The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-10
They Are Good Merchants.

lgnordnJ OF tne laws OF trade and COM
merce. They think that they should
confine their attention to the production
of articles to sell. They are seemingly
content to purchase articles at the prices
dealers charge for them, and to sell their
products for what buyers offer for them.
They rarely seek, by cooperation or
otherwise, to influence prices. They
devote very little attention to CONNER
cial affairs. They have little or no ac-
quaintance with persons in large cities
who sell supplies, or who bug -1ive
stock, grain and other farm products
Their knowledge of current CONNER
cial affairs is derived from the meager
market reports published in some
country paper.
AS result of want of proper infor-
nation, large proportion of farmers
purchase goods at high prices and sell
their own products al low prices. They
store grain and WOO when they should
sell them, and sell them when it would
be good policy to hOld them in anticipa-
ton of better msrket. Many farmers
never take pains to inform themselves
about the real Ialue of the pelts of
sheep and the skins of larger animals,
and as consequence they often dispose
of them for much less than they are
really worth. Very few farmers are
competent judges of the quality of the
wool and tobacco they raise. Each
may be much better than that produced
by any one in the neighborhood, but it
is disposed ct to some travelling pur-
chaser at the same price. The buyer,
who is "wiser in his generation" than
the farmer, reaps the benefit of his SUI
perior information.
Not one farmer in fifty can grade the
wheat, corn, rye, oats or barley he pro-
duces. In selling them he is accord
ingly at the mercy of the purchaser.
He may know the market price of each
grade on the day OF sale, butif he does not
know to which grade his grain belongs
he is liable to sell it below its current
value. Few farmers have given much
attention to the most profitable crops to
raise for markets. A still smaller num-
Der have considered the law of supply
and demand in its relation to the pro-
duction of farm crops. They set out
hop-vines and planted broom-corn seed
at time when hops were worth little
more than hay, and when broom corn
would hardly pay the expense of cut
ting and curing. They raised fruit that
was not worth gathering, and sefftfowls
to market at times when they did not
sell for enough to pay the expressage
and commission.
In small trades bouthome, in match
ing colts and steers, the majority of
farmers display little shrewdness. They
generally leave these matters to some
professional horse Jockey" Few
farmers keep ready money to enable
them to take advantage of forced sales
that are constantly occurring in their
neighborhood. In fact they rarely have
cash to pay for any considerable amount
of property of any kind. Some old
mortgage, store debt, or contract for
the payment of farm machinery takes
all the money they realize for the crops
of any season. They fall into the habit
OF anticipating the value of the farm
products of each year, and they never
get out of it. In some cases the loss
OF a leading crop puts them still further
behind In the race to square accounts.
A farmer without cash is at the mercy
of his creditors and in no condition to
take advantage of circumstances.
For farmers to be very successful
they must conduct their business as
prosperous merchants and manufacture
ers do. They must have some cash
capital that will enable them to pur-
chase their supplies at the times and at
the places where they can be obtained
at the least cost. If neighboring
farmer is obliged to sell stock or i'm
plements at sacrifice, they should be
in a condition to purchase them. If
their crop of grain and fodder is large,
they should be prepared to purchase
stock that will eat it; and stock can be
purchased for less with ready money
than with note the maker may not be
ready to pay at maturity. Farmers
should also be in a condition to hold
wool and other farm products that are
not perishable, if the current price is
much below what it ordinarily is. In
short they should have working aud
trading capital, aside from the money
invested in land, stock and farming
tools.
A man who sells produce of any sort
should know as much about its quality
as the person does who proposes to pur-
chase it. A farmer should be able to
correctly classify his pelts, hides and
tobacco, and to grade his wool. corn
and every variety of grain he raises.
He should keep himself informed in re-
gard to the condition of crops and ami
mails here and abroad. He should
know by the time the /" harvest is end
ed" what the supply is at home and in
foreign countries, and how it compares
with that of previous seasons. The
truth is, the majority of our best farm
ers learn only one branch of their BUSH
ness. They limit their study to the
matter of production, while their
knowledge should extend to commerce.
They keep too closely within their line
fences, and thereby permit others to
make money they might have them
selves by suitable exertion. Chicago
Times.
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