Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-12-10
FARMING..PROFITABLE.


Southern people that farming is not, as rule,
profitable. In fact, although the South is
nearly an exclusively agricultural country,
the opinion is very common that farming is
the least profitable of all occupations. The
young men of our country, who are ambitious
to acquire fortune and enjoy the position
in society which wealth gives man, are dis
couraged from cultivating the soil. When
they read accounts of individuals with no
capital to commence with, amassing vast for
tunes in few years by merchandising, the
conclusion invariably arrived at is, that the
best and quickest way to grow rich is to 60
to merchandising. This is only another case
in which individuals are deceived by outside
appearances. 1t is true, that in some in
stances, merchants grow immensely rich in a
few years; but what is gained in haste is lost
in permanency. Those fortunes that grow
up so rapidly are generally wanting in dura-
bility. They rarely pass through three gene
rations. But is it true that farming is not
profitable in the South? Let the facts in the
case answer the question.
About one hundred and fifty years ago the
upper and middle sections of the State of
South Carolina, were permanently settled.
The first settlers were all poor A majority
of them came from Ireland, either directly,
or first to some of the other States and then
to South Carolina. All that most of them
possessed in their native country was expended
in bringing them to America. What little
property was accumulated previous to the
revolutionary war was almost totally des-
troyed by that event. For many years after
the war the means of accumulating property
was very bad. Really, the settlement OF
South Carolina, so far as accumulating prop
erty is concerned, commenced with the close
of the revolution; about ninety years ago.
1t is notorious fact that the people of South
Carolina are an agricultural people. Up to
within very short period, absolutely and
exclusively agricultural, if we except the
grist mill and saw mill and cotton gin. In
each county there have been few individuals
engaged in merchandising. These, together
with a squad of some halfdozen merchants
at each county seat, composed what was
termed the business men of the country.
Now it is clear that we have fair opportu-
nifty to Judge, both of the real and compara'
tive pro6tableness of farming.
If the farmers of South Carolina have any
property, they have made it, and that too,
within the last eighty-6ve or ninety years.
To prove that many farmers have become
comparatively rich, individual examples,
without number, might be selected. If any
man of ordinary observation will think for a
moment, he can cite examples which will
prove to his conviction that farming in South
Carolina was once, whatever it is now, very
profitable.
After the revolutionary war, large num-
ber of Irish families came to South Carolina
and settled in the upper counties. None
of these families had much, and most Of them
had nothing. To-day, many Of the descen'
dants of these poor Irish emigrants are rich
Were it prudent, multitudes of names could
be mentioned to prove that this is absolutely
true. The next question to be settled, is
whether agriculture is profitable when com
pared with merchandising. Facts in this case
as before, must be appealed to. Remember, ii
is not attempted to prove that merchandising
in South Carolina is not profitable; but sim
ply that agriculture is as profitable as mer'
chandising, and even more profitable. The
greatest number of large taxpayers are farm
ers. Fewer farmers break, and farmers have
as much real estate free from all membranes
as merchants.
From the plain naked facts in the case
the conclusion is forced upon us that farming
properly conducted, is both absolutely and
comparatively profitable. 1t is foolish fo'
our farmers to become discouraged and long
to be engaged in some other avocation. Tho
mode of conducting farming operations needs
to be changed, but farming itself ought moi
to be abandoned. There is as much money
in the soil of South Carolina as is in the sol
of any State in the Union. Under the change
which has taken place recently in the labor
system, it may be difficult to get it out bu
our farmers must adapt themselves to the
circumstances by which they are surrounded
So soon as this is done, it will be found thai
farming will again be profitable. Not only
IN. but even more profitable than it ever has