Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-01-12
farmers department,
THE TRUE SYSTEM OF FARMING.

error into which the farmer often falls. His
great cagcrness in striving to be rich, is
doubtless the cause of his error. He is
ambitious and energetic, and forms his plans
on large scale, too often, perhaps, without
counting the cost. He buys large farm
and wants to be called a &c large farmer"
without understanding or considering the
true clements that constitute a real farmer
He faucies the greatness of that profession,
rs is too often the common estimate, 10 be
in proportion to the number Of acres, not to
say cultivated, but embraced within the
boundaries of his domain. The fact is now
being spread abroad, that a large farm does
not make man either rich, contented or
happy, but on the contrary, the reverse OF
all these, unless well titled, when his labor
is rewarded by ample crops and lair success
in the various departments III which ne is
engaged. No farmer can realize the full
benefits Of his profession without adopting
n thorough system of culture. His success,
commensurate to his wishes, always de-
pends upon the manner in which he pre-
pares his grounds, plants his seed, and rears
his stock. Neither of these departments,
which may be considered the cardinal ones
of his profession, will take care of them
selves. The soil may be rich, but it needs
culture. His seed may be sown, but it
should be in due time, and always on soil
well prepared and of a suitable quality for
the production of the crop desired. His
stock must be constantly cared fort de-
rives its thrift from the soil, and sends
again to that soil the susenance it requires;
but this is not done in loose or hap.hazard
way. The farmers care is required, and
alI his better iud dgment must be exercised in
keeping up this system of reciprocal bene-
fits that may be realized by every intelligent
and industrious farmer.
Thorough cultivation and systematic at
tenton to all parts of his business is indis-
pensable to good degree of success. The
very corner stone to this whole system Of
farming, is to do what you do thoroughly
nature will not be cheated, and never gives
full returns to the halfway work that is
pracliced by vastly too many calling them
selves farmers. If the land has been worn,
the extent of that exhaustion and the food
required, must be first considered. When
ascertained, the full measure Of these re-
ouirements must be given, to bring out full
returns. If the farmer has but small
stock, and consequently but 4 small amount
of manure to replenish his land, it is obvious
that but small farm can be supplied with
it; and good Judgment at once dictates that
to cultivate properly large farm, artificial
fertilizers must be used if good crops are
obtained. And so with the labor, two men
cannot suitably till one hundred acres Of
land, when the labor of two men and per-
haps four, might be proftably employed on
seventy-6vc acres.
This is the great error in farming. Two
men strive to do what four can hardly do,
and thus thousands of acres are run over,
half titled, and producing half crops. The
land is run over till worn out, sustaining
year after year the unnatural tax, till its en-
ergies are entirely exhausted and it fails to
yield even feeble crop, because its life is
worn out. Much of the soilin Virginia and
other southern States is q type of this
Thousands of acres are lying entirely USE
less and exhausted, and will ever remain so,
till the first elements of its power are re-
turned to it. This process is fast going on
in many of the Western States The soil
is treated like an inexhaustble mine; the
tilers crying give, give, give! till in q few
years it will have nothing to give. The
boast of the VESTS, large farms and large
fields of grain; plow, sow, aud reap, is the
business of western farmers, drawing out
the very life of the soil, and sending away
in the heavy exports that are constantly
going onward, without returning to the soil
the food it requires to make it productive.
The light that is being spread abroad on
this subject, is beginning to correct this
practice to some extent, but in most instances
very little is returned to the soil to keepit
alive, till after several years Of continual
cropping, it manfests signs of exhaustion,
and ultimate barrenness. When tillers OF
the soil understand their true interests, they
will cultivate no more land than they can do
well. Fifty acres Of land for tlage, brought
to high state Of cultivation, pays better
than one hundred run over in the way that
many do.-Jelferson Farmer.
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