THE FARM

About 1947, Mary and I decided we would like to but some farm land as an investment. Occasionally on Saturday, we would drive out into the country in Virginia or Maryland looking for an area that appealed to us. When we found such an area, we would talk with the county agricultural agent or a soil conservation worker to check on the productivity of the land and the general price at which farm land was selling.

In the spring of 1950, we began to seriously look for a farm to purchase. Each time we found something attractive the price was more than I wanted to pay. Finally, I decided to give up the idea and went to the agricultural building in Rockville, our nearby county seat in Maryland to thank the men who had been very helpful in evaluating several farms for us. One of the men asked if we had looked in Carroll County. We hadn’t, so he gave us the name of a realtor near Ellicott City whom he said was very reliable. We drove up there and found Mr. ... who drove us to see several farms during the next four or five hours--all of which didn’t suit me agriculturally or were priced too high. Finally, Mr. ... said, “There is only one more farm on my list. I’ll call and see if it is still available.” He found out that it was so we drove over there.

Road to main house on farm (after trees lining it were cut down)

The entrance was a very old, rough and narrow road through some timber land then along a tree-lined lane leading to the main house--not a very encouraging outlook. The owner, Mr. Howard Warfield, was sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch. While Mary visited with Mr. and Mrs. Warfield, Mitchel and I walked over the 250 acres on a hot sultry day in August. The fences were in bad repair, the fields hadn’t been tilled well but I got the impression that the land was fertile and it was just gently rolling in most places. I noticed that there were three streams that flowed together and joined a fair sized river on an adjoining farm. There was some fine big timber and new grove that looked promising. The main barn was a “bank-type” made of hewn logs fastened with pegs. There were several other farm buildings and two tenant houses in addition to the 2 1/2 story home that they called the “Mansion House”.

The main farm house surrounded by majestic old trees

The farm was named .... There was no electrical line nearer than about a mile and no “indoor plumbing” in the house. Mr. Warfield said his price was $100 per acre and he would finance a reasonable amount on annual payment. I told him we were interested but wanted to make some inquiry about the fertility of the land and just when the county intended to build the new road along the front of the farm that he mentioned.

That evening, I called the local farm credit land appraiser who told me it was one of the best farms in the county and had just been neglected by Mr. Warfield in his advanced years. Next I made inquiry of the County Agricultural Agent as to where I could get a good farmer to operate the place for me. He referred me to...Bennett, a life long farmer about a half mile from the Warfield farm and who had a son named Dick who was a graduate of the Agricultural school and an expert livestock judge.

I met Mr. Bennett and Dick and we agreed upon the general terms of a partnership with Mr. Bennett furnishing the farm equipment and I stocking the farm with cattle and hogs and he supervising Dick as the operator.

Kenneth with Hereford steer

I had the Soil Conservation Service prepare the soil conservation plan with aerial and contour maps with the areas to be kept in pasture timber and that for annual crops. I had the forester mark the timber suitable for cutting and we obtained more than 2,000 locust fence posts (enough to reference and across fence the entire farm) by removing the trees from the lane, which were objectionable from farming that field. We had a nearby saw mill operator cut some big oak trees from our farm to obtained oak fencing boards to fence the entire area of farm buildings and to make improvements in the main barn for cattle. Our first cattle were young Hereford steers to be pastured a year and fed out for market. We planted multiflora roses about 1/2 mile along some of our woodland as a place for wild life. There were deer that lived in our lumber area.

Kenneth with Hereford steer

Improvements
Our sons Richard and Gerald did the plumbing in the main house and Waiter (having been approved to do electrical wiring) wired the houses and barns.

[Richard remembers that the area under the house where they hooked up the plumbing was dark and full of spiders.  He got out of there as fast as he could!  But when he sat down on the john and felt the heat, he realized that he had reversed the hot and cold water in plumbing the bathroom!]

By the time that was finished, we had the power line extended about a mile to the farm and for the first time had electricity in the three houses. There was a very nice family living in the tenant house nearest the main house and they lived there many years. In the other house, we located a better tenant.

At the end of the first crop year, we had the big barn filled to the rafters with good quality hay and straw and the grain bins filled. The new cattle feeding stations with individual drinking tubs were all in use when I received a call one evening that lightening had struck the barn and it had burned to the ground. The next day, we discovered that the local insurance agent had failed to notify Dick that the insurance on the barn contents had expired two days before the fire so we lost our first year’s production and had to buy feed for the cattle.

Scott boys loading the harvest into the barn?

