The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1853-07-13
Thorough Farming-orA Much Labor
on Little Land.


The great secret Of European surress
in Agriculture has bern described as
much labor on comparatively liuls
land" Bui The whole tenor Of American
husbsndry from the FIRST settlement Of The
country. has been directly The contrary,
or. " lillle labor on much land" And
this 10 the cause Of the deterioration Of
our iann and crops,-of The exhaustion
Of the elements Of fertility in The one. ne
eessary 10 the produeiian of the other. Il
requires no great amount Of labor or store
of knowledge. 10 grow crop al a cost
equal or exceeding lis value, and leaving
the land poorer than before; but il does
require both work and wisdom TO pro.
duce one which shall bring prof, 10 The
farmer and prepare the land for greater
produciiseness 10 future. ANY nne who
can follow the. plow and scatter The seed
can do ihe former. but capital, expert
ence and energy are required TO accomplish
the latter.
Thorough farming besiows much labor
wisely directed and skllfully managed
labor-upon every acre IL cuIlivales. IL
drains The land. IL il needs il, so iha, n
may be worked in The proper season, and
no sisgnanl water ever stands To chill aud
blight sll healthy vegetation. ID deepens
and pulyenzes the soil, so that every crop
may freely send down lis roots for mois-
tuIe and susienanre; and il adds every
needlul msnurisl element. that their
growth may be vigorous and rapid IL
4 suffers no weeds 20 rob the soil Of lis
riches and The plant Of It's proper and
righllul nulI,men,; and gives the crop the
nsefful care and attention through oil the
stages OF i,s growth. from the deposi. Of
the seed 10 the gsrnering Of the product.
.To cultivate this land well." says .
contemporary" andioinerease i,s produce
tive powers. is prime object with good
farmer. To do this. il is absolutely es-
senlial that he employ the requisite a.
mount OF labor. This seems TO be SELF
evident proposition. and YET il 10 more
generally disregarded in American hns>
bandry. than any olhtr principle Of sound
economy. Because we frequently hearil
said that labor runs away with The profits
Of farming. our farmers lay il down as =
maxim 10 get along with as lli,le labor as
possible. The consequence is, they at
tempt 10 do with less than they ought.
They are thus oul Of pGcke, BY loss Of
time. loss Of season. and deterioration Of
land and crop. and in other ways of.which
they hardly dream. There is many =
farm, of broad and fertile acres, furnished
with suitable buildings and fences. well
stocked and provided with all needful ap-
plisnces 10 make il productive, the own
. er OF which undertakes 10 carry il on with
I half The force adequate 10 its cultivation,
Is i, TO be wondered ., tina, farming un'
" !, der such circumstances is decried as un-
profitable !--lhat the interest on the in
ves,meni. the taxes, the repair Of build.
inqs and tools, and other incidental ex'
penses. ca, up the profits, when these pro
ils are not hall what they might, BY
the employmen, OF more labor, easily bt
: made 10 be =
Labor is The root and spring OF al
!. profit" But wellsdrecled, earnest. tho
; rough work is required To produce large
IS results and full remuneration for such cut
J y lay Of toll and care. The farmer wit
: gives the cultivation which is needed OF
! Eve acres, to fifteen or twenty, does M
70 par, Of his work well, and must fai! q
re getting profitable crop. Five acres
re- corn producing four hundred bushels an
y nually, is far better for the farmer and ih
20 country. even if the same expense be IN
le CURED in its production. Than fifteen acre
st skinned over to yield the same amonn,
in Half dozen choice, thrifty and produc
tive fruit trees are worth more than on
:. hundred poor ones. and while the latte
= seem only curse to the owner. the foI
mer will prove source Of continual an
II. increasing profit. The best stock-ca
lie. horses, sheep, and swine-are III
= cheapest in the end, and bring far richs
returns than The low priced and lillle-wor,
varieties.