American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-04-12
How to Make Farming Profitable.


How to Make Farming Profitable.
This is an old theme, and one that may
be almost worn out; still if we are to
Judge from the constant grumbling OF
farmers, they have yet to learn the secret
of success. We know that many have
learned it, for in almost every neighbor-
hood a few men will be found who are
actually in love with their farms, and
would not sell them for any considera
ton. Such men know just what they are
doing, OF in other words, just how to
make money by farming; they are farmers
by profession, having learned the trade,
and propose to follow it. They have no
thoughts of selling out and moving away,
but every effort possible is made to in
crease the products of the farmland OBJ
tain better returns each year for the labor
and capital expended.
But the question arises, how is all this
cOntentment and prosperity produced?
Certainly not through Incidence, for there
| is no occupation requiring more COZ slant
care or unremittirg toll than successful
| farming. Neither is il produced through
the aid of capital with which they began,
for mere fail who start out with fail
rugged and well provisioned ship than
those who have nothing but strong will,
| backed by n determination to succeed.
| We hardly think, however, that it would
be just to draw a line between the success
full and the unsuccessful, and say that all
| found on one side were lazy and indolent,
and those on the other industrious and
| Intelligent; although, if we should do
this, injustice would be done to compare
lively few.
The student, artist, merchant, or me-
| chanic does not often stumble upon for
tune, but work, either mental and phys
zeal, and usually of the severest kind, is
| requisite to success. The successful
! farmer must use his mental powers rs
| well as his physical, and there must be no
| cessation, for the seasons come and go
rapidly, and each brings its necessities
and labors. But let us see if We cannot
discover some of the secrets of success,
as well as of failure, by noting the opera
tions of the men WHO succeed and OF
those who fail.
The successful farmer always says,
t"Come, boys" and then leads the way.
| He is the first ont of bed in the morning,
the first among his stock at the barn, and
the first in the field when there is work
to do 1t is not always necessary that he
should clean out the stable with his own
hands. feed his stock, or do this kind of
work If he has hired laborers about; but he
must be the first to know whether it is or
is not done. II he purchases anything
the cash Is paid at the time agreed upon !;
there are no failures in this, simply be-
cause he never buys without knowing in
| advance where the money is com
ing from to pay the bill. Con-
scquenfly his credit is good, labor
ers are always glad of the
chance to work for him, and will do more
work than for other farmers, because
they well know that their money is ready
when earned. The merchant, the manu-
facturer of implements, in fact all who
have occasion to deal with such a man
| will favor him on this account. He may
be ever 50 poor, not even worth hundred
dollars to start with, but if these charac-
teristics are displayed, favors will be
heaped upon him instead of being re-
fused
Let us illustrate this point more fully
by referring to instances that occur in
every neighbour God during harvest time
Every one is no doubt acquainted with
esquire Jones,' or Brown" who al
ways makes it a point Of paying his hands
in cash every Saturday night, and oftener
if they want it; and you also know how
jealous you are of these men, simply be-
cause they can always get plenty of labor
ers, no matter how scarce labor may be.
| Of course the men who do not follow
this system of paying help, declare that
labore.s favor the squire because he is
rich, and puts on airs; but this, we arc
bound to say, is not the truth, but men
who labor for money prefer to work
where they are sure to getit as soon as
earned.
1t is quite likely that Jones and
Brown started in life by purchasing only
what they could pay for, and no more;
and perhaps some OF their poor neighbors
remember the time when these success
full men had no hired help, and raised no
more wheat, corn, or other farm crops than
they could cultivate and harvest with their
own hands. If you have watched them
closely you must hay1 noticed that they
have always lived within their income, be
it large or small. If corn was cheap, they
had hogs, COWS, steers or colts to eat it;
and if any one wanted first-rate articles in
this line, their stables would furnish
them. These men always have some
thing to sell that will bring cash to their
pockets. Being what is usually termed
close and careful, they are never obliged
to sell at sacrifice in order to pay their
debts; and if they happen to get into a
tight place, their credit being good, it is
an easy matter to get out. To use com
mon phrase, these men never "put all
their eggs into one basket and if they
do, it is because it is in careful and trust
worthy hands. If fifty or more acres Of
one kind of grain are put in, they have
hands engaged in advance for the harvest
and the money to pay these laborers
where it can be had when wanted, with
out forcing the sale of the crops.
| We know that mary of the fsrmcrs in
the Western States will say that this is all
very well in theory, but it cannot be put
| into practice. Our answer TO this asser
ton is, that it is practised by nearly every
man who makes farming profitable bust
ness. The grain raised on such farms is
usually of the best quality, and conse-
quently commands the highest price.
If we look on the other side of this line
we will find men who say, Go boys and
I will come as soon as l get my breakfast
or cut a little wood for the wife," or who
offer some other similar excuse for not
being ready to lead in the business which
they pretend to follow. This is the start
ing point, and as all the intermediate ac-
lions in their lives are in keeping with it,
failure is the legitimate result. Snch men
arc often very industrious and what are
called hard working farmers, but they
start behindhand and keep there without
making one grand effort to get ahead.
| We have the same kind of men all about
| US, in the cities as well as in the country,
and many of them arc industrious and
have no really bad habits Still they are
always behindhand, and their purses are
generally empty 1t really makes no DIFF
ference whether they earn 800 per an
mum or so, coo; it is all the same. Care
less management of their affairs brings
them to the same point at least once
year.
If farmers in moderate cir
| cumstances expect to make money, they
must keep within hoc-handle distance of
| their business, and not trust it to hired
helra h.e.r Of rItt u c. faF 11fr