The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-07-11
M!he 9art,t.
When and Why Farming is Improbable.

When and why Farming Is unprOntaDie.
An Essay 6y ". r. .Hutchins, Esq, read
before the Farmers Club of Baltimore coun-
tn, and forwarded for publication in the
"American Farmer By Mr.. S. N. Rankin,
Sscretary.]
Every man who has fondness for
any particular branch of industry, reads
diligently and cautiously, ponders on
what he reads, must sooner or later
obtain a fund of information, useful to
himself assuredly, and very probably,
if rightly communicated, useful to 9th
ers similarly interested | am one of
those who read the AMERICAN FARMER
with much interest, reflect good deal
on what | read and with much diff
Guilty form opinions and conclusions,
satisfactory at all events to myself, and
sufficiently important to be well consid-
cred by others, if not adopted as incon-
testable truths. The friction of clash
ing opinions is even in itself useful, be-
cause it brings out sparks and rays of
light, illumining the darker points of
vegetable mysteries. 1t sets men to
thinking, and when once we get them
to think seriously, they become more
and more rational, less and less mere
machines.
There is a great deal of farming done
in Maryland (and no doubt in other
places) carelessly, and almost without
a reason, unless the latter be that it
involves the least trouble There are
far too many very careless and thought
less in the performance of necessary
duties, upon which they depend for
living. They are very industrious, up
late and early, pushing and driving all
day long. They ought to be successful
and well-to-do farmers, enjoying the
comforts and lu1uries of the farm, hap
py and contented. But such as these
are not in any sense contented or hap
py, not prosperous, have no comforts,
are wholly strangers to luxuries. They
labor hard and are very sanguine, but
results are not up to expectations, and
in nine cases out of ten the debit foots
I'D larger than the credit side of their
operations.
Their farming is not at all profitable.
If the comforts and luxuries of the
farm are minus Notwithstanding all the
labor, may we not inquire, why not?
and answer the question fairly. In all
occupations there are types of a class,
varying little from each other, but
still sufficiently alike to form the basis
of our observations. These are the
careless and industrious men, of whom
l mean to say something, l hope for
their benefit, though the hope is not a
very sanguine one. They are general
ly welded to their idols, and not easily
convinced or reformed. Early habits
are their controlling deity, and they
usually worship at that shrine until
death closes their career forever.
There are great many farms very
indifferently cultivated, carelessly so;
there are some properly and carefully
attended to- In the one case there is
no system, in the other it is all system
In the first, the dwelling is generally
out of repair, the outbuilding no better
and not enough of them, the fencing
poor, and the gates poorer still. Along
the fences a vigorous crop of weeds
and bushes luxuriate, and in the lots a
liberal sprinkling of brambles and briers
persistently grow. The implements of
husbandry are generally left exposed to
the weather day and night, rain and
shine, and all about can be found the
broken pieces of plows, spades, cultiva-
tors, &c, thus seriously damaged by
hard and careless usage. Most fire.
quently there is no garden attached to
these places, or, if one, it is a garden
of grass and weeds, with here and
there a spot upon which few vegeta-
bles struggle hard for the mastery.
Disorder reigns over everything in
the house and out of it, and where the
most comfort and rational enjoyment
should be found, there is the least
Why is it? To what shall we attri-
butte these misfortunes, for they are
really such. Not to idleness, for he is
q very Industrious man; he is up early,
has his hands out, and keeps pushing
them under high pressure He works
hard, and ought to beprosperous. But
he is not, because he is the victim of
controlling habits of extreme careless
ness There is no place for anything,
nor anything in its place, and the whole
family have fallen into the pit, for all
are chips off the old block. Go into
the house of some of our careless
friends, and you will perceive in every
direction evidence of tbriftless waste.
Nothing is cared for as it should be-
Comfort has long been unknown
Economy is considered necessity, and
duly insisted upon, but it is practiced
on the principle of saving at the spigot
and letting the bung-hole leak. Does
some one say this picture is too highly
colored?
Let him travel through the country,
and use his eyes and ears, then very
likely he will have discovered where
the real truth lies. He will too frequent
ly see that industry is often useless,
that it is paralyzed by excessive care
lessness, and neglect of the minor
details so essential to successful farm
ing. Nor is it alone to these lesser
points that so much misfortune is attri-
butable, for very frequently greater
ones are heedlessly passed by. At
tempting too much generally ends in
accomplishing too little Letevery-
thing be done in order. Be Industrious,
but especially careful to avoid that
kind of industry so lamentably neutral
zed by carelessness