The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-12-01
Profitable Agriculture.

Profitable Agriculture.
1t is frequently said that no man ever
made a fortune by agriculture. The
term fortune is rather indefinite, as it
bears relation to persons desires
rather than to his requirements. For
when one begins to accumulate his views
of what may be q satisfactory compe-
tence enlarge with the increase of
his accumulations. At one time of his
life So, 900 or $4,000 would be consid-
! cred sufficient, but when this has been
made and saved there has been such
change in the manner of life as to make
this sum wholly inadequate, and it is
doubled and trebled and multiplied by
ten, and yet is not enough. At the be-
ginning, however, when a man views
of this matter are modest, he figures up
q sum upon the interest of which he
can live in his usual manner without
work and enjoy his leisure in comfort.
| This is what he considers q fortune.
Perhaps $4,000 to $4,000 might be
considered the lowest limit of what
farmer might consider as fortune or
competence. Then we might ask
how many farmers have accumulated
this sum in the course of an ordinary
period of time, let us say twenty years.
Taking general view of acquaint-
ances among farmers, one might safe
! ly hazard the statement that there are
more farmers who are in possess
sion of this amount of property and
could afford to retire from business
and rest at ease than there are
business men, merchants and pro-
fessional men who are able to do the
same, at fifty years of age. There are
thousands of farmers who are worth
100000 each, and great many whose
wealth exceeds that large sum, while
the opportunities for making money are
really greater among farmers who have
good business habits than they are
among any other industries. The
trouble is not that the opportunities are
wanting, but rather the shrewdness and
tact to seize them, and the industry to
turn them to account Not farmer
in ten thousand works as hard and has
less leisure than the business man
who succeeds. And the farmers who
have made conspicuous successes have
been men of the closest industry and
the most enterprising business habits.
For instance, there was a New York
farmer, John johnson by name, who
began work about forty years ago on
farm near Geneva He went in debt
for his farm. bought on credit a large
pile of manure which neighbor wanted
to get rid OF, borrowed money to drain
his land, became wealthy from the rich
produce of his farm, spent his declining
years in ease and comfort, ard left
more than 100000 when he died. A
farmer of Wisconsin recently died rich
under similar circumstances. A Cana
dian farmer. now living in wealth and
with nearly 100000, came from Scot
land thirty years ago with 800, put it
all in land at 81 an acre, and soon had
an income from it of more than $4,000
a year of grain alone; his stock now
| brings him in five times as much. A
relative of this man had not dollar
when he reached these shores and his
cattle alone to-day would sell for more
than 100000. A Georgia farmer died
a few days ago leaving 100000, all
made by farming. His last years crop
of cotton was 600 bales, worth $50, 900.
But time and space will not allow us
to mention more farmers who have
made. fortunes. 1t would be better
worth our while to consider how they
have succeeded and why others do not.
A mans hands were given him to work
with, no doubt but these are merely
the tools; a head and brain were fur
nisheddo guide the hands With the
| l. Ic al 4.
sistence. A dollar, by universal con-
sent, has been considered as the equiv
alent of one days common unskilled
labor. Brain work has no limit to its
value. l can direct common, I'M
skilled labor, hundred pairs of hands
at once, or horse labor, or steam, or
water power, and make one dollars
worth worth ten or a hundred in effect.
The nine or ninety dollars multiplied
by the quantity gives the value of the
days brain work, and as there is ample
scope for brain work upon the farm it
is only by the use of it, and not by hand
work alone, that fortunes are made in
agriculture. Moreover, let us consider
how mere hand work pays better ON
the farm than in other employments.
No farmers fail or become bankrupt,
or become embarrassed by debts
through their farm work. If then,
mere hand labor is so productive in ag-
riculture, brain work and skill will be
equally productive, and with economy
and careful outstanding of ones in
come, fortunes may be made in agri-
culture as well as in other ways.-H.
! Steaoart. in NJ Y Times.