Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-06-17

what Has Been Done and Can he
Done I'm shelby County.

destroyed, and we have TO take new
start. Some people take to small farms
with certain profits very naturally, but
others have hankering for running a
"plantation. This may be done sue
cessfully by men of large means and
experience combined with the meekness
of Moses and the patience of Job; but
the majority of the people will have to
work with their own hands and learn to
economist labor as we'll as expenditures
for Injuries. They have learned, or will
learn, that five acres of corn well worked
is worth more than fifteen acres with
only two thirds work; or, to be palmer,
an acre properly cultivated is worth
three not we'll worked, after paying ex-
penses. The old prejudice against small
farming, we are glad to see, is fast dis
appearing The business is as respect
able and as elevating in its Influence
upon character as practicing law or
physic, or selling goods, and more cred
liable than drumming for New York
house or doing any kind eff "easy work,
Sc called, on an insufficient salary. 1t
must be admitted that the people of the
North understand farming as science
far better than we do. They have fol-
lowed the business as means of making
living, and have brought it to great
perfection. Iu the State of Pennsylvania
a man owning a well cultivated farm Of
one hundred acres is considered rich.
This class 10 generally free from debt,
live we'll and has money invested in
stocks or bonds. Bot change is going
on in our country, which will make it
bloom like garden. The people are
making all sorts of agricultural and
genealogical experiments, and thus far
have proved apt learners Occasion
ally Northern or Western man happens
to settle among us, and something can
always be learned from him. Such o
man who brings bis family and comes to
stay and dig living or fortune out of
the ground, is always an acquisition to
any neIghborhpod, and should be heartily
welcomed and treated as bis conduct de-
serves, and not from any pre,conceived
prejudice or opinion. This, we know, is
done by all sensible people, and those
who do otherwise ought to be frowned out
of society or sent to q lunatic asylum.
Among those who have settled in
Shelby county, and gone TO Embarrassing,
is Mr.. T. S, Barbour, who came here two
or three years ago, from Illinois, if we
are not mistaken, and settled on Trigg
avenue, two and half miles from Court
Square. He had about two thousand
dollars in money, and one boy large
enough To be sons help lie began By
leasing seven acres Of land, and the first
year used up ell his money, and he had
but a poor return. He knew nobody,
and would not ask for credit; but he
managed to get through, and is now in q
fair way to make not only competency,
but a handsome fortune. He has done
this by hard work and perseverance,, and
any man with a stout heart and a good,
strong back can do the same thing, if he
is so disposed. We advise all the farm
ers who are not doing satisfactory bust
ness TO 60 and see Mr. Barbour's farm.
He finds plenty of work to do the year
round, but takes pleasure in show
ing visitors over the premises.
We went out to hip place last Satur-
day, and spent some hours looking at
his strawberry beds, raspberry'and cur
rant bushes, his corn patches and potato
lots, and other field and garden produc
tons, and came away impressed with
the idea that farming, on ever so small a
scala, IL net enly noble profession, but
one that brings Independence and sttil-
ence if properly followed. Mr. Barbour
now eultvates forty-fve acres Of leased
land, for which he pays twenty dollars
per acre. This land is valued at $500 per
acre, and Mr.. Barbour says the interest
on that money is worth more to him than
the twenty dollars rent hence he prefers
a ten years lease to making a purchase
He has twenty acres in berries and
grapes, and the rest OF his farm Is plant
ed with corn and cotton. His best acres
of strawberries have yielded him this
spring $1,000 per acre, including some
plants sold. The raapberries yield about
one hundred bushels to the acre, aud sell
readily at twenty to thirty csnte per
quart, or, at least, 5000 per acre, and the
demand is much greater than the supply.
He says there is no possibility Of Cutting
this market for years to come, and even
if this we're the case Chicago, St. Louis
and Louisville are markets that never
can be fully supplied. SO Ii anybody
else is disposed to go into this business,
they will stand the same chances as Mr..
Barbour, with the advantages of knowing
the peculiarities of the soil and climate.
We might enlarge spon this subject, but
propose to refer to it oflener in future,
and throw out these facts and hints, hop
ing our country readers will take advan-
tage of them. The producing popula-
ton is the life and hope of the country,