The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-03-06

AND USEFUL INFORMATION.
Study Your Markets.

The question OF success or fail
ure with most farmers, depends
upoa their knowledge of the mar
kets. Many Industrious and skill
full farmers fail just at this point
They know how to cultivate crops.
but are poor statesmen. They keep
in the beaten track, and never vary
the relative proportion of meadow,
pasture and tillage, seldom try a
new crop or ST elk TO improve their
breeds OF cate, swine or poultry.
They do not read much, and seem
not to be aware that farming. like
other pursuits, is in a transition
state, and that they must meet new
demands or fail in business. The
change is 50 great from the age OF
homespun, which closed some fifty
years ago, to the present time, that
our younger readers can hardly APP
preciate it. Then, almost every
thing consumed in farmers fami-
ly in the Northern Sta es, was pro
duced on his own farm, or manu-
featured unuer his own roof. All
table supplis, except sugar, molas-
ses, tea and coffee, were of his own
raising. The housewife spun and
wove not only all her table and bed
liuen, but all the clothing for her
household. She made cotton and
tow wlcks and dipped them In tai
low, fer the lights in the dwelling.
Travelling shoemakers made tile
annual supply of boots and shoes.
The trade which /. farmer had with
the outside world was of a very
limited character. But all this is
changed now. No cloth is made in
the home. The spinning wheel and
loom have long since gone into
kindling wood, and only the small
linen wheel and distatf is preserved
occasionally as a momento to the
thrifty habits of our grandmothers.
The farmer has become a purchas-
er-buys all that he wears, buys
much that he eats, buys oftentimes
his fuel and lights. To meet these
new demands, he has occasion to.
study the markets to find out what
people want in exchange for the
things he must purchase. Espeei-
ally does the eastern farmer need
to study the home markets, Til
lers of the low priced lands of the
new States, by aid of cheap trans
pUrtation, are able to compete with
him in wheat, corn, and other grain,
so that he can not afford to raise
them to sell, by the old method at
least, though possibly he can for
his own use. Hay, potatoes, and
some other articles are so bulky,
that he has little competition and
can sell them at a profit. In per
ishable articles, poultry, eggs, but
ter, milk, vegetables, fruit, he can
with the prairies. With a
knowledge of the markets, and the
of the soil, 1t is not a
very difficult matter to ascertain
what crops will pay, and what will
not. Those who do not study
these conditions Of success, and can
not tell what any given crop costs,
do not know whether it pays or
not. We want this knowledge and
must have it, if we are to succeed
in business. We must give up
some of the old crops as unsuited
TO present circumstanc and cult
vate those for which we know there
is profitable demand. Or an enter
prising man can often create a de
mand for a first rate article, and
thus have a speciality that will re-
turn him a handsome profit, and
win him the reputation of being an
enterprising man. He will at the
same time set an example to other
farmers, that may benefit the agri
culture of a whole neighborht OIL or
even OF a county = American Az