Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-10-11
We know q eenilefnaI

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who tried farming on an extensive and ex.
perimenlal scale, whose authority is offer
quoted az asserting that "in agriculture twe
and two do not make FOUR" We under
stand II 10 be implied N this, that calcua
tons respecting the profitable results of az
riculture, or a fair return for the expenditur.
OF labor and the investment of capital, arr
not likely to be verified as in the other busi
ness pursuits of life. We do not admit the
axiom many fair sense. We do not believe
that It does justice to agriculture; and nc
small experience and some observation sat.
isfy us. that circumstances being equal
farming would furnish as fair conpensa.
ton for l4bos, and as ample dividend upon
the capital invested, as the common trade.
which mn engage in, and even the pursuits
Of mercantile and commercial life. O
course We except all extraordinary eases o
good fortune, and all matters Of gambling
and speculation.
The returns of most crops strike one
sometimes with astonishment ; and would, il
taken as test, lead 70 the most decisive
expectations. A grain OF seed sometimes
return hundred fold and this being sowu
a second year, would perhaps give ten ,hou.
sand fold. and SO on in geometrical ratio.
Twenty bushels ofpota,oes planted win fre.
quently yield fur hundred bushels, that is
twenty for one. A bushel Of wheat sown
sometimes returns thirty bushels. A peck
Of indian corn planted will often produce
sixty bushels, that is two hundred and forty
for one. A pound of carrot seed or ru'a
baga, which costs dollar. will produce six
or nine hundred bushels of roots worth one
hundred dollars. The proceeds 10 this case
seem enormous and yet they are constantly
rralized, and oaen,i must be admitted, at q
comparatively small expense. But no con.
fident conclusions on the profits offarming
are to be drawn from such results as these.
SO many circumstances of abatement enter
into the case, that If these are The only eae.
ments given in the case, the solution of the
problem would give The most egregiousiy
erroneous and deceptive results.
We are moi to look to agriculture for any
extraordinary or sudden gains, as for ex-
ample, ike drawing the capital pr;ze in a
lottery where there are two blanks to prrze !;
like some successful East India voyage.
where the sale of the cargo yields nett
profit fone hundred per cent or like some
sudden rise in the stocks, or some rnonopo.
lized article Of produce, where a shrewd
nperution draws . thousands or twenties OF
mo our poeksis, But that skill,
experience, assiduIiy, and industry viii, in
agriculture. yield fair, and to reasonable
mind an ample compensation, there are too
many md reiterated proofs to admit even Of
doubt.
As we said in the beginning, we do no,
design at this time to 90 largely into ttis
subject, and we refer to Il 10 particular 1t
This time, for the sake ofrelating some paris
OF conversation which wa once had with
a respectable and independent bu, complain.
ing farmer in our own despised State.
This man then had farm which was
fully valued at four thousand doiiur.. The
father, who had given the farm 70 the son,
had begun life without dollar, had run into
debt for large part Of the purchase money,
but had sometime since, while he supported
his family, canned from the proceeds ofthe
farm, sufficient to pay for It. Without any
incumbrance he had then put in o his sons
possession, and now lived with him under
he same roof.
Said the son, farming is miserable busi.
ness
But why so7 Let US look into this mat.
ter. What is the estimated value OF your
farm?
Four thousand dollars.
l. is increasing in value?
Yes by its favorable location, and by
every Improvement that is made upon It.
Do you get all the produce from il which
it can be made to yield7
No, mol one-third. 1t consists OF one
hundred and twenty acres. At least ffty
acres of it are in wood, and considerable
portion in pasture. Besides that, have
several acres Of pea, bog, which nigh. be
redeemed and brought into English grass.
IS.
What is the value of the wood land
We supply our family with fuel, and be-
sides this the growth of the wood and the
hoop poles which we obtain from It. pays a
large interest upon the current value ofthe
land, so that we consider this as one Of the
most profitable parts of the farm.
Have you done any thing to improve
your pasture lands !
Mol suppose pught to. l tried one
hundred weight Of plaster spread upon d
part of it, and the effects were visible as fal
as the land could be seen but then after
that, plaster rose half a dollar on ton. and
thought would not get any more. Then
the buckleberry bushes and sweet fern, and
the brakes and alders have come in so that
1 II Nnl,r