics were far different from today, in an era of produce flown in from California and South America.)
Near the end of the book, he also gives some life advice that could have been written today. It was also both comforting and depressing that some of the same issues and trials that we deal with today were major issues during his own time. There was a whole passage in the book about how most Americans can't or won't do the menial jobs, due to our nature, and that it took real effort to find good help, which is directly relatable to today. And that some folks just shouldn't be doctors or lawyers because it isn't their aptitude, but should be content being laborers instead.
There are definitely portions of the book that drag, and the author is clearly full of his own self confidence and won't let you forget it. He rarely talks about his missteps, and even turns those into positives for himself to the point that you think he was either a genius, or extremely lucky, or just didn't bother to talk about all that. His self-congratulatory style grates on your nerves occasionally, though I think this speaks more to the times than to the author. To be fair, he was a proud, self-made man, and could afford to boast a little.
Good book for some, great book for the right person, and a must read for others. If you read Joel Salatin or Michael Pollan, you should add this to your bookshelf.
Near the end of the book, he also gives some life advice that could have been written today. It was also both comforting and depressing that some of the same issues and trials that we deal with today were major issues during his own time. There was a whole passage in the book about how most Americans can't or won't do the menial jobs, due to our nature, and that it took real effort to find good help, which is directly relatable to today. And that some folks just shouldn't be doctors or lawyers because it isn't their aptitude, but should be content being laborers instead.
There are definitely portions of the book that drag, and the author is clearly full of his own self confidence and won't let you forget it. He rarely talks about his missteps, and even turns those into positives for himself to the point that you think he was either a genius, or extremely lucky, or just didn't bother to talk about all that. His self-congratulatory style grates on your nerves occasionally, though I think this speaks more to the times than to the author. To be fair, he was a proud, self-made man, and could afford to boast a little.
Good book for some, great book for the right person, and a must read for others. If you read Joel Salatin or Michael Pollan, you should add this to your bookshelf.
September 9, 2012
Ten Acres Enough is remarkably easy to read and relevant for all that it's 150 years old. If you don't mind missing out on Robert Plamondon's helpful conversions of dollar figures to modern amounts, you can read the book online for free, but I'm glad I read the Norton Creek Press edition.
November 13, 2013
Imagine reading The Swiss Family Robinson, as set in the New Jersey countryside in the mid 1850s. It sounds utterly ludicrous, but that is an apt description of this book.
Edmund Morris left the "comfortable" life of Philadelphia as a forty year old man, with a large family, abandoned his life as a tradesman, for the "hard" life of a farmer. He'd read about farming for years, and sensed it was his true calling in life. He convinced his wife, it didn't seem to take much, and his children loved the idea.
The book tells their tale, in the style of William Robinson telling his tale of adventure on their tropical island. This is not simply a how-to be a successful farmer, though there is much there that will help aspiring farmers-to-be. The tale is Morris' ascent from wannabe farmer to profitable, respectable farmer.
He tells many an interesting fable on how he got his property for a song, how he stumbled into profitability his first year, about a German families "humanure" pot, and more. The story is heavy on manure, as he credits his zest for manuring his land with the success of his farm.
This is a fascinating, and brief, look at farm life in the 1850s. Morris was a fruit farmer--running a peach orchard and a variety of berries. He discusses this at length--all showing "ten acres enough." It would be interesting to see if this is sufficient in our age of factory farming, but I suppose it is--given no debt, as Morris had no debt.
This is a hidden gem.
Edmund Morris left the "comfortable" life of Philadelphia as a forty year old man, with a large family, abandoned his life as a tradesman, for the "hard" life of a farmer. He'd read about farming for years, and sensed it was his true calling in life. He convinced his wife, it didn't seem to take much, and his children loved the idea.
The book tells their tale, in the style of William Robinson telling his tale of adventure on their tropical island. This is not simply a how-to be a successful farmer, though there is much there that will help aspiring farmers-to-be. The tale is Morris' ascent from wannabe farmer to profitable, respectable farmer.
