The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-02-14

the specie tnefe Is III Is III many VI 1AiS
counties Of the Eastern States the fences
have cost more than the farms and fences
are worth The greatest burthen the ag-
riculturist labors under to-day is the
fences
In many of the countries of Europe
fences are unknown, and to this fact may
be attributed their success in agriculture,
they having to contend with a worse eli
mate and poorer soil than ourselves Not
withstanding they are enabled to under
sell us in the markets of the world. Their
focks and herds are under the care OF
herdsmen and shepherds, and thus an un-
told amount Of expenditure is saved, be-
sides the loss of the land which the fences
occupy, and the accumulation of soil that
with the most careful management is apt
to be thrown up around them by the plow.
The farmer contributes to the wealth of
country by his perpetual toll. Every
day in the year has its various and contin-
uous operations-all directed, however, to
this one point, to bring the greatest guam
tity Of produce from a given number of
acres. Such is the nature of his work,
that little can be done to tighten or short
en- the process. Every foot of every field
must be passed over with the plow. The
plowman must rise early and pillow late.
His labor too, must be when the sun is
above the horizon. In autumn and winter
these are few. He must work harder in
the summer when the days are long. Ev-
cry industrious farmer is adding to the
substantial and permanent wealth OF
nation. He is continually adding to the
productive power, which is the best spe-
cies of wealth. His savings, if any, he
makes go into the soil to increase its pro-
ductive power, or go into the fixtures
which add comforts or diminish labor, for
all coming years The savings of the far
mers which are only produced by the
most assiduous labor, increase the fund
" hich is the most wanted, especially IN
an agricultural country like this, i. e., ag-
ricultural capital. The farmers of this
country can do nothing without money.
How are they ever TO get this without
they improve their farms? AS things
have been managed in this country hlth-
erto there has been a tendency to deterI-
crate The radical mistake has been COM
mitted of supposing that the best interest
for the farmer is more land. Whereas
the best policy would be the better cultl-
walton of that he already has. The soil of
our prairie is capable of producing three
times as much per acre as it now does.
How much labor would be saved by rails
ing 100 bushels of corn on one acre, ra-
Their than tilling three acres to produce
that amount? Agriculture to flourish
must have market for its surplus pro-
ducts. A market is people, not place,
and the nearer it is found to the farmers
door the better, the less his production is
lost in getting it to market. 80
Agriculture will flourish best where
there is large population engaged in
manufactures and commerce. sou
The second source of wealth is manu-
featuring industry. No nation ever be-
came wealthy by raising the raw mate
rial and then exchanging it for the manu-
featured article. The manufacturing peo
pie have the advantage. ,aa.
They may labor summer and winter,
day and night, in fair and stormy
weather. An agricultural population
work only in the day time, when the
earth is free from frost, and when the
clouds are not disburthening themselves
upon the earth. A manufacturing people
can avail themselves to any extent Of the
aid of machinery. The fall of water in the
town of Lowell is made to do the W ork
of a million human beings. 9o asl
Everything the farmer does must be
brought out of the earth by main force and
hard work. The farmers productions are
bulky, and are often almost consumed by
transportation in getting them to market
The manufactured article is light, COM
paratively speaking, in proportion to its
value. The farmer is compelled to take
the chances of unpropitious seasons and
occasional short crops, but no variations of
the season has ever been known to pro
duce short crop of boots and shoes or
Yankee clocks, nor drouth been so great
as to blight the labors of the loom. With
these advantages, manufacturing people
will always keep an agricultural people in
debt. Towns and cities will spring up
among them, and the very fact of a CON
densed podulation gives them great adj
vantages. An exclusively agricultural
people in the present age win always be
poor. They want a home market. Thew,
want cities and towns; they want diversi.
ty of employment. They want that en-.
terprise and activity which is engendered
merely by bringing masses of people to
act upon each other by mutual stimulation
and excitement. ..'si :
Why is the balance of trade in favor of
England! Because our labor is not suffi..
GENTLY diversified because the raw ma
terlal goes from other countries to them.
and they receive in return much of it
manufactured and sent back to them to be