Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-06-28

| What the Farmer Should KNOW and Do.
The good farmer is not only man Of theory
but of experiment and practice. He reads, thinks
and works. Of course if he farmes on a large
scale he cannot be field hand. But he must
know all about farm work SO as to have it pro
perly done. To begin with he should have a
| thorough understanding of the physiology of the
soil he cultivates. This is as important to the
farmer as the knowledge of human physiology is
to the physician. Soils have capacities which are
developed and improved by the proper tillage and
! by the proper manures, and Uice UerSa. They are
also subject to deterioration and to diseases for
which science supplies appropriate and et1icacious
remedies.
The farmer should know all about the various
kinds of grain about tobacco, cotton, fruits
vegetables-eVen plants and flowers; about every
thing that is grown or can be grown on ,ur soil.
| He must know the proper season for sowing,
planting, tilling and gathering, and the best
modes of doing these things. He must be fa-
mliar with the plough, the hoe, the spade and all
| the various implements used in agriculture as
the surgeon is with his instruments or the mechan
| c with his tools He must keep pace with all
| agricultural improvements and inventions. He
must know how to store his products how to
| prepare them for market; when and how to trans
port them and the proper time to throw them i'll
| to market. He must know how to fell trees and
get out timber; split rails and construct fences
and farm buildings. He should acquaint himself
with all that pertains to all kinds of farm stock
the food and treatment best adapted to them the
diseases to which subject and the proper remedies
therefor and if work animals, their capacities
| for labor. He should know when and how to
kill such are used for food, and the est modes
of preserving and curing the flesh. He should aC-
! quire such general practical knowledge as to
be enabled to deal with the ordinary accidents to
which farm life is liable, and to provide, at least
| temporarily, for them until permanent arrange
ments can be made. He should know how to
| hra alt ta ca11 11p to born Loo
oxen to the yoke. By making himself acquaint-
ed with harness and with the structure Of the
riOus kinds of farm vehicles, machinery and i'm
plements, he will be enabled to repair ordinary
breaches, correct ordinary irregularities and thus
save much expense. He should acquant himself
with bridge making, road making, ditching, drain
ing shelters for stock, laying out gardens and
orchards, and constructing ice ponds, fish ponds,
mills &c.
In the present circumstances of the South,
which render the utmost regularity and economy
| OF management necessary, the old habit OF haul
| ing wood for domestic use at odd times and when
| the wood pile needs repIenishing, would in volve
nconveniences and losses of time from field laoOr
! that should not be incurred. Our farmer sohOuld
erect shelters, and in the intervals of farm work
| employ their teams in hauling and storing their
winter supplies of wood
Every farmer should know something about
| plasterlng, whlteWashlng, carpentering, black
smithing. shoemaking &c.-enough at least to
supervise those thus engaged on his farm,
and to prevent impositions upon him, He should
know enough about law to be able to make, write
and execute all ordinary business contracts, and
enough about medicine to deal with ordinary
cases of sickness, and even with extraordinary
cases, until the doctor can be procured
| There is one very important matter 10 which
every farmer should carefully attend, that OF
keeping regular farm accounts and records, no.
ting down all that he sells, all that he buys, and
| the prices of same, and all farm and household
| expenses. His records should embrace his obser-
vatiOns on all subjects connected with his calling
all of his farm operations his experiments of all
kinds; the amount of landsin tillage each year
the manures used and the proportions of same
the crop sown and gathered; the proportion lost
by accidents insects, &C.. the amount of ditching
draining, &c, done, and the cost; erection re-
pairs and cost of farm buildings, fencing &c In
one word his records should be so kept as to en-
able him to evolve and exhibit at any time an
average as to any of the great facts and phases
OF farming Accounts thus kept will be a sure
financial guide to the farmer, while his record
Will be Invaluable agricultural guide. We
might enlarge on this interesting and inspiring
theme, but our design is rather to be suggestive
and practical than didactic and sentimental. We
have said enough perhaps to show that agricul
tllre is a noble and comprehensive profession, in
VolVlng high duties and varied attainments il
theoretical and practical science. We close witt
the wish that our Southern farmers may ''provt
worthy the prize of their high calling."-Rich
naofad Farmer.