Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-12-25
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Southern Planter.
Is Farming PyOfstl D,e'

M Ed,for.-ln the July number oil
the Planter, you insist that we od-hop-
pers can write for an agricultural paper
IT, will only try. And you add. that
for ms to say otherwise, sis childish. -
True some farmers can write, and write
sensibly too; but taken as a class we are
Door scribblers, and know not how to
write for the information Of others. But,
sir, permit you TO be the judge and send
You this TO do with as you please. Should
you throw il under your table | shall take
no exceptions to it; but if You put it in
print and your readers think it worthless.
then you must be responsible, and shall
call you poor Judge, as ! am poor wri-
ter.
"poor Richard" in your August mum
Der, urges it upon us that farming iSppt
profitable. Now. as differ somewhat
from Poor Richard, viii Try to revive his
spirits, by assuring him that he is mista-
ken What business is profitable if lad
" mana sedl None. And there is no
business under Tod management, tha,
holds out so long and sustains itself so
well as farming does. And Poor Dick
himself will so decide. The merchant
or mechanic, under mismauagement, fails
much sooner and to much greater a.
mount than the farmer under similar man
a.ement.
4. Letme ak Poor Richard " hat business
is profitablcl Does he say the mercan-
tile1 Well, sir, now let me ask him to
pursue course similar to the thrifty mer-
Oh Mt. First serve an apprenticeship; next
select good farm, as the merchant does
good situation; then rise by the dawn Of
day, and have every thingrcady for "A day 3
WORK by the time tire sun rises then re.
main as close in the fields as the merchan,
does behind his counter, and my word for
1t he will find farming quite fair and
sn'e business. Let me ask Poor Richard
anotherquestion. When Won buy Of your
merchant, do you deal with him as he
deals, when he lays in his goods Do
You 70 to two or three stores to find where
you can buy cheapest? Are YOU as keen
to sell for the highest prices and buy al The
lowes'2 This is the course pursued by
merchants, and if the FARMER will practise
it, he will add to his profits III admit
that farming is not profitable in my coun-
ty at the present prices of wheat, (seven-
ty cents,) and fifty miles to market. AT
seventy cents for wheat, do not think we
can clear anything; but the price is less
than it has been for fouryears, and hope
it viii not long remain at so low an ebb:
yet we may save ourselves by selling cat
lie, sheep, &c. grazed on our farms -
The staples Of my county are wheat and
corn-and where this is the case think
farming is more profitable by combining
grazing Herewith. | am of opinion the
farmer toa frequently suffers himself to be
imposed on. Too many ofus get in debt
to our merchants, and thereby, TO some ex.
tent, enslave ourselves. This is. certain.
. " too much the case. so far as my obser.
walton extends; and this prevents the far
mer from buying at as low prices as he
might. He is in debt TO his merchant,
and is afraid TO deal elsewhere, lest his
merchant will press him for paymcnt;and
thus it is that he becomes almost the slave
of his merchant. This is no fancy sketch
but is drawn from life ITSELF
At present. the farmer gets seventy
cents for wheat, which is his labor and
for lis labor and capitall Thirty-three
and one-third per cent. Next. the farm
er's crop fails one half Does The mer-
chant fall No-thir.y-ihree and one
third neat still is added to his cost. Now,
could not the farmer preventthis by buy
ing less. anl for cash, from those from
whom he can buy cheapest This way.
the merchant to some extent will sbere
'heiailere OF our crops, as he ought; and
our profits viii be increased.
Ihave spun out my yarn to greater
length than l had Intended set gu, n
say something Of my course of farming
but have not space left. My farm il
understanding about three hundred
and sixty acres-purchased ten year
since at about thirteen dollars per acre
about two hundred and eighty acres in cul
tivatiou. the residue in woods. On th
farm last wear | raised about one Thousand
bushels wheat-my usual crop being now
about eight hundred-most of the lane
was poor when bought; but by the use
chiefly of clover and plaster, and pennine
my cattle on the gals in summer, the Land
Is much improved-at least fifty per cent
in yield and value of land. The little
money cleared each year, the improve.
ment of my land, the increase of my stock
and slaves, all footed up, think would
show fair profit. At least | am satis6-
ed, thus far, with the profits. and shall
continue to farm and Craze unless tho