He tells many an interesting fable on how he got his property for a song, how he stumbled into profitability his first year, about a German families "humanure" pot, and more. The story is heavy on manure, as he credits his zest for manuring his land with the success of his farm.
This is a fascinating, and brief, look at farm life in the 1850s. Morris was a fruit farmer--running a peach orchard and a variety of berries. He discusses this at length--all showing "ten acres enough." It would be interesting to see if this is sufficient in our age of factory farming, but I suppose it is--given no debt, as Morris had no debt.
This is a hidden gem.
October 4, 2022
This was probably intended as more of a business book than a farming book. The meticulous descriptions of gains and expenditures on running a small fruit farm are described down to the penny. The dollar figures are based on 160-year old economics and quite funny to read now.
Everything on the author’s farm is arranged to serve the fruit trees, especially the production of manure, which the author praises effusively. This is not fully appreciated nowadays but before chemical fertilizers were invented, the improvement of land by shovelling shit was a big thing. Except for the endless obsession with the elimination of weeds, many of the ideas here would not be out of place in a modern permaculture book - perennial fruit trees and shrubs, inter-planting in guilds for successive harvests, feeding root vegetables to livestock, small land area, natural soil enrichment, fostering birds to assist with controlling insects.
The other thing to think about here is the immense human capital that went into farming before mechanization. Planting, weeding, hauling and spreading manure, harvesting, packing and shipping…the amount of physical work must have been tremendous.
I love old books where the narration is not retrospective, but completely of the moment. Morris talks about his own world, clouding referring to the American Civil War as a slaveholders’ rebellion.
Everything on the author’s farm is arranged to serve the fruit trees, especially the production of manure, which the author praises effusively. This is not fully appreciated nowadays but before chemical fertilizers were invented, the improvement of land by shovelling shit was a big thing. Except for the endless obsession with the elimination of weeds, many of the ideas here would not be out of place in a modern permaculture book - perennial fruit trees and shrubs, inter-planting in guilds for successive harvests, feeding root vegetables to livestock, small land area, natural soil enrichment, fostering birds to assist with controlling insects.
The other thing to think about here is the immense human capital that went into farming before mechanization. Planting, weeding, hauling and spreading manure, harvesting, packing and shipping…the amount of physical work must have been tremendous.
I love old books where the narration is not retrospective, but completely of the moment. Morris talks about his own world, clouding referring to the American Civil War as a slaveholders’ rebellion.
June 6, 2024
Very insightful glimpse into the agriculture of the past. Times were much simpler back then, when the federal overreach was not in play like it is today.
June 3, 2009
There are so many reasons to read this book. Here are two. The first is that it is a "how to" book, applicable today, of the virtues of moving to the country. The second is that the pages are chock full of ancillary life lessons, common to the 19th Century, but revolutionary to the self-indulgent society in which we live today. This book is a pleasure even if your shoes have never left the asphalt. It is a glimpse of that lost state of being, contentment.
October 7, 2020
"Indeed, until one tries it for himself, it is incredible what dignity there is in an old hat, what virtue in a time-worn coat, and how savoury the dinner-table can be made without sirloin steaks and cranberry tarts."
- Edmund Morris, Ten Acres Enough: The Classic 1864 Guide to Independent Farming
- Edmund Morris, Ten Acres Enough: The Classic 1864 Guide to Independent Farming
February 1, 2010
I enjoyed the old prose in the book. The farming techniques he employed were educational. I believe it can be done and if we returned to this concept, our lives would improve in many many ways.
February 8, 2011
Very inspirational if you ever dream of having a small farm, and maybe even if you don't.
August 24, 2012
Wonderful classic with some info that is still very useful for today~
February 27, 2013
What a pleasure to read!
January 13, 2013
Very interesting and amazingly still relevant to current times. This man was very industrious.
