The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-08-30
5or tie 9armers.
Farm EcOEsGsn

Farm Economy. '.
T. 81 am not rich enough to he economical" said
young friend Of ours, when We strongly recon-
mended to him the profits Of a certain improve
ment THE want OF means compels me to work
constantly to u disadvantage, and carrot enjoy
the privileges and profits OF my richer neigllborS.' -
This is a difficulty in which many intelligent
farmers have found Themselves placed, AMI from
which they would most gladly be extricated-
1nnumerable instances are occurring in their dai-
ly practice, where they could secure golden re
suits, had they odly the lever ola capital placed
III their hands but as they are now situated,
they seem:to themselves like the man who is
digging the earth with his unassisted hands, or
the one who is compelled to carry wafer in an
cgg-shell, while their more fortunate neighbors
are turning up the deep soil with the most per
fect Instruments, or seuding streams of refresh
ment aud fertility through easy channels over
their entire farms. Now, we are not about to
plan a.''royal road" Of escape from this difficulty !;
it must be met and conquered. If the attack is
rightly made, the conquest Will be comparatively
easy if wrongly, it will be the discouraging aud
formidable task of a life time.
Tie eager inquiry is new made, What is the
easiest mode. Of conquest? We answer, the first
and great leading meaIs, isa large fund of thor
ough aud PRACTICAL .knoulelge., The man who,
by close observation Of results in his own prac-
tice and in the experience Of others, in. connec-
ton with the. immense amount Of useful sugges-
TONS to say nothing Of distinct practical direc
tions)) contained in the best publications Of the
day, possesses, even with Il very shert purse, a
vast advantage over the shortsighted, ignorant,
and un ,bservant capitalist. He will turn to ad-
vantage, even with his very limited means a
thousand resources which Others wou ID allow to
sleep unemployed forever:
= We once had occasion to observe the contrast
in tile condition Of two young farmers, one Of
whom had four hundred acre farm left to
him; the other had but fifty acres, which lie
had paid for in part, by previously laboring on
"a farm for some years 10y the month in summer,
and teaching district school in winter. Tic
one had the capital of money which his own
hands had never earned: the other, possessed the
more valuable capital of knowledge and indomi
table perseverance. The young heir,was more
interested in riding about, III parties, balls, and
injaunts to the city, than in tlesdetails offIrm-
ing, aud knew the contents of the tri-weekly po-
litical newspaper, and Of 4 certain frivolous mag
azine, much better than.of any agricultural jour
nal, or of Norton's Elements. His farm became
an exact reflection of its owners character-
Fences were soon ,ob>curcd ly belts Of alders
blackberrics, and burd0cks; and buildings show
ed marks Of premature age, aud became dilapi-
dated There was a thirty acre marsh, which
might have been drained, but it never. was. And
there was pitch of Canada thisties which filed
one, twelve acre field, and a part Of another
which he could have destroyed i'll. one season.
had he known how Others had done. One hun
dred and eighty loads Of manure, as estimated
at one time by a ncighbor, were allowed to lie q
whole year about his bara without application
His cattle were Of i long-horncl, biz beaded
sharp backed breed. IIisswine were the long
Lrstled racers, His profits in farming may be
easily guessed There was general complaint
among his n"ishbors, that his debts were never
met within six months after the appointed pay
day, and that he endured a sharp dun with cx-
traordiuary patience. 1t is true, necessity drove
lin to lctrcnch his expenses, and the improved
examples about him induced him to amend his
practice but not until his farm was reduced TO
less than half ts,original size, by portions SOLD
off at three different times to satisfy mortgages.
Well, what become Of the young fifty acre
frmer, we are asked. lie has ceased to b" a
fifty acre farmer" lie began by examining
closely what Improvements could be- made, OF
whatever character and kind, whether cheap Or
expensive. Among these he WAS compelled to
select the first the cheap Improvements. or those
which promised the largest profits for the small
est outlay. One Of the first Of these was the
dra;uirr Of 4 three acre alder swami. a LARGE