Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-27
NiarteI. of Downup.

met my old friend Tom Martel yester-
day and he had a great deal to say about
farm matters at Downup. | had to draw
it out Of him though, for he is not disposed
t. talk about himself unless forced to dc
it. Tom has Irish blood in his veins and
there is nothing phlegmatic in his make
up. He enters into everything with such
a degree of confidence as to command
success where others Oftentimes fail, And
while he meets with mishaps in his farm
ing, as the very best of farmers will, still
the general results of his farm work is
progressive, and at Its worst he manages
to make ends meet where many others
would not. Two years out of three he
gets good interest out OF his investment.
Tom comes nearest my ideal of what a
farmer should be than any other farmer
that l know OF, and | am always an at
tentive listener to anything he may say
on farm topics. He doesn't pretend 10
know what he does not know, and while
he always has some pet theory in view for
Yeritcation practically, be never fails to
admit afterwards wherein it falls short of
his expectations. He has the true scien-
tiic mind, and, while not Latin or Greek
scholar, is one Of the best read men
know OF. He is fairly posted on the sub
ject of agricultural chemistry and is an
authority on agricultural plants. When
last at his house l saw so many agricul-
tural papers on his table and scattered
about the house generally that ! asked
him if he found time to read them all?
His reply was that he could find time to
read only that part with titles suggestive
of practical thoughts on the subjects that
most interested him at the time. Most Of
these, however, he had preserved for bind
ing and reviewed them at his leisure.
l remember the WEEKLY NEWS, which
he characterized as the bt st weekly paper
in the South. He laughngly admitted
that he had gone out of his usual routine
and had read Charlie" at nights TO Mrs.
Martel. Besides the News. | recall upon
his table the Southern CattlUGtOT, Plant
erS' journal, american AgricutturiSt, RU-
raj Mem Yorker, Country Gentleman, and
agricultural RerieN. Others of lesser
merit do not remember now. The pa
pers enumerated he esteemed as the cream
of agricultural literature, and expressed
the opinion that every Southern farmer
should strain point, if necessary, and
have most Of them. That it was money
well invested, because they were sub
scribers to the farmers brain and proved
incentives to him in directions where he
was disposed to become lax if not pushed
up sometimes. He admitted that he could
not pursue his farming satisfactorily with
out them, and | believe that is true. If
farmers would read more, would study
more closely the practical teachings Of
good farm papers they would, as general
thing, attain greater success and make
their home life much more pleasant and
satisfying. If any class need books and
papers the farming class certainly do.
Leading more isolated lives in general
than intelligent persons in other Occupa-
tions, they need the cOmpaniOnship and
aid of suitable books and papers more
THAI others. for there is not much $50
ciety" in the majority of rural districts.
Knowing this myself, l can appreciate
very thoroughly the views that Martel
holds in respect to good agricultural Jour-
nails.
Martel was an extensive farmer once,
following the general policy of that sys-
tenn characterized as extensive" but his
reading at an early date after the war
converted him to the policy now commonly
known and designated as the ''intensiye''
system-lesser area and higher manur-
ing OF it. This was his principle, and he
practiced it long before some of its famous
advocates Of a recent date could tell the
difference between a plOW and a harrow,
or clevis from heel-pin. Marters motto
is "Grain-StOck-Gra Cotton" but he
has a sub-mOttO which he holds as a pro-
gressive citizen rather than as an indi-
Vidual, and this is Good rOads-nO fence
and away with worthless dogsr Would
that we had a thousand Martels around
us! SAC,
4HtHedgeUtlle.
NOTE-I shall, as l may have leisure,re-
port some of the practices and results of
MartePs farming at Downup, as they are
likely to prove of interest to practical
farmers.