November 12, 2023
Considering that this is a non-fiction work on a rather dry topic written over one hundred fifty years ago, Ten Acres Enough is fairly swift and entertaining reading. This book follows the first three years of Edmund Morris's mid-life change from a career of manufacturing in Philadelphia to small farming in New Jersey. Included in these three years are exhaustive receipts for profit and loss. He includes detailed accounts of other farmers successes and failures and surrounding industries (train and barge transport of fruits, manufacture of strawberry baskets and crates, nursery businesses, "liquid manure" manufacture, etc.) amongst his personal story. The end of the book covers his general advice to either young men beginning their careers or older men having to change them entirely.
The most striking thing in this book is how much things stay the same versus how much things change. It opens with a section bemoaning the highs and lows (the author refers to them as 'convulsions') of the economy. For a Millennial like myself who graduated high school right at the beginning of one recession and worked through the slowest economic recovery in American history, only to get hit by historic lockdowns followed by record high inflation, this is all too familiar a subject. It almost sounds like a peeved internet article that would ignite a Millennial vs Boomer flame war in the comments. Reading it, you can't help but think that things have not changed at all.
However, the farming section of the book soon proves otherwise. The first slap in the face is how ridiculously cheap land was. Morris spends about the equivalent to one year's salary on his house with a barn and eleven acres - $900. (Whether in manufacturing or farming, his income remains roughly $800-$1,200 per year. He notes that he is not a high earner and that land is relatively expensive where he purchased it.) I Googled the median home price in the US today and came up with $410,000. According to Google, the median income is around $33,000. What a striking difference!
Morris's business model is also entirely untenable with today's regulations. Off the top of my head, he would need multiple permits for:
*Building his barns
*Selling raw milk (if that's even legal in any given state)
*Selling raw meat
*An egg-handler's license
*A certified grower's certificate
*A water system license for his well (with additional fees for annual and quarterly testing)
This would include multiple rounds of scheduled inspections. I would estimate that he would be tens of thousands of dollars deep in permits and a year or two in time invested before he could really "open" his business. He would probably be paying a mortgage and insurance. And, of course, he would then need to lay aside a certain percentage of his income for taxes which were federally illegal in 1864.
That said, we do still have thriving small farms, but they tend to be laser-focused on certain products because farmers can only afford so many permits. Berries and tomatoes are still some of the most profitable produce in direct-to-consumer markets. Many of Morris's farming practices are experiencing a revival today under new names: regenerative agriculture, permaculture, compost tea, etc.
Morris's general advice at the end of the book is as sound in 2023 as it was in 1864. Buy and produce good quality. Maintain a strong work ethic. Place a high value on honesty. Live debt-free if possible. Understand your own talents, interests, and limits. Keep a cheerful attitude.
I would highly recommend this book as an invaluable resource to any historical fiction authors interested in this time period and general area. Want to know what it cost to buy a half dozen piglets? Want to know a good vs bad price for strawberries? Interested in how the first tomato canneries were designed? Need to know how many pounds of peaches could be transported on a steam barge? Curious how the Civil War (referred to by the author as the Slaveholder's Rebellion) hit the real estate market in Philadelphia? It's all in here.
The most striking thing in this book is how much things stay the same versus how much things change. It opens with a section bemoaning the highs and lows (the author refers to them as 'convulsions') of the economy. For a Millennial like myself who graduated high school right at the beginning of one recession and worked through the slowest economic recovery in American history, only to get hit by historic lockdowns followed by record high inflation, this is all too familiar a subject. It almost sounds like a peeved internet article that would ignite a Millennial vs Boomer flame war in the comments. Reading it, you can't help but think that things have not changed at all.
However, the farming section of the book soon proves otherwise. The first slap in the face is how ridiculously cheap land was. Morris spends about the equivalent to one year's salary on his house with a barn and eleven acres - $900. (Whether in manufacturing or farming, his income remains roughly $800-$1,200 per year. He notes that he is not a high earner and that land is relatively expensive where he purchased it.) I Googled the median home price in the US today and came up with $410,000. According to Google, the median income is around $33,000. What a striking difference!
