Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-29
Buying a Farm.

SO much of the man himself, so much of
the daily sweat of his face, so much of his
hope, and of his anxiety, goes to the ground
that he tills; so many of the associations
of his home, with its joys and sorrows, are
entwlned around every tree and shrub in
his dooryard, that | can conceive for him
no more dismal thought in life than that.
some day, he must pull himself up by the
roots, and, further on in his years, must
take fresh start, with all his interest to
cultivate anew. Apart from any question
of economy or of interest, | would strong
ly urge every man, who finds it possible
for him to do so, and who means to end
his days on farm, to buy his land. Let
the farm be smaller than he could hire, and
less convenient; let him go i'll debt for it
If he must, but | deem him to be u happier
man who O1cnS Il small place, even with
mortgage for his shadow, than he who.
with better facilities for his daily life, has
hanging before his eyes the fact that some
day, when he is older and less able to COM
mencc farming again, he must resign his
improvements to his lanlord, turn the
key on his home, and pitch his tents in
strange fields.
Under all circumstances, make the pur-
chase of a farm matter of the most care
full study. Probably it is the only farm
you will ever buy, and it will have very
much to do with your prosperity and your
happiness throughout your whole life. If
you have been bred farmer YOU will be
able to decide what you want, and can
form an opinion that will be more satisfac-
tory Ito yourself at least) than any that
you will get from books or from men.
lfyou have passed your previous life in
another occupation, and now mean to
make your living by farming, the best adj
vice that any one could give you would be
to go and pass a whole year with the best
farmer Ennu- Raaop,n Ion,
farm hand, with an understanding that
you are to be allowed to learn to do all
kinds of farm work.
As a man has but one life to live, he
should be very careful that he so lives as to
get from it the greatest possible amount of
health, comfort, cultivation, and ability for
himself and his family. This requires Il
healthy location, a good house, good facil-
ties for education, II good neighborhood,
and good land TO get all of these is the
lot of but few men. Generally, we must be
content with only part of them. Inas-
much as-after health-mOney is not the
greatest good, but the means of attaining
the greatest good, the quality of the soil is
of more importance than any other thing
except healthfulness of situation. A hun
dred bushels ofcorn or forty bushels of wheat
10 the acre, viii not compensate for a house
full of fever ague, but if they can be had
without the disease they will lead the way
to almost every thing else that is needed
The first thing to be decided Is, whether
to remain in well-settled parts of the cOun-
try, or to emigrate to virgin land. In the
later case, the question should be, in how
farSyill large crops and light work COM
pensate for the want of good schools, good
society, and good home markets. In the
former, in how for will the social education,
and commercial advantages make up for
the poorer quality of the soil. | assume
that in either case the consideration of
health is the most importent of ALL Var
io9's Handy Book Of HitsboUdry.