The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-06-20
start Right and Then stick.


A great many men throughout the
country are "going back to farming
this year, and an unusual number Of
young men are looking out for a start
in the same business. The reports that
come from the West, of revival OF
the old-time inpouring of new settlers,
and the accounts of the taking up of old
farms in New England, are among the
best signs of the times. II the new
farmers will only start right, and then
stick to it, their success may be insured
in advance. Want of foresight in
choosing, and stability of purpose and
effort, are at the bottom of half the fall
ures in farming, for it is even more dis
astrous for farmer to make sudden
and radical changes in his business
plans than TO "put all his eggs in one
basket" by depending on one crop.
The farmer who "rotates" from sheep
to cows, and from cows to grain, and
from grain to fruit, with every fluctua-
ton of the markets, is pretty sure to
get in one crop that he can't " raise
a mortgage.
Every farm is better adapted to some
low and springy and cold, foot rot or
other diseases will take the profits off of
sheep. If there is not plenty of pure,
cool water, and pasturage especially
adapted to COWS in its chemical charac-
teristics, and that does not shrivel up
by the end of July, dairying will not
prosper. If the grain-produeing ele-
ments in the soil are exhausted, or in
sect-enemies or climatic influences in
terfere, grain crops will fail. II fruit
trees must stand "with their feet in the
water" owing to lack of drainage, or
chards will prove disappointing.
Then again, men are as different as
their farms. Some have just the knack
to bring together a dairy of cows, near
ly every one of which shall be " good
mixer" and by gentle, clean, provi-
dent management secure large returns
for the best OF products. Another has
the faculty of having his land,
his seed, his fertilizers, his times
and seasons, just right to
coax fields of waving grain from the
soil. Another will have a flock of
sheep, every one of which looks as
though bred to enter for the premium
at the County Fair Still another will
plant and prune and shape an orchard
of half-a-thousand apple trees so that
they shall all stand uniform, smooth,
symmetrical, Welding just such apples,
in just such quantities, as he planned
when he bought the trees from the nurs-
cry. The point is that every man, in
farming as in other occupations, should |
ascertain what his combined inward |
forces and outward circumstances will |
enable him to do best, and do that. As |
a rule, diversified farming is the best,
except in localities prominently adapt
ed to one branch, like the dairy regions
Of New York or the natural grain-fields |
Of the West.
A snug little orchard; fields of grain, 4
grass, corn, and root crops; a manage-
able drove of cows or sheep; pair of
choice breeding mares; pen of good
hogs; yard of poultry; some extra
crops to experiment on-this old-fash-
oned method is about the safest and
most comfortable, after all. For spe-
,ialties require special knowledge aud
special conditions of success. They are
ike one-legged milking-stool-can't
stand alone; while varied farming has
various supports.-Go!deD Rule.