The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-24
0br FARM.
Farming as a Business.

|uCCtS>Iul ilIcT. 4 am well AWARE
that quite a different opinion i Ell
tertained by many. How often DO
We heai the expression, lie Is only
a farmer" or hcal the business
spoken of in a deprecatory manner
bypresumably intelligent and other
wise well Informed people This
is a great mistake, and only shows
lamentable ignorance. The bust
ness of farming is a strictly honor
able one, and, if rightly conducted,
one of the most healthy, pleasant
and profitable employments hat a
man can engage in.
I'm order to be successful farmer,
however. a man must be as intelli-
gent, and must understand his bus
mess, as he who is a successful
merchant and professional man.
In order to succeed IN any business
Il man must understand it fully in
all it branches, and must also at
tend to it. This is the great secret
of good farming. All our most sue
cessful farmcrs-those who have
made money IN the business-who
have built up for themselves beau
tiful homes-who have broad, fer
tile, well-tilled acres, made so by
the result of their industry-who
have improved breeds of cattle, hogs
and sheep-these are they who un-
derstand the business, and not only
understand it, but attend to it.
The business is a good one, and the
reason why SO many farmers make
a failure of it, only eking out a
bare living-hardly that some
times-and remain in debt year
after year, working hard, yet having
little, is because they don't under
stand their business. They run it
by brute force instead Of brains.
They pattern too much by others
generally after a poor example),
and do not look into the why and
wherefore of raising crops. They
are not able to tell how much it
costs them to raise a crop, or what
their profit may be, if any. They
are generally "too poor" to take
an agricultural paper. They used
the same old and clumsy tools that
their fathers did before them, and
are not in favor of improvements.
Is it to be wondered at that such
farmers are not successful?
There are many things that may
be mentioned that will be of service
to those who would become better
farmers. One of the most impor-
tant aids is a reliable agricultural
paper. Many say they "cannot
afford to take one" | say they
cannot afford to do without one.
Such a paper has correspondents
among the best farmers in all parts
of the country-men of experience,
who know what they are saying
AID new and useful ideas on practi-
cal subjects are constantly kept be-
fore the reader. improvements in
agriculture of all kinds wherever
made, are Immediately brought to
notice, with a thousand and one
useful ideas.
Another way to improve is to
watch those of your neighbors who
are most successful-observe their
management, the crops they raise,
manner of tilling and handling.
Watch closely you can learn as
much from their plumbers as YOU
can from their successes. When
they make a mistake, remember it.
and do not do the same. Keep an
account of each crop you raise, ex-
pense OF seed, culture and market
ing. Find out whether it pays YOU
or not. Discard those that are un-
profitable, and adopt others that
will pay. Keep an account of all
your receipts and expenses. Many
a dollar slips out every year on
foolish expenses that would not if
You made a practice of writing down
all expenses. See to it that the
balance is on the right side of your
ledger at the end of the wear.
Spend your leisure hours in making
Improvements on the farm, or in
useful reading at home, instead of
sitting around in the grocery at the
corners" Try to make your
home pleasant, and the most at
tractive place on earth. These are
all helps towards becoming a good
farmer.