The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1850-12-14
Q g G + 4 r I'll g r .
From .Moore's Rural .New Yorker.
FARMING FOR PROFIT.

his seed, and endureS the Sundry !apOrS
of harvest time is mainly the profit
which 10 expected as result. The
same object influences all classes of So
ciety, and it should ever be considered
that in all undertakings this ultimate
end be held steadily before us. In the
important concern of religion we are
called upon to take this view of the sub
iect-to poader the solemn question,
"What shall itproft man ifhe shall
gain the whole world yet lose his own
soul 2"-and we may consider in all ca
SEES, profit in the shape of good-of
wealth, honor and enjoyment-the le-
eitimate reward of mans labor, bodily
and mentally, if wisely directed and EN-.
nloyed for the iurtheraace Of the objects
of his existence.
1.-The who makes two blades Of grass
grow where but one grew before, is a
benefactor of his race, then add the kaowl-
edge and skill which promote profitable
farming are most wisely applied, and his
is neither low ambition or degrading
vocation, who seeks by honorable means
by his own toll, and directing the paid
labor of others-to make the most mon
ey from the acres he occupies. Nor is
his labor useless and unworthy Of reward
who seeks to give energy to this spirit in
the mass of the agricultural community
who to the stirring music ofproft,
starts to the brisk march Of progress and
improvement.
Let us consider, then, some of the ne
"cessary preliminaries to profitable farm
ing-for the farmer should be governed
by reasonable rales and established laws,
as much as the merchant or manutactu-
rer.
He is in fact manufacturer If meal
and meat---of food and clothes, or the
material thereof-and should under
stand the nature of the products desired;
and of his machines for producing them.
Otherwise he may attempt to grow crops
very unsuitable to his soil, Or use for gra-
zing, field best adapted to the plow, as
anonymously as if some quaek of a me-
chanic should attempt the manufacture
Of corn brooms by the help Of thrash
ing machine, or to do blacksmithing
with tools for carpenters bench
But nature adapts herself so kindly to
the bungling husbandry of a man, that
the most ignorant laborer finds some
profits from his daily toll, yet the hun
bred fold reward is only for him who
works wisely as we'll as faithfully, and
makes every stroke tell visibly in the
aggregate result
The profit of American farming is
more than one half lost by its shallow
expansion-by so much ground being
gone over in that sighting sort of way
which calls thing done when only
show has been made ofdoingit. Let
the labor now expended upon each hum
dred acres Of land, be put upon twenty
five, directed by science and experience
and the aggregate wealth would be
doubled in one year. Let the other
seventy-fve have the like increased
amount, and there would no need of
crowding into cities until they became
the hot beds of poverty and crime-but
thousands more might live useful and
happy lives instead of painful and de-
graded ones, in the beautiful, the God
made country.
Look at an individual case. Here is
farmer with one hundred and fifty
acres of land, with large family de-
pendent upon its produce for support,
who, with himself and one hand through
the year, and another for haying and
harvest, carries it on after fashion.
Keeping considerable stock, he has an
opportunity of increasing his manure
heap almost at pleasure, and the facili-
ties, had he the labor and capital at
command, for many profitable improve
ments.-But by the time his spring
crops are hurried in thoeing comes OH,
before hoeing is concluded the harvest
arrives-the summer fallow is not prop
erly prepared, and he must either real.
" cultivate but portion of his farm,
or skim the whole over with compare
tive proftless result. He cannot find
time or means for the improvement he
finds so necessary, and hiring labor at a
high price as such men generally do,
which consumes the surplus products, il
is no wonder that though seemingly
wealthy, yet hard pressed and poor, he
should think farmers life hard and
profitless one.
The best course would be, lst-at any
rate to undertake no more than could be
done we'll: 2d-to hire and teach the
foreign laborers who throng our shores
A city paper wisely remarks:-Oul
farmers nearly all cultivate their sol
with too little labor, in other words they
don't half cultivate it. Avery common
excuse is that labor scarce and so higl
that they cannot afford to have more o
it," We believe this is a great mistake
yet there is something in it. The pri
ces of American labor are often quite al