The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-02-17
Cornoration for Farmers.

Things near home claim our first and
mast careful attention, is truth SO uni |
yersally admitted that it is worthy to De
classed as a maxim. To every individual
in this county, and the vast majority IN
the State, the farm and its posperlty !
appeals as the fundamental interest," on
which all other callings rely for support
When the agricultural interest becomes
crippled or loaded down with debts, taxa
ton or any other of the numerous evils
which business and business men arc
won't to complain of, every other inter-
est sympathizes with it. A gentleman
in public business which brings him IN
contact with men representing every inter-
oct in the county, remarked few days
since, that large per cent. OF the farmers
in some sections of Cecil were apparently
hopelessly involved, and with short crops
land growing thinnA every year, and the
nece ssary working capital exhausted, the
future presents gloomy prospect. ms
is very serious state of affairs, and one
that has been felt and spoken OF repeatedly
within the last few years, by every think
ing man. A great deal of necessary work.
ing CAPITAL has been sunk in worthless COM
mercial manures, which has held OUT H.
ducements to the farmer to break up and
devote to grain crops, large areas OF land, IN
the vain expectation that the "concentrat-
ed" compounds palmed on him for ma
nures, would give him return for his out
lay in the shape of large crops, but which
left the land poorer, while the crop in
many instances has not paid for the " fer
tilizers." To retrieve his broken fortunes
he went into the money market as bor-
rover at heavy interest, and his future
downward course was henceforth rapid
How to get on their legs again is PROB
lem, we fear, many will be unable to solve.
Rut is there no silver lining to this dark
clouds Will agriculture receive lesson
from other branches of business of equal
magnitude and Importance; and learn to
profit by applying the wisdom developed
by them which have not SO stubbornly and
stolidly resisted innovations and change
from old systems. Formerly belief al
most general prevailed that anybody
could farm" which is exploded at last,
with very many disastrous evidences on
every hand.
There are two essential elements pres
ent in every business of any magnitude
that turn out successful, namely, admins
trative ability of the kind suited to the
business, and a reserve or working capital
to meet the demands of present necessary
outlay. Without these it will be by mir
acle if any farmer, manufacturer, or fol-
lower of other large business succeeds. In
these two essentials very large per cent
of our farmers are deficient. Is there any
way by which these all important requisites
can be supplied. We doubt not that neces-
sity will eventually find and apply the
proper remedy A remedy for this same
evil has been discovered and applied in
other industries we have named. lncor-
poration, which is the most effectual
mode of cooperation yet discovered, has
solved the difficulty and been applied to
every other great industry but farm
ing. We have never heard of it in agri-
culture, except as a speculation in some
peculiarly located or situated tract or sec
ton of land. Our system of railroads
could pever be conducted on any other than
q corporation OF stock plan. All of the
heavy and most successful manufacturing
establishments are on the corporation plan.
So is the mining business, the mercantile
and commercial enterprises. No one brain
in million is able to grasp all the details
of large business; hence combination
of minds with a systematic division OF
labor, the whole supervised by one execu-
tive head, who superintends by system
of written, well dgested rules, or code OF
laws. Why could not this system be APP
piled to agriculture? 1t has SO immensely
the advantage in other pursuits, it seems
to us that, properly organized and directed,
it could not fail to be equally successful IN
farming.
Suppose ten, twelve-a greater or less
number as circumstances might dictate
farmers conclude to form a joint stock
company. Competent appraisers would be
appointed to estimate the value of real
estate, stock. buildings and growing crops,
by certain rules laid down by the company
This valuation would form the capital
stock of the company or corporation which
would be divided into shares in the usual
manner A president, Secretary, treasurer
and whatever officers their plan called for
would be chosen. Each man could, at his
option, reserve his homestead and plot OF
ground, garden, orchard, &C., as he desired.
1t is not necessary to our purpose to go
into details of such an organization. The
general principles which govern all corpo-
ration would be applied in this case. The
company organized, estimates would be
made of the amount of working capital
needed, and all other details laid down
which are applied to the management OF
every extensive and successfully conducted
farm, and from which they would not es-
sentially differ. We don't think it will be
questioned when we assert that but COM
paratively few farmers understand their
business. The corporation plan would
admit of a complete remedy to this great
evil, in the selection of Il president and
superintendents possessing both practi-
cal and scientific knowledge of the business.
No crop would be put into the ground
without a thorough manuring and in the
very best manner. Worthless stock would
give place to the most approved breeds and
the proper number to attain the greatest
profit would be kept. The proper num-
of hands with the requisite supervision
constantly over them, would be employed
in every branch of business. Each depart
ment would have its superintendent, whose
attention would be wholly given to that
one branch of the business, for which he
would be made answerable. To bring the
land up to the highest State of cultivation
would be u most important principle to
insure the success of the company. A
judicious division of labor would insure
thorouphneSS and economy while if would |