The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-10-14
Successful Farming.

The following home truths, copied
from Western farm Journal, are as
applicable to this quarter as else.
where:
Excellence in farming is a rare
thing. Slip-shoddiness in many COM
munities is the rule rather than the
exception. But in every nelghbor-
hood some good farmers may be
found-men who have a natural taste
for the management and control of a
farm, and they may be easily known
from their less thrifty neighbor
(leaving the crops out of the ques-
tom, by the general appearance of
their farms. We have in our minds
eye a man we consider model farm
er. His buildings are plain, but then
are neat and tidy his barns are large
airy, well ventilated and scrupulous-
ly clean ; his fences are common rum
ming plank fences, white washed, as
are the barns and out houses above
mentioned. No briars nor thistles
nor noxious weeds disfigure his fields
nor fence rows. His flocks are fat
and sleek, and his grass and pasture
lands are as free from stones and logs
and brush as his parlor floor.
His land is of the best quality, and
his crops are as good as the best. No
one can gather good crops from poor
soil. but every one can work his land
so as to improve it every year when
1t is worn and thin. 1t Is impossible
however, for the proprietor of worn
odt farms to keep them in as good
repair or to improve them as rapidly
as the man who has none but rich
land. Rich land, with good man.
agement, makes wealthy farmers {;
poor land, on the other hand, is the
most fruitful case of discomfort, and
finally disgust with the noblest of all
profession.
However, the humblest and poor
est of US may, if we only put our
heart in our work, do much more to-
ward identifying and improving our
homes than we ever think of doing.
1.-THE heart lendeth grace unto
every art" and no man who engag-
es in farming temporarily, or who
has grown disconnected with his lite,
and only waits on the farm until
some other business is open to him,
can eyer hope to be successful.
Farming is a science, and as such
must be studied.
The man who makes a success sful
farmer, as the phrase goes, must:
l. Have taste for the business.
2. Once settled on the farm he must
make his home pleasant and COM
Portable if he would be contented and
happy. WhitewaSh is a power in
transforming the plainest of things
into something really attractive it is
also very healthful.
3. He must regard his farm as his
home for a life time. No one can
expect to thrive in any business who
engages in it temporarily. Many
failures are made in life by really sem
sible men because they refuse to
stick to any one thing long at time.
No man can hope to become prof.
cient in more than one profession in
an ordinary lifetime. The man,
therefore who enters upon the life of
farmer should pursue tie same
course exactly that the man who en-
tiers the law or medical profession pur-
sues, viz, he should determine in
the outset to devote his life and tai.
ents and his entire time to the business
of farming.
4. He should be diligent, and
$. Possess good judgment.
The man thus armed is the man
for the farm. 1t is only such men that
really deserve to be dignified with
the honorable name of farmer.