The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-09-21

aRrTrKS FOE THK ixTIIL,SEscEg,

Somebody has said that there is no
| profession hich for its successful prac-
! tice requires q larger amount of kno~l-
edge than agriculture. and none in
which the actual ignorance is greater.
In no other is luck and chance so much
relied on Comparatively few farmers
take the trouble. or even think il i'm
portant, to educate themselve5 in their
line Of business. They know. or think
they know, how to pillow, son and reap.
and they do this after the stereotyped
fashion Of their fathers, without regard
70 local circumstances. and trust to luck
and Providence for their success. Then
If failure is their portion they bewail
their fate and charge all to bad lnck,
where if they would take pains to ferret
out the cause they could generally
trace it to their own mismanagement.
There is nothing more necessary In
agricultural pursuits than some exact
system, regulated by the discretion and
intelligence of the farmer. guided by
all the light that can be drawn from
science and practice. Nor is there any
excuse for farmers to remain in ignor-
ance of these necessary principles when
books by the thousand treating OF
every conceivable branch of the sub
iect can he bought for q triAe.
Agriculture has been reduced to Q
science and it is folly for those engaged
in it to ignore the fact. They must
adopt the advanced ideas and theories
of the age or else take a back seat
They must learn to operate on more
scientific and business-like principles.
They must learn to keep q regular rec
ord and account of their farming and
business, generally and specifically.
Then they can tell whether this or that
crep pays best. whether they can
afford to sell their stock or
produce at such and such price or not;
whether it is for their interest to con-
tinue q certain course of husbandry.
use such a fertilizer, cultivate such
soil in such o manner, aud thousand
snd-one things of interest and profit.
But how many of them now do it not
one in ten of the common far
mers. They generally keep all
their accounts "in their heads as
they term it, and consequently
are properly called guess farmers.
for they never know anything about
their business, only guess it is about SO
and so. Having kept no account Of
their doings they are almost wholly in
the dark at the eud of the year, and are
unable to tell for certain whether their
names should be recorded on the profit
or on the loss side of the ledger. They
only guess it is about so and SO; such y
course of procedure would bankrupt o
man in year in any other business
than farming. 1t is the principal cause
Of there being SO many unsuccessful,
poverty-ridden farmers in our country.
Let farmers apply one half the business
prudence to the conduct Of their farms
that is employed in any other avocation
whatever and their success is assured.
This is . progressive age, and those
who allow themselves to fall in the rear
in the march OF improvement, must be
content to occupy second-rate positions
and be satisfied with small pecunisry
rewards. In all cases thought goes be-
fore work. and the more q person knows
the more he can do. Other things be-
ing equal. the more perfect the theory
of which the farmer is the master, and
the more systematic his operations. the
more successful will be his farming.
Tho age for random guess work in farm.
ing has gone by. X,