The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-01-15
Business in Farming.

A writer in the Journal of the Farm attrib-
utes the want of success of majority OF
planters to lack of those business quallfica-
tions which usually appertain to the city mer-
chant 1t refers to the fact that many mercan-
tile persons have become prosperous planters
by CARRYING into agricultural pursuits those
attributes which have insured profit in trade
The city man is not the slave of tradition, but
he is quick to adopt just such plans as will pay
and none other. We dare say numbers OF men
who have failed in the city have no better tor
tune when they move to the country. but
others have prospered in both places, and the
basis Of their prosperity has always been the
practical business turn of their minds, applied
to the industry they have in hand. The fol-
lowing remarks from the Journal of the farm
seem so opposite and truthful that we quote
them entire:
"Farming is adopted by tens of thousands
as if it were pursuit in which any man can
succeed-any man, even not fit for anything
else It requires general knowledge of Ma
turess laws as applied to vegetation, to stock
breeding and the care of stock, to the charac-
ter of soils, fertilizers, insects friendly and un-
friendly, and the relations of the atmosphere
to soils and vegetation; the value and quality
of farm machinery must also be estimated the
capacity to buy and sell wisely must exist to
plan and execute; to manage hired men sue
cessfully; and yet thousands who had never
succeeded anywhere, fancy that at farming they
can succeed as we'll as anybody And farmers
themselves, who have worked hard and denied
themselves all their lives, often profit so little
bv observation that an intelligent son is en-
couraged to be clerk, doctor or lawyer, while
stupid ones are deemed sufficiently qualified for
farming
"DThose who know nothing fear nothing is
an adage, and it applies to great many Peo,,
, pie who attempt the culture of the soil. And
the more man learns abont it, the more he sees
there is to learn in order to make success even
tolerably uniform, and the more torcibly ne
realizes his ignorance OF subject when re-
quires the deepest knowledge of Natures mys-
teries.
'If farming is not respected as much as
farmers would like, it is because of the narrow
and contemplate views they themselves cher
ish respecting it. If it is less profitable than
most professions and business callings, it is be-
cause of the shocking lack of business habits
and capacity among farmers. Business men
look to skill, tact, improvements in modes and
machinery, and to combinations, tor speedy
success. They don't worship routine, nor cling
to old habits because their grandfatheTs taught
them thus and so.' They compete when it
pays, and when it pays better to combine they
combine. There may be jealousies and rival
ries among them, but they drop them all for
the inducement of the main chance.
"The present depression in farming, while
hard to BEAR will do good. 1t awakens thought
in minds unused to much thinking; it forces
study Of the situation. 1t is showing farmers
how stupidity they acted in blindly following
political leads; in neglecting, or contemptu-
ously rejecting all cooperative efforts, and in
supposing that they, single-handed, isolated,
and with little capital, could hold their own
against the encroachments of the great monop.
oties which live by handling the products
Apparent calamities often turn out to be bless
ings, and hence the present cloud hanging over
the farming interest is not without the usual
silver lining of other Clouds