Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-06-11
The AdVantages Of Small Farms
4...,--and Intensive Farming.
Az EssaE Read At tho, August Meeting
or the Edgefeid Agricultural
= ! e Ssann ehanical Society. by
'sssss' : "-w. u. Walton, Esq.

our last meenug Slt wasi decided that
/ should prepare an. essay on "The
Advantages of Small Farms and In.
tensive Farming." !" 1sdo not feel COM
petent to do justice to the question;
nor will 7 have the time to, enter into
full details Of this matter.
But as the question is of so much
!. importance. 10 our country and State.
I would feel like ] was shirking q
duty not to say something; and per.
haps whatI say'msy be key to un.
lock our minds to the, fact that email
farms are the salvation of our coun,
Try, and the only way for farmer to
be happy-with cash in his purse to
spend for the comforts of life.
.s.ezEoncs. had atalk@with northern
man, who said that in; lis country 40
acres was considered a. good farm.
and 100 acres a large farm. In Chi.