The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-12-02
Ritllnlond 1ispatth.
,1rrsnAy DECEMBER 9, 1875

4 letter from city man, asking aa'ice
about going TO farming, is answered. III 'chs''
nv Mr.. GeddcS in the New York lT'0anf.
We extract bis concluding remarks, WHICH,
arc very true aud suggestive
one more point raised in the letter before
ne demands notice. 81 have hea'n SOM
r,one.uny" writes the city young man.
:. tb.t no money is made at farming: htt
cy;,,cniiy this must be an error, ana pre-
sumc failure IN j, must proceed ilch ''N
Of knowledge and management" Most 'I"'s
hove Won solved the difficulty, and, III iati.
answered much of your own letter, ana your
summing up is SO good il is worth pruning
{. !. il not" vou ask, "on m average more
certain to give good living, and, al h''',
moderate wealth. than almost any olI'i i'"t.
suit 7" Yes. TO those who kno" no" ON
to those who do not know how 10 manage Il
farm il is much faster method OF "aN'i',s
fortune Than ii is the means oi acquiring
one. i'm the WiscSt oil lafllltf nal"iStiiith'
far banning i at once the most certain amt
The most uncertain Of all kinds al business.
This may appear to be paradoNlcal, nu' II i
a tue saving. Ii we look at general result,
and periods Of years the business Is most
Stable. ~ is shown b. the general average 81
crops. Even i single year, II we iook Ill Luz
whole of our own country. VIII >h"" 'ii"'
the DEFICIENCIES of some unfortunate ul>'l','S
are generally compensated Tor 10y t'c SUI lin>
OF the more fortunate sections III" 80 ;,
c,ch particular section VIII nave ~ II ''''''
y,,rs Ia make I'D for the lean ones. 20. Il
,,n;xsa system of agriculture will in some
decree cause a wcll-conducttd farm TO cIiiat-
i've each year. The wheat may bc poor
,rnD. and the corn make up for VI ny an
all ,ytyInTIln,iIb
:, wool NAV be low. and gain bring Eood
,ri,r Il, cnmpcnsatc These illustrations
,nirht lac made much more itil. hu. cilo'lGn
has been said To indicate how 1t happens 't';tt
IN pciiodS of say ten years things come
around about as certainly in farming as III
any other business. Though il does some
fines happen that year may be behind Inc
ayrrauc-Cyrn in farming, the most varied
and Two or even more such years may come
in succession. such successive lean years Try
In. farmers courage, and hi> purse, too, and
il h, j. in debt. may result IN great nlSlui-
;,nlc TO him. But all branches .! business
have their periods Of depression. ana lines
where expenses are hardly nlet, by The best
management. The farmer dur!n" the"
times of short crops or low prices lcc!. s'III Il
decree Of safety unknown in mot other bust
nr>sus. His farm cannot l,c stolen 10y clerks "r
cashiers, and all the past teaches that soon
the fruitful wears will come. ~, IN grand
results. farming is Il wonderfully safe ana
stable business.
Rut however safe the General results may
h,. the case of single crop is very different.
one OF the best farmers WAS IN the habit al
consulting in my earlier years said M never
calculated on II growing crop rs means oil
meeting liability. For such were The IN
ccrtaintics attcndin. the growth and mar
yr>ting that until the crop WAS safely ll:r-
vested and in the barn, where II could be M
slIrcd. hc never ycnturcd 10 call II property.
except in expectancy. aud Dot safe aS Inc
basis on which to contract debts whose pay
nlrilt must depend Cnllcly Oh The success
ol the crop. However well Il crop may he
nat into the ground it cannot be safely
counted upon IT, even Paying for the RAZOR
bestowed upon il and the same i tue oi
farm stock. The uncertainties OF lite there
come in. aud when the calt i III the c?ul>r
# .,ciny taught to eat his food the owner
looks forward many years, with Ill thcif
uncertainties, for his compensation. tNciS
branch of the business. titus looked
at in detail viii tc found 10 he
wonderfully uncertain, Though III tle
;."orrratr 50 sure. The chanres here,
- elsewhere, are lclinu 10 WON rs
against the men "f skill than against such IL
are the followers merely of ellcn practices rs
n,ay have been cstabli>hed by customs hand
ri down from past times, or perhaps M
ported from unlike climates: and The adj
vancc> made during the last third OF a cen
iulv may most readily he discovered by nh-
serving the precautions now taken in the
direction of what is called thigh farming
u ll,,
the, still and always will remain. are vastly
;c>>.nrd in their injurious effects; - that II
wil be observed everywhere that the hi"h-
~ Grade of ilrmtI" escapes much oi the in
luriouS results oi The unavoidable rclil> that
LII. ~