The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-10-19
Too Much 21and..

A correspondent of the Country Gentleman
sends the following article, which will apply
forcibly to this portion of the United States,
no less than that for which it was especially
intended:
In this country, above all others, land
good. tillable, fertile lands abundant and
cheap. This reason, perhaps, more than any
other, has caused our farmers to fall into the
erroneous notion that they could not have too
much land; or, in other words, they could not
own and cultivate too; large farms Tor profit.
This long-established idea, that, in order to be
successful as tiller of the soil, one must culti-
vate too large farms for profit. This iong-es,
tablished idea that, ,inl order to .be>suceesstul
as tiller of the soil, one must cultivate large
tract of land, has been over and over practical.
|lyexplode6. We know from experience. that
farmers are, as class timid, careful, conserva'
tive men--not given 70 Wig sPssalaho9;s, -
business. They like the old, well-beaten path.
When they have.a little money to invest they
are very apt to buy more land, and, without
any additional help, they try to cultivate 1t IN
addition to the old farm. In looking back for
score of wears, we notice that the facilities Tor
performing farm labor have been wonderfully
increased. The genius OF progress has not
made greater advances in any departments e1
productive industry than in that of'agriculture.
The number of valuable labor-sayiDg imple-
mrrennts for farm and garden that have been
brought into practical use within few years
has been legion, ,,and the natural result should
have been everywhere aadeeper, Amore thor
'oughy and better tillage; but, instead, we ind
our farmers buy more land, and continue as be
fore the same loose, struggling cultivation. In
the Eastern and Middle States, with few-ex-
coptions, the farms are too large. Double the
amount of land is occupied and cropped, after
a fashion, than Ioughtrt9 bes With the labor and
capital the owner can command. Manure and
attention to the crop, are applied too thinly
and sparingly to produce market results; be-
sides, on large farms worked with little heip, q
great amount of time is spent in travel. Farm
ers would be. surprised if they could haye the
actual time, in days and hours, placed before
them which. they spend m the course Of one
wear in useless travel over their large farms
Again. on large farms cnt into numerous lots
by extensive fences, after, the old method, the
time and labor spent in looking after and keep
ing in repair these fences, equals, in many cases.
one-third the net proceeds of the entire farm.
Concentration what We, need LESS land,
less. travel, more labolA more manure, and more
intelligence to understand the possibilities and
the demands of each crop. Our farmers must
undertake to do less, and do it better. If they
would sell or give away part of their land and
then double the labor and! manure for the bal
ance, they would find the credit side OF their
bank account increased, and there would be
less complaining that farming won't pay" If
properly conducted, there is no business more
permanently profitable than farming: There
always is and always will be o demand for the
products of the farm. When men learn in this
business, as they soon learn in every other, that
they must not undertake to do more than they
can do we'll, then will they prosper, and the
sons of farmers will learn to love their voca-
ton, and not be possessed of an itching desire
to ego into store"