The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-10-21
Failures In Farming.

NAV not De closed out Dy the oncTiH Out
they meet with poor success, borrow
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
out 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 a prof
liable branch of business. They do not
stop to consider the real causes of the
failure. They attribute TO business what
should be ascribed to men. lnve5tiga-
ton would show that most of the per-
sons who fail in farming are not adapted
to business, either by nature or train
ing. Many of them would not be very
successful in any kind of business. a
large class of persons are farmers be-
cause their fathers were. Quite likely
they inherited some land, stock and
tools, while the little training they had
resolved was in the direction of agricul-
ture. They continued to spend their
time on the farm where they were
brought up. chiefly because they did
not know where else to go or what else
to do.
Farmers, as rule, never consult with
their sons in regard to a choice of occu-
patton. They are anxious that they
should pursue the same business in
which they have been engaged. Ii they
show an inclination for some other pur-
suit they are discouraged. They are
seldom allowed advantages for becom-
inc acquainted with other kinds of en-
ployment. If they have a genius for
some pursuit it is never discovered. As
a consequence they are virtually com
PEELED to commence life as farmers. At
the time they become of age they con-
slider themselves too old to commence
to learn trade, to prepare themselves
for profession, to acquire a knowledge
of commerce or transportation. or to
obtain the rudiments of the business of
mining or any branch of manufacturing.
The business of farming is never
suited to their tastes and dispositions,
and quite likely it is not suited to their
physical constitutions. Work in the
field, garden and orchard is never la
Dor of love. They are not interested in
the introduction of new crops or the I'M
provement OF old ones. They read no
works on agriculture, take no agri-
cultural papers, belong to no agri-
cultural societies. They attend no fairs,
and enter into no discussions about
farming with their neighborS. They
take no delight in the care of any kind
of stock, and, as might well be sup
posed, are not interested in the intro
duction of new breeds or the improve
ment of old ones. They make no ex-
perimentS in new methods of feeding,
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 nit long.
When an opportunity presents itself
they prepare to speculate in patent
rights, sell lightning rods, or engage in
mining. Some of them are always on
the lookout for a person who wishes to
exchange a undergrad, grocery, or
a dry-goods store for farm. They de-
sire to be engaged in any other kind of
business than the one they are now en-
ployed in. Persons who do not expect
to work at farming any longer than they
can find an opportunity to make a
change never succeed. Their thoughts,
desires and studies are all in something
else. They look to see the farm sup
port them till they can put themselves
in a condition to make fortune and ac-
quire distinction in some cOngenial en-
ployment.
Another class of persons do not sue
coed in farming for quite different
reason. They propose to remain farm
ers all their lives, but they are con-
stantly changing from one department
of it to another They start out as
general farmers, but soon devote all
their energies to some speciality. They
read of how some person succeeds with
bees and fowls, and they hasten to ex-
change their cows for colonies of bees
and their sheep for fancy chickens. Be-
fore they have fairly learned to take
care of either of them they become in
terested in the culture of small fruit,
and they neglect their bees and poultry
that they may have time to set out
grape vines, raspberry bushes, and
strawberry plants. Small fruit in time
give way to hops and castor-beans, and
these are afterward abandoned for some
new crop that interested parties are
advertising.
The number of farmers who have
brought ruin on themselves by con-
stantly changing from one speciality to
another is very large. They seem to
forget that farmers can not establish
and maintain. a monopoly in any branch
of their business as manufacturers do.
Patents are not issued to protect the
originator or introducer of new crops,
though some persons desire Govern
ment to interest itself in the matter.
The production of some new crop may
be, and usually is, very profitable for a
time. but as soon as it becomes known
as such thousands engage in its produc-
ton. 1t is generally the case that the
profit Of new crops are greatly overes-
timated and that the like is true in rela'
ton to the quantity that is required to
follow the introduction of new crops
for which there is not a general demand.
A large amount of money is con-
sumed in changing from one depart
ment of farming to another. 1t costs
as much to prepare farm for keeping
dairy cows as it does to buy an unim-
proved farm the other side of the Mis-.
sissippi. Special buildings, tools and
machinery are required for raising ano
cnrinor hnnS and tobacco Much time