Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-08-21
Failures In Farming.

D
but they meet with poor success, Dor
row money on bond and mortgage, and
finally become so much embarrassed
that they are obliged to dispose OF their
places. Long before this occurs their
farms buildings, fences, stock and tools
have been gradually running down. In
dications OF decline were seen on every
hand. The pastures carried less stock
than formerly. The fields produced
small crops OF potatoes, corn and grain,
and very large crops OF all kinds OF
weeds. The trees in the orchard grew
ont of shape and the nests OF worms
were about as plenty on the branches
as were specimens OF fruit.
MANY persons point to these failures
as evidences that farming is not profit.
able branch OF business. They do not
stop to consider the real causes cf the
failure. They attribute to a business
what should be ascribed to men. In
yestigation would show that most oil
the persons who fail in farming are not
adapted to the business, either by ma.
ture or training. Many OF them would
not be very successful in any kind OF
business. A large class OF persons are
farmers because their fathers were.
Onite likely they inherited some land,
stock. and tools, while the little train
ing they had received was in the oirec-
tl,n OF agriculture. They continued to
spend their time on the farm where
thew were brought up. chiefly because
| the, did not know where else to go or
what else to do.
Farmers, as a rule, never consult
with their sons in regard to choice OIL
occupation. They are anxious that
they should pursue the same business
i'm which thew have been engaged. III
they show an inclination for some other
pursuit, they are discouraged. They
! are seldom allowed advantages for be-
coming acquainted with other kinds OF
employment. IL they have genius Tor
some pursuit, il is never discovered.
As a consequence, they are virtually
compelled to commence life as farmers.
At the time they become OF age, they
| consider themselves too old to COM
mance TO learn trade,to prepare them
selves for a profession, to acquire
knowledge OF commerce or transpOrta-
ton, or TO obtain the rudiments OF the
business OF mining or any branch oil
manufacturing.
The business OF farming is never suit
| ed TO tueir tastes and dispositions, and
unite likely TO their physical constltu-
! tons. Work in the field, garden and IN
| the orchard is never a labor OF love.
They are not interested in the introduc-
ton of new crops or the Improvement
of old ones. They read no works on ag-
riculture, take no agricultural papers,
belong TO no agricultural societies.
They attend no fairs, and enter into 70
/ discussions about farming with th,lr
! neighbors. They take no delight IN tie
care OF any kind OF stock, an, as might
! well be supposed, are not interested In
the introduction OF new breeds or the
Improvement OF old ones. They make
noexperiments in new methods OF iced
ing, and are very careless in following
old ones.
Many of the persons who become
farmers from force OF circumstances do
not intend to remain engaged in 1t long
When an opportunity presents itself
they prepare to speculate in patent
rights, sell advantageous, or engage in
mining. Some OF them are always on
the lookout fog person who wishes to
exchange undergrad, grocery, or a
dry.yoods store for farm. They desire
10 be engaged in any other kind OF busi-
ness than the one they are now employ
ed in. Persons who DO not expect To
work at iarmiug anv longer than they
can find an opportunity 10 make a
change never succeed. Their thoughts,
desires, and studies are all in something
else. They look to see the farm support
them till they can put themselves in a
condition to make fortune and acquire
distinction in some congenial employ
ment.
& Another class Of persons do not sue
/ ceed in farming for quite different
, reason. They propose To remain farm
/ ers all their lives, but they are constant
/ Is changing from one department to All
/ other. They start out as general farm
srs, but soon devote all their energies
10 some speciality. They read OF how
/ some person succeeds with bees and
| fowls, and they hasten to exchange their
/ eass for colonies OF bees and their sheep
| for fancy chickens. Before they have
/ fairly learned to take care OF either OF
the,a they become interested in the cul-
ture OF small fruit, and they neglect
their bees and poultry that they may
/ have time to set out grape vines, rasp-
| berry bushes, and strawberry plants.
Small fruit iD time give way to hops and
| castor beans. and these are afterwards
abandoned for some new crop that
| interested parties are advertising.
The number of farmers who have
brought ruin on themselves by constant
| ly changing from one speciality to an
! other is very large. They seem to for
\ get that farmers cannot establish and
maintain monopoly IN any branch ot
their business as manufactures do.
| Patents are not issued to protect the
\ originator or introducer OF new crops,
though some persons desire government
/ 10 interest itself in the matter. The
! production OF some new crop may be,
/ aud usually is, very profitable Tor time,
/ but as soop as it becomes known as sucn
| thousands engage in its production. 1t
| is generally the case that the profit o;
/ new crops are greatly overestimated, and
| that the like is true in relation to the
/ Quantity that is required to supply the
market. Oyerproduction is very likely
/ to follow the introduction OF new crops
| for which there is not general de-
/ mand.
\ large amount OF money is consum-
/ ed in changing from one department OF
tanning to another. Ii costs as much
! TO prepare q farm for keepin dairy cows
as IL does TO buy an unimprove farm the
other side OF the Mississippi. Special
buildings, tools and machinery are re
uuired for raising and curing hops and
tobacco. Much time is lost in getting
! fruit trees, vines and bushes to size to
produce a crop. With all the informa-
ton one can acquire from books, papers
and observation, considerable exper-
fence il required TO render any branch
of agriculture profitable. The time
spent in Experimenting and study may
not be thrown away, but it is generally
productive ofa very small amount OF
cash. Common observation shows that
persons who are continually changing
/ from one department OF agriculture to
another without good cause are unsuc-
cessful.
him, kusinaSs On hOrrnuFu capital is