Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-07-11
THE FARM.
The Garden...Tlle Orchard.
Marketing Farm Products.

marketing Farm f10ductS.
The skill and foresieh. Of q farmer do
not terminate with the moment his crops
are harvested and safely housed. He may
pause in his labors, and look about him
with feeling of satisfaction at the results,
but the exercise Of a continued vigilance
will be needed, whether the products are
intended to be consumed on his premises,
or sold in the market.
Perishable articles must be disposed of
before the period of deterioration and de-
cay ; aud those of long duration, like
grain and wool, must be protected against
fire and depredators, and sold, if possible,
at the spring-tide of prices for the year
but when that particular time to sell has
arrived, is the point difficult to determine
If man could look into futurity, the
question could be easily answered; but
that power is withheld by one greater than
We, and for our good.
An intelligent forecast, however, is with.
in the reach Of ali men; the signs of the
tiV@a66sss ,ths bsaEing i Of natural and political
that have weight in determining prices,
are to certain extent subjects for our
calculation. If a dearth - blight has
fallen upon any particular product; if
war or pestilence has removed the laborers,
driod up tho sonrces of supply. or demand
back the outlets of commerce; if an in
creased area of consumption or decreased
field of production destroys equilibrium
or any other cause intervenes, we may
reasonably calculate upon an increase of
price, while opposite causes may be ex-
pected to produce opposite results. Spec
ulation may occasion temporary high pri-
ces, without any aid from these natural
stimulants, but such disturbances are usu-
ally ftful, and soon followed BY an oppo-
site tendency. If prices have ruled for
considerable time above fair rates, lower
ones may reasonably be expected to suc-
ceed, and if an expressive depression has
continued unabated, turn of the tide is
about as sure to come as that time goes
on.
Men do not always gain by waiting for
an advance upon reasonable prices, even
though such result does eventually oc-
cur. For instance farmer may be owing
money for the purchase Of his farm, and
payments are falling due. In order to
get an extension, he is compelled to plead
with his creditors, injure his credit for
punctuality, or, it may be-and not unfre-
quen,ly is the cass-pay usurious rates
for an accommodation. He may have a
favorable oportunity topurchase farm stock
or implements for ready cash, which his
products fitted for the market would fur
nish or an addition to his farm, possibly
(not probably, however, to be worked
advantageously, may be obtained. lie
may have a chance to buy his own note at
discount before it falls due, or to pur-
chase that of perfectly safe and reliable
neighbor under similar circumstances;
with thousand other corresponding chan
ces that offer themselves t. the vigilant
holder of ready money at frequent inter-
walls. Besides all these, money is always
worth legal rates of interest, while the
produce lying on hand awaiting rise, is
for the time so much dead capital, subject
ed also to deterioration, accident, and pill
lage, not to mention the chance also of
prices going down instead of up.
The farmers and business men within
the scope Of our acquaintance, who have
made the most money, are not those who
have obtained the highest prices ; but they
are those, xLo being contentcd with mod
crate profits, have made these profits accu-
mulate BY frequent repetition. The nim-
BILE penny is the winning coin and "the
rolling stone" is the one that "gathers no
moss" Not unfrequently, by lucky
combination of circumstances, or rather,
We should say, by that accuteuess Of rea-
son and justness Of calculation acquired
By this very habi. Of activity, the latter
class of men obtain, on the whole, much
better prices than the man who locks hi,
granary against purchasers as we'll as
thieves, and then supinely waits in the
hope Of gaining one more penny by delay.
The man who digs in the earth and hides
bis talent will, at the period Of e1huma-
tion, find one talent still; while he, who
puts it into active circulation, will find it
doubling on his hands.
The safe and true rule is, not to sell a
los, but to watch the course Of events fer
an opportunity to dispose Of everything At