The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-02-08
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ELKTON, FEBRUARY s, 1873.
THE FARM.

Those who have opportunities of exam
lining q large number of newspapers and
periodicals, cannot fail to notice that the
Farm is every year attracting more and
more public attention. The Farm and its
products claim the attention of the best
thinkers and writers of the day. The pa
pers and periodicals devoted to the cultiva-
ton of the soil are growing more numer-
our, and improving in quality every year.
The best talent, scientific, literary and artis-
tic is employed to enrich the pages OF the
agricultural and horticultural journals, and
the engravings of buildings, implements,
animals and plants that embellish the pages
of many of the agricultural monthlies are
productions of the finest artists. A higher
education for the farm is everywhere ad-
yancing, and it's need is felt and acknowl-
edged by all who hold respectable posi-
ton among the great bronzed army OF
agriculture. More CO, operation, greater
unity of interests is beginning to be looked
upon as one of the indispensable prerequis-
ties of successful farming. One important
feature in this unity of interests lies very
near the farmers threshold; in fact within
his own home. The business arrange
ments in the farmers household is not
placed on the best foundation for profit
There is great deal of misdirected labor
and chatting dependence in the home circle
of every Farm. All hands and all brains in
the farmers household are not as profita-
bly, employed as they might be. Under
present arrangements the head of the FAM
ily is an absolute despot in everything that
pertains to the business of the Farm. From
him issue all orders, and through his hands
pass all revenues either received or disburs-
ed for the Farm. Tie family in consequence
grow up, with that irksome sense OF DEEPEN
dence and dreary lack of interest in most
that pertains to the business OF the Farm.
Everything that can be let 60 is left to take
care of itself, and the farmers home in nine
cases out of every ten presents crude,
unkempt appearance.
In order that all should pull together,
all should have mutual interest, and share
in the profit as we'll as the losses of the
wears business. The Farm should be, III
place of what it is, a kind of joint family
stock. The Farm should be credited with
all it yields and charged with all outlay
necessary to carry an the work. And
every member of the farmers family, after
arriving at an age sufficient to perform
any part of the necessary labor, should be
credited in the ledger with the value OF his
or her services, and at the end Of the year,
after deducting expenses the profits should
be divided according to the compensation
allotted to the service performed. There
frequently would be no profits to divide,
but it would be great satisfaction at least
to every spirited mind to know exactly
what had been the value of the services
rendered in the course of the year in the
operation of the Farm. 1t would stimulate
to renewed and more systematic efforts on
the part of the different members of the
household. The female department would
cast about for wider field of labor and
greater profits. The poultry business
would be taken hold of by them, and con-
Quoted on the most enlightened principles.
The profits of the dairy would be locked
into and each branch of business which was
made speciality by members of the
family having it in charge, would have
brains put into it Books would be con-
suited and papers studied on the separate
branches of business, and each would soon
begin to pay under more enlightened
management. There would be an ambi.
ton to succeed, and success would be
achieved under energetic and intelligently
directed labor. Work would not feel to be
such burthern when every shoulder and
every brain bore share of the labor and
thought of the Farm. The head of the
family would feel sure that he had active
and vigilent support in all branches of his
business. Economy would be more rigidly
practiced where every one felt that every
penny worth wasted was curtailing his or
her profits at the years end.
We know that to inaugurate and sue
cessfully pursue such and enlightened sys-
tenn would require higher intelligence
than the average farmer possesses, but an
earnest persistent effort would cultivate
the requisite knowledge which would con.
stantly improve. Health, independence.
cheerfulness and degree of contentment
would result from such a system, support
ed by an increase of wealth, that are
strangers, and must ever remain so under
the present unjust and unsatisfactory sys-
tenn, which nearly all operations of the
Farm are subjected to.