The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-10-10
When Should Farmer Sell His Produce.

One of the most successful farmers and mer-
chants that ever lived in this vicinity-long since
dead-is credited with having said that farm
er should sell his produce as soon as 1t IS ready
for market. The principal reason he gave was,
that when the farmer held the produce over
from one season to another, or even tor q short
er PERIOD that he then became speculator IN
addition to his being producer, and that the
two are inconsistent. The farmer raises his
produce for the market, and when it is ready
for it then is the time to sell. The money ne
realizes for a crop can always be used to an ad-
vantage in some other way than that OF hold
ing grain. 1t requires the very finest mind to
become successful speculator.
writer compares the educated merchant to
Isaac Newton. He says the same understand
inc Newton had to calculate the motions of the
stars. the merchant exerts in tracing the ac-
tions of the commercial people that tertilize
the earth. His problems are the most difficult
to solve. as the circumstances are not derived
from the invariable laws of nature, while the
systems of the geometricians are. The prob
lens of the merchant depend upon the capri
ces of men, and upon the certainty or uncer-
tainty of thousand events. He takes In at
one view the whole world, and directs his oper-
atoms by an infinite variety of considerations,
which it is seldom the province of the states
man or philosopher to estimate. Nothing must
escape the trader He must foresee the infiu-
ence of the season upon the plenty, the search
ty and quality of commodities. He must know
tho effect of political affairs upon those OF COM
merce, the changes which war or peace must
necessarily occasion in the prices and direction
of merchandise, in the state OF the markets IN
the cities and parts of the world. He must
look to the stagnation or impetus that may be
produced by the blocking up u opening OF
some channels of industry or w ;alth. lie must
learn the reciprocal connection there Is be-.
tween most branches of trade, and the mutual
assistance they lend, by the temporary injuries
they seem to infict on each other. he must
know the proper time to begin, and the time 70
stop. in ali undertakings. In a word, ne must
nossess the art of making all other nations trib-
urtary to his own, and to make his own fortune
with that of his own country, or, rather, to en-
rich himself by extending the general prosperi-
ty of mankind
These are the objects which constitute the
profession of the true merchant. Ii, tnen,
these are the characteristics of the merchant,
cannot every one see how much the farmer un-
dertakes when he becomes both farmer and
merchant-when he speculates on what he pro-
duoes9 We know farmer of Fayette County
who refused ten dollars per hundred for his
hemp crop, because he said it was not enough
and he would get more but he was mistaken,
and sfterward sold the same crop for five dol
lars per hundred. He lost fifty per cent. of the
price offered and one years interest on the cap
ital. In nine cases out of ten farmer who
holds his produce over will meet with a similar
result. We are thoroughly convinced that the
time to sell produce is when it is ready for
market Farmers Home Journal.