Morris's business model is also entirely untenable with today's regulations. Off the top of my head, he would need multiple permits for:
*Building his barns
*Selling raw milk (if that's even legal in any given state)
*Selling raw meat
*An egg-handler's license
*A certified grower's certificate
*A water system license for his well (with additional fees for annual and quarterly testing)
This would include multiple rounds of scheduled inspections. I would estimate that he would be tens of thousands of dollars deep in permits and a year or two in time invested before he could really "open" his business. He would probably be paying a mortgage and insurance. And, of course, he would then need to lay aside a certain percentage of his income for taxes which were federally illegal in 1864.
That said, we do still have thriving small farms, but they tend to be laser-focused on certain products because farmers can only afford so many permits. Berries and tomatoes are still some of the most profitable produce in direct-to-consumer markets. Many of Morris's farming practices are experiencing a revival today under new names: regenerative agriculture, permaculture, compost tea, etc.
Morris's general advice at the end of the book is as sound in 2023 as it was in 1864. Buy and produce good quality. Maintain a strong work ethic. Place a high value on honesty. Live debt-free if possible. Understand your own talents, interests, and limits. Keep a cheerful attitude.
I would highly recommend this book as an invaluable resource to any historical fiction authors interested in this time period and general area. Want to know what it cost to buy a half dozen piglets? Want to know a good vs bad price for strawberries? Interested in how the first tomato canneries were designed? Need to know how many pounds of peaches could be transported on a steam barge? Curious how the Civil War (referred to by the author as the Slaveholder's Rebellion) hit the real estate market in Philadelphia? It's all in here.
May 29, 2024
Fun book. A man in the 1850’s tires of city life and running from one loan to another to keep his business afloat all the while not really living. He sold his business and moves his family to a 10 acre farm in New Jersey and sells what he produces from the land. After his first year he has done better than in any previous year in the city. He counts his failures, his successes and why he took the approach he did (he raised and sold blackberries when few others did and he banked on peaches, making an investment in hundreds of trees that took years to pay dividends). His family was healthier and happier while working hard on the land. This is an overview of that journey, with emphasis on the first few years. He winds up his book with a couple chapters about what he has learned over his time on a ten acre farm.
Oh, and did I mention the manure? Yeah, lots of manure talk and it’s fascinating!
Oh, and did I mention the manure? Yeah, lots of manure talk and it’s fascinating!
February 3, 2025
This book is two things at once… still relevant after 160+ years and out-dated. If I had lived and read this at the time it was written, I’d sell everything I own and try my hand at full time farming. The author is that convincing about how, with hard work and good judgment, any able-bodied person could make a living off of his land. Unfortunately, the world is just a bit different now, so most of the facts and figures in the book can’t be applied to today. But… there are many lessons in the book that could definitely be useful today. Many practical lessons. Tarring the bottom of your fruit trees often to keep worms out, for example. Lots of good tidbits in there like that. Other more broad lessons, such as knowing that steady, hard work will be the biggest factor of success in making the most of your land (as well as anything else in life). All in all, this was an enjoyable and very informative read, if maybe a bit boring at times. 4 stars.
February 23, 2024
A precursor to the 1970s "back to the land" movement, this 1864 book is full of simple advice and honest calculation. Now, somehow I don't think I could snap up 10 acres of farmland in New Jersey as easily as our esteemed author did in the 1850s, but it is still a fun read as we plan our garden for this year.
March 15, 2024
This was an excellent book. This tells a wonderful story on a man who moved from the city and purchased a farm for $1000 dollars. Then proceeds to generate returns in excess of over 30% year one then over 100% percent on year two and three of purchase.
This book should be titled in 2024. How a small farmer can outpace modern day tech startups and produce value in year one.
This book should be titled in 2024. How a small farmer can outpace modern day tech startups and produce value in year one.
