The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-06-13
Deer Creek Farmers Club.

The Deer Creek Farmers Club met on the nth
inst, at the residence of Hon. James ID. Waters,
all the active members being present, together
with Messrs. S. NJ. Lee, George l.. Vanliibber,
Major A. NJ. Hancock, James M. Cain, Robert Il.
Bel Arpapers. According to custom, a committee
of inspection, consisting of Messrs. Hays, Rogers
and Barnes was appointed. The farm, buildings,
&c., were thoroughly examined by the committee,
who made very favorable report. They admired
the extensive and picturesque view from many
points on Judge Waters farm; commended his
pure short horn cows and calves, his fine large
oxen thought his pasture fields were turning to
blue grass and green grass; said that his corn field
was In nice order, showing good growth that the
wheat all of which had been sOwn on stalk ground,
looked well his pure Southdown sheep were fat
and plump; his Arabian colt, two years old, is fine
ANIMAL clean-limbed well formed and of good size
They examined the stables which were well ar
ranged and clean, and pronounced the Judges i'm
proved method of fastening cattle valuable invcn
ton. The committee noticed II marked difference
where the grass had been top-dressed with Allen $
bone for corn, and approved of the plan The COM
mittce thought the Judge had made q wonderful
improvement in the appearance of the farm and
the stock since he has been managing it himself.
In reply to u question Judge Walters said zap
piled from 500 to 1000 lbs. of bone dust to the acre,
sod, and thought the results justified its use in
that quantity and in that manner. He sows the
bone year before the ground is plowed for corn.
He has 204 acres, l25 of which are arabic land, and
has 80 cows, calves and oxen.
WHAT Is THE SECRET OF SUCCESSFUL FARMING
Judge Waters opened the discussion by reading
an Essay on Farm Economy-defining Economy us
the using of one means to the best advantage and
illustrating the difference between economy and
frugality and parsimony., The foolish servant
been parsimonious, or he may have been simply q
frugal soul, but certainly only the economical
servants received the commentator of "well
done thou good and faithful" Frugality is some
thing like salt, which is useful in Sd0iHg our bacon
but not worth n cent to fatton our hogs. True
economy is the noblest virtue of them all, and is
the grand secret OF success, no matter in what
direction our energies may be directed.
lie spoke at some length of the means which the
farmer uses to accomplish his purpose under the
general heads of Time, Labor and Money, illus
trating each as he went along, and presenting the
idea all the while that economy is not something
which can be learned as the boy learns his multi
plication table, but something which must be ac-
quired by experience and observation That all
of us must make mistakes, but the wise man pro-
fits by his mistakes and does not make the same
ones over and over again. The successful man is
the one who makes the fewest mistakes. lie spoke
of 'rime MS wonderful agent, working for us while
we sleep; and one which the farmer should use not
only intelligently but economically a stern chase
Is proverbially long chase, and the farmer who
is always little behind his work labors at great
disadvantage. If we think 1t incumbent on us to
get all we can out of the laborer whom hire for
dollar, how much more important is i to wisely
so constantly and effectively!
Under the head of Labor he dwelt principally
upon the Importance of directing It so as to accom-
plish the best results. That the amount of labor Is
not so important the manner i'm which Ii Is man
aged and directed
He considered money as means merely and not
as an end. As q medium of exchange and repre-
sentative of value of course IL is convertible into
whatever men esteem valuable and desirable, and
gice geTSd. While ourdiscussion this evening looks
probably rather to the material success of the
farmer-that IL to big crops and n comfortable
bank account, still that is not the only measure of
success, nor the only use for money. There is u
higher aim, which seeks to supply our natural
craving for objects of beauty around us, and which
strives To secure substantial happiness for our
selves and those about us.
George II. Silver remarked that different modes
OF farming might be equally successful. Farmers
should use brain work. Some men eXerted them
from hired labor, while they neglected brain work
This he held to be wrong. He had known SUCCESS
full farmers who did not exert much muscular
force themselves, but were expert in managing and
success, no thought, Is to he prompt-ready to do
work ut the right time and with proper imple-
ments. Many of us work with machinery and i'm
plemcnts which worry ms and tax our PATIENCE
We would be better Off if we threw them away or
burned them. Applying fertilizers pays.
X. John Rogers said he thought Judge Waters
had found out the secret of successful farming
and he would like to learn il from him. One thing
ly within his means. Farmers sometimes grow
impatient, and improve too rapidly. They become
crippled in their means and their energies become
parayzed, whereas II more patient they would be
not invest in any way so profltably as to improve
his land. II is wiser to put the surplus on the land
than in buildings although he was In favor of good
buildings on farm. But first of all, improve the
land. Mr.. Rogers said he never saw farmer sue
coed on poor land, II he kept it poor
Major A. NJ. Hancock said IL was an old propo-
sltion that If man feeds his land, the land will
feed him. He thought the business of applying
a man makes money by putting on a ton of bone
to the acre at one time, but thought It would pay
better to divide the ton into four parts and apply
them successfully instead OF all together. bone