I had the barn insured but the insurable value was much less than the cost of a new barn. The barn had three walls of stone foundation about 8 feet high and 2 1/2 inches thick. I had to get expert advice as to whether those walls were suitable to keep and what type barn to build.

Scott boys working on the farm, Larry in front

Every day it was getting nearer to cold blasting winter weather. I decided to have a barn built with steel frame and metal siding and the contractor erected it before very long. Well, between a heavy work schedule at the office, and my new experiences as a farmer, I was busy and most grateful for the help the boys provided. Gerald drew splendid plans for the new barn and later for the remodeling and modernizing of the north tenant house.

Kenneth at the entrance to the the corn crib where dried field corn on the cob was stored, then shelled as stock needed it

Family Enjoyment
A book could be written about the many experiences with our farm--most enjoyable but many just new challenges.

Debbie and Mary Lee with Grandma Mary, circa 1958

Walter and June lived there a year or two when Debbie was quite young. We have some interesting pictures of her holding a small lamb and it looking through the fence at the cattle.

Debbie and a new friend

Kenneth feeding a sheep with Cindy, Debbie and Mary Lee looking on.

The children had some interesting pets in addition to dogs and cats--some ducks, a pet turkey that would follow us around like a puppy and a cute kid goat--until it got so mischievous that we had to get rid of it–two burrows and some ponies.  Wayne ventured into the chicken business once.

Mary Lee? pulling Cindy on a burro

Grandchildren swimming in the pond, with the black, squishy mud underfoot

The pond was a place of many interests. I bought some good quality sheep and finally had about 200 head.

Kenneth holding a lamb in the barn

Partnership Terminated
After about three years I concluded that our pastures were not suited for sheep and sold them. We continued a small herd of black Angus Cattle for several years.

Wayne rather gingerly petting an Angus

Finally in 19..., I concluded that Richard Bennett--for whom I had converted the north tenant house into a nice modern home, and who had married--was neglecting his duties as the farm manager. His father agreed that I should terminate the partnership, which I did by paying him his equity in the livestock. He moved to Baltimore. At the end of that crop year. I sold the livestock and afterward rented the farm land to a nearby dairyman who farmed the land for cash rent.

Part of Farm Sold for Recreation Area
In 19... ,the Maryland state government planned a reservoir and recreational area that finally resulted in their purchasing 125 acres of the farm along the east and south sides of our holdings. This has turned out to be a very nice project with a 200 acre lake a part of which can be seen from our farm buildings (Piney Run Park). A farm on the opposite side of Martz Road (running north and west of our farm) has been converted into a nice housing development.

In 1975, we paved our entrance road to the joy of our grandchildren who delighted to come down that long slope on their bicycles, roller skates, wagons, etc.

Uncle Richard takes the grandchildren for a trailer ride, early 1980s

For a number of years we have rented one side of the center hall main house to a family that would keep the large yard mowed and also take care of the ponies. The other side of the house has been furnished and available for our family to use when ever they wished. We have had many enjoyable family gatherings there. The setting is very pretty with no close neighbors to our main house and grounds with many beautiful big shade trees.

Nolan Barzee guides great granchildren Jennifer?, Kimberly, and Julie on a pony ride; Uncle Richard and Larry behind

More Land Sold
In ... , the Carroll County Commissioner became insistent that they wanted more of our farm to enlarge the facilities of the Piney-Run Reservoir and Recreation project (Piney Run Park). After considerable negotiations, we prevailed in refusing to sell them about 75 acres of our best farmland but did sell them 5 acres of rolling land at the southern end of our farm.

[Mitchel remembers: “After the government decided to build a water shed lake that would take some of the farm land, they came to Dad. He only asked one question: Are you giving me the same price per acre as my neighbors? The answer was yes. Later he learned that they paid Elmer Livesay more. When the county decided to build a park by the lake and wanted more land from Dad for the park and ball park plus a right of way to White Rock Road, he simply told then they had not been honest with him the first time and that they only way they would get the land was if they paid him what they should have the first time. They did. He never raised his voice or made a big fuss over things, but he always did what was right, especially when it was something that affected Mom or his boys.”]

[A footnote in Kenneth’s autobiography reads:  "In 1986, the last of the Family Farm was sold by generous parents who greatly benefitted their five sons and their families with the proceeds. The proceeds from an earlier sale of land to the county provided the nucleus of the Kenneth L. Scott Family Trust. The income from this trust still continues to provide for the living expenses of our Mother, Mary F. Scott. Assets from the trust gifted to her five sons and their wives (1991, 92, & 93) will continue to bless Dad’s posterity. This foresight and the Lords blessings are truly remarkable."]

Scott cousins with Aunt Jeanene