December 7, 2021
Inspirational book about farming focused on a city dwellers experience in becoming a farmer. Well written and enjoyable, but feels repetitive toward the end of the book. I would return to it if I decided to commit to gardening or farming.
December 31, 2024
The first half I could’ve given a 5/5 but the second half definitely dragged on. Loved the author’s shoutouts for his wife and his bragging on her.
Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in the farm life.
Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in the farm life.
April 13, 2018
I didn't like the format/organization. A bit too memoiry for my tastes
July 2, 2018
easy read, short chapters, wonderful vocabulary as can only be found in agricultural writings of an earlier time. Much has changed since then, much has stayed the same.
August 26, 2019
Speaks powerfully to the undeniable truth of how little ground one can really care for well.
August 14, 2022
Great historical reference. Slow at the near end but mainly due to time period economic descriptions.
December 24, 2024
How neat! Feeling inspired
January 8, 2025
من أجمل وأدفأ ما قرأت مؤخرا
Easily one of my favorite recent reads
Easily one of my favorite recent reads
January 8, 2014
I was reminded, once again, that our vocabulary, in general, have declined sharply in the last 50 to 100 years. I was ashamed that I even had to consult my dictionary for clarification of a word. Mr. Morris' book was entertaining and informative on several levels. The social aspects, male/female status in society in particular, showed to me that some people just are wiser than others. Mr. Morris was definitely wise in his assessment of his wife's talents and abilities. There were fascinating invoices, listing prices for the mid to late 19th century. The agricultural information hasn't really lost its usefulness, these 150 years later.
All in all, a lovely book, especially if you enjoy historical tidbits.
All in all, a lovely book, especially if you enjoy historical tidbits.
September 10, 2015
Edmund Morris shakes the city dirt off his feet, packs up his wife and children, and heads to New Jersey to farm in this, one of the original classics of the Back-To-The-Land movement. Highly enjoyable; part how-to and part panegyric. I wonder if I can order manure through Amazon Prime?
What may be missed in reading, though, is how lucky Morris was -- among other things, he hit on the right new variety of the right crop at the right time. A few bad bouts of downy mildew or drought would've changed the ending considerably.
4/5
Available on Gutenberg (Finally! Don't know what took them so long.)
What may be missed in reading, though, is how lucky Morris was -- among other things, he hit on the right new variety of the right crop at the right time. A few bad bouts of downy mildew or drought would've changed the ending considerably.
4/5
Available on Gutenberg (Finally! Don't know what took them so long.)
January 28, 2009
A little gem, written by an anonymous author in the mid-1800's. Think "for those who think ten acres enough" to make a secure and satisfying living. Written from the perspective of a business man from a large Northeastern city who tired of the stresses of personal and societal financial crises and moved his family to a farm (of 10 acres, of course) in northern New Jersey in time to avoid a really big crash. Incredibly practical but also poetic. Four stars instead of 5 only because not all readers will find the subject as fascinating as I did (due to my own aspirations!).+
February 25, 2015
Ten Acres was written in 1850 and was a great "how-to" book for the times. While I did gather a lot of good gardening ideas, it better serves as an inspirational work from which we can all draw upon. Written in the spirit of Leopold's Sand County Almanac, it is a real pleasure to read. Last year, I gave a copy to a good friend who had recently bought a 20-acre farm -- hence our larger than standard fruit and vegetable garden! Whether planting peach trees, growing raspberries, or discussing the importance of the land, Morris never fails to keep the reader entertained.
August 27, 2013
Initially I intended to place this among my other books about sustainability. It is clearly not, however it offers a great historical window into the mid 19th century, and the type of gardening that was profitable somewhere halfway between New York and Philadelphia. The author places the biggest emphasis on fertilizer, and I would say it's only thanks to the fact that chemical fertilizers didn't exist at a scale of today that he is not using them. Otherwise, the title says it all: Ten Acres are Enough, be it back in the day, or now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews