The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-12-13

For The Cecil Wing.
KEEP YOUR FARMS.

ways Will u loCliHS VI iSShSo eA'o
a moving of household goods, which
appeared to be coming in from the coun-
try, and l could not prevent the desire
of saying to them, turn back, before
by bitter experience, you learn your
error" l have seen so many instances
where small farmers, lured by the de-
ceptive appearances of city life, have
sold their homes and removed to the
city, sometimes as small grocer, board
ing house-keeper, or some other occupa-
ton where small means would be avail
able and in a very short time their
little means would be squandered, and
they would be glad to return again to
the country impoverished, or be obliged
to take up any position that might offer
to support, in a precarious way, their
dependent families.
But few in the country can realize
the hollow pretentions of a city life
To most it appears life of ease and
comfort, with plenty of money and but
little exertion The reality is very diff
ferent; thousands that you meet in the
streets or see in their places Of business,
who appear by their dress and mode of
living to be wealthy, do not know where
the money is to come from to meet the
note which natures on the morrow.
To YOU they present smiling face, but
when alone the gloom of anxiety and
care settles over their countenances.
Do not be deceived in the city you see
but the surface the real workings of
the city life of city can only be learned
bv experience or close observation. A
few succeed by honorable means, more
by means that are very questionable,
others by downright rascality; but nine,
tv-nine out of every hundred never rise,
and many sink deeper and deeper to
the dregs.
Keep your farms! The occupation
is a noble one; it is you that feed the
world and cothe and sustain all other
labor; you supply the elements of com,
merce keep the spindle and loom in
motion; adjust the balance between
nations, and without the fuel which you
supply, the engine of society must stop.
Keep your farms! If it does not
nav as well as we could wish, bear in
mind that as rule the farmers have
more solid comforts than most others
if we have less money, we have fewer
wants; if others can drive finer turn
out and dress more elegantly; these are
not really essential to happiness.
Keep your farms! They at least
have tangible value, and are safe for
our children, if we can but retain our
holds upon them. am not unaware
that for the last few years farming has
been under cloud; unproptious sea
sons and other causes have reduced oul
profits, and made it up hill work for US
but l think brighter day is dawning,
and if we are but true to ourselves, and
to our calling all will yet be we'll at
all events we have no assurance that
our lots would have been any better if
engaged in any other pursuit. Let us
counsel with each other Perhaps we
are farming more land than our means
will enable us to manure properly :; il
that is the case had we not better sell
a part and apply the means thus obtain.
ed to the improvement of the balance
for farming poor land will not pay
Perhaps we are not we'll farming what
we do undertake, then we had better
farm less space and do it well-as poor
farming never pays. Perhaps too large
proportion of the proceeds of our
crops goes to support others than those
engaged in the cultivation of them this
may be remedied by combination and a
united effort. Perhaps greater varie-
ty of crops would be an advantage-it
is best not to have too many eggs in
one basket. In short, by consultation
and comparing notes, we could very
much ameliorate, if we could not entire
ly cure the evils we complain of.
Keep your farms! By SO doing you
are pretty certain of q comfortable
home most likely competence, and
probably something more. Fortunes
have been made on the farm as we'll as
in the city. know of many instances
where men have made fifty thousand
to one hundred thousand dollars, en-
tirely from the farm, and that farm not
more than one hundred acres. A gen.
tleman of great responsibility, in this
county, recently told me that his father
began life with about five hundred dol
lars; he now owns twelve hundred
acres of the best land in the county, all
the proceeds of agriculture. While
larger fortunes may be found within the
cities, wealth is more evenly diffused in
the country; while the city may have
more magnificent display; the country
has more solid comfort.
Keep your farms and keep YOUR
sons on them also, if possible Their
chances are better on an average than
if they migrate to the cities, where ex-
travagance and temptation assail them
at every turn.
Keep your farms, and your home
stead it will prove a blessing and
safeguard in after-life to both you and
your children and when you can no
more extend over them your protecting
care, the old homestead will call up
memories which must recall the scenes
of youth, and exert healthful and en-
nobling influence upon the hearts and
minds of your children. Whether be-
meath its roof or in distant lands the
word home always has refining, hal
lowing influence upon the hearts of ALL
Then let US endeavor to preserve the
roof-tree whose branches may shelter to
the uttermost parts of the earth, and
whose shade may be refuge from the
assaults of the world, from sorrow and
from evil. Would for the good of our
country that we had more homesteads
ZIMMERMAN.