The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-12-31
A Talk with Our Farmers.

A HIN Will OuI TIL
It is we'll, at the end of this year of our
Lord 1870, to invite our readers to look
back over the old year, and in laying plans
for the new, be guided by the wisdom of
experience acquired in the past We pro
pose to talk with our farmer readers in this
article and the first question we will pro-
pound is, Has farming ''paid y in the past
few year, as well as they think it should,
for the labor expended and capital invested9
A large majority Of our readers will answer
in the negative we are sure. And why?
Because the grain crops-especially wheat
have failed the summer was dry, wages
high, the price of produce low, and Jterttt-
izers cost 80 much. These are sufficient
reasons for failure, all will doubtless agree.
But what guarantee have our farmers that
the same drawbacks to success will not
overtake them in the year we are just
entering upon? Certainly none. But If
the farmer cannot control the seasons and
prices of produce, he must cast about him
and ascertain what he can control. lie
may control his expenditure for patent
manures-for the thousand and one mix
lures which are called fertilizers" and
the purchase of which is, like slow decay,
running him. He can determine what kind
of produce it is best to turn his attention
to; whether it shall be grain, grain, always
grain; or whether there are not other pro-
inf in
manding more uniform prices, with less
expense for tillage, and less cost for ma
nure, combined with a constant improve
ment of his lands. We apprehend that
raising stock, cultivating grass principally,
and allowing grain crops to be but sec
ondary object, while the former, with the
products of the dairy, claim the principal
part of the farmers care and attention,
would be found to increase his profits a
hundred fold. While his labor and outlay
would be less, his land would improve, by
returning to the soil what had been taken
from it !; and his receipts from the sale of
stock and dairy products would be much
greater than from the sale of grain and
he might calculate with a reasonable GER
tainty, on uniformity of plice for these
species of products.
With railroads cutting the county In all
parts communicating in two hours with
Philadelphia and Baltimore, this county
ought to be one vast region of dairy and
stock farms and not one bushel Of grain
should be sent out of it to the cities, to
purchase and bring back street dirt, oyster
shells, the refuse of marble-yards, plaster,
etc, ETC., all ground and compounded with
moiety of bone, or guano, placarded with
some fine name, and warranted to be the
best of concentrated manure"
We led the life of practical farmer for
more than twenty years, and "know where
of we affirm"
Again, our farmers work too much, and
think and read too little. Flooding, plod-
ding all the time, will not pay half SO well,
as if large part of the time were devoted
to thinking and investigating, and thor
oughly mastering their business. There is
no other business so diversified as farming.
To produce one series of crops requires a
whole year, involving constant change
There is no other bus mess in which the
process necessary to the end aimed at,
requires so continued and varying action.
And the action which requires whole year
for it's completion, must necessarily demand
cultivated talents and judgment of superior
order.
Let those who own the fertile prairie s
and deep alluvial soils, free from obstruc-
lions to the plow and other agricultural
machinery, produce the grain. They can
till large surface with comparatively
small amount of labor, and while they are
at no expense for foreign manures, they
can calculate to a certainty on 4 profitable
yield of grain. But our thin, hilly and
stony soils Of Cecil will never compete as
The experience Of a hundred years, strength
ened by every succeeding year, demon
strates this fact, we think, to every obser-
want mind. While we have among the
UcSl illstihcIS loi gram, We IsiFc diSO lle
best for meat and dairy produce. But we
cannot raise the grain without expanding
more to feed the land than the grain sells
for. And we can make stock and dairy
produce which will sell for moro than the
grain, and call for no return to the soil of
foreign manure. BY stock feeding and
darying the land constantly improves
By grain farming the land is constantly
deteriorating The former requires care
and attention, but less hard labor and hired
help. The difference between grain farm
ing and stock farming in Cecil, is just the
difference between poverty and constant
plodding with debt to the eyes and easy,
independent circumstances. The stock
farmer must throw away his sloyenly hab-
its acquired as 4 grain farmer, or he will
not succeed any better in one capacity than
the other. But with care and attention
and good stock, he is bound to succeed.
III