The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-02-04
-A6RICULTUR RAJ
Oh III we Give or Ask Credit

IL is convenient, and under the exist
ing condition ofthe commercial world, it
is not far from necessary. That 1t might
be different by mutual consent is CUES
ton to be decided Who would it build
mp, who would it pull down. Farmer G..
of our acquaintance owned a fine farm of
two hundred acres. He was an enter
prising and 60 ahead farmer, and proud
one. He was fond of creating sensations
among his neighbors-wanted to be look
cd up to--was happiest when surrounded
by half score of well fed men, ready TO
do his bidding as their employer. Farm
or c. could do up farm labor on large
scale, but could not descend to details
His teams could put in large fields Of
grain, and DO il after the stereotyped man.
ner of his ancestors. His force could
harvest those fields in autumn, and garner
the sheaves. His manure heaps were
made to cover his soil without any regard
to adoption, the main object being to "get
it OUT If the crop was short he was
"out Of pocket" and charged 1t to the
weather, never to the soil, or its culture.
Had the soil, on which he depended to
pay his bills and help, neither OF which
were small on the aggregate, been never
failing in fertility, he might have survived
all other reapses. He gave and received
credit. In both he was indiscreet and un-
wise. Why? He credited his soil with
too much ability to pay his demand upon
it. He asked credit largely because he
credited in this manner He based his
supposed ability to pay upon the supposed
ability of his soil to pay, or rather give
him its wealth undiminished He asked
accommodation and got it. He drew checks
on his farm which were not paid, because
no deposites had been made. Yet he was
regarded prosperous. lis note was good,
and received when crops failed. How ca
'sy to glide do1cn hill Unconscious OF the ra-
'pidity with which we move. The credit
system is hill well glazed with glittering
ice. The sled we ride is our own good
credit, finely shod We are on it to coast.
Here we are at the top-we star; slowly,
but the momentum grows greater; aud
away we 90. We are confident of our pow
er 10 guide it, and regulate its speed
We grow more fearless, and soon find our
selves at the bottom, perhaps have APP
preached ere we are aware q rock, or root,
were thrown out, and the sled we rode
smashed-iTeparably broken. We have
a new sled to build, our own bruises to re-
cover from, and then Chamber to the top Of
the hill ere We may ride again.
Farmer c. uoS at the top of the hill,
had good sled of his own building, and
was in for ride lie did ride--rode to
the bottobl-unobstructed was his ride,
hence the more badly was his sled broken,
and the worse were his bruises. I've
learned something tell you,' said he to
us after he had sold half his farm to pay
his debts, and mortgaged the other half
for money to build with, (having no build
ings ON the half retainer "Noicl' said
he, When / bay thing | shall pay for
it. No man can credit me With even
paper of needles. What | am not able to
pay for, an, able to Go without" He
learned this lesson at fifty years Of age
Ten years subsequent he had as much land
as he owned originally, paid for, and well
stocked, beside being in much better cul-
turc than ever the old one was. NeceSSj-
" stimulated effort, and "the most was .,
made of every thing At this writing,
he is a hale, happy, hearty farmer Of sew
enty years, and owes not dollar. Ask
him for advice, if you are a young man,
he will answer briefly, " Go to work, and
neither ask or give credit" He does not
practice strictly what he preached about
giving credit, but he gives less, yet sells
more than his neighbors.