The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-06-14
Farm and Home.

DEBT NOT AN UNMIxED EyIL.-"A
farmer owes 1t to himself and to his
family" said the doctor, ito have a
good garden. There is health and
economy in having a constant supply
OF variety of vegetables" "That is
all very true" said the deacon, "but
most farmers have little time to attend
to the garden. They must raise some
thing that will sell, or they could not
pay their doctors bill" "Possibly,"
said ], ''the doctors bill would be
less II the garden were larger" SIT
10 very well to talk in this way" said
the deacon, "but when nan Is in
debt he cannot always do what he
would like to do. The destruction of
the poor is their poverty" debt is
q terrible thing" said /, "but if Il
man is made Of the right kind of metal
there are worse evils. If we could get
at the facts, think 1t would be found
that comparatively few of the real ac-
tive, enterpnsIng, energetic young
farmers are out of debt. 1t is often
said that farmer who is out of debt
has nothing to fear. But if the young
debt-if they had no obligations to
meet-they would no. be so industri-
GUS. They would not be the men they
are IL they had nothing to fear
and nothing to hope for. The
men we all admire and respect
Gre not those who run no risks, who
earn little and spend less, who run on
In the old ruts, who subscribe for no
papers, attend no farmers club and
take little or no interest in any local
or general improvement-who would
rather pull through the mud than
mend the roads. Let us hear less
about the happy farmer who is out of
debt and more about the useful farmer
who, being in debt, takes Off his coat
and goes to work with a good heart
and firm determination to be n man,
and neet his obligations like man.
know there are days and weeks ana
months and years of anxious care and
distressing fear, when they are almost
ready TO give up in despair. But stick
TO 1t and you will pull through. The
best farmers have ewes known-and |
have known Q good many-have all
gone through q period of great anxiety
and trial, when 1t seemed as though
everything was against them. But
such trials strengthen the character
and make them better and more useful
men," Now do not want farmers to
Kun into debt. 1 only want to say that
little debt and good deal of indus
try Is better than money in the bank
and Incidence and stsgnation on the
farm.
CRoP REPoRTs. - The bankers of
New York and Liverpool can tell any
season in the year, yes, almost in any
month, more about the general condi-
ton OF the crop in South Carolina,
Georgia, or any Southern State, than
the farmers Of that State can. This
ought not to be so. Farmers should
know more of each othor's progress
upon the farm, and assist in edifying
nhe another more than they do. The
6TATKsNAN has proposition to make
70 the farmers by which they may be |
kept better posted In regard to the
crops Of Texas. II the farmers of the
state will advise us once month as
20 the condition OF their crops, say by
the first OF the month, we will con-
dense the various reports and publish
them, as often as given us. No elabo- 4
rats report Is necessary, nothing but
simple statement upon a postal card
costing one cent aud perhaps five or
en minutes time and labor to note
the general condition of the crops of
the neighborhood. II we could get a
report from two or three farmers in |
each county about the first OF the |
month, We could easily aggregate them |
and the following week report sue
cinctly the agricultural outlook of the !
State. We do not want farmers to
hesitate because they are unable or I'M
willing to wnte matter for publication.
No one will be known in the matter.
just give rs the facts and they will be
arranged so as TO give the most news
in the shortest space. We ask those
interested 20 assist Us, and hope that
: farmers snd Others interested will make
= Dote Of this and report at the end of
each month. All depends upon the
willingness of the farmers to inform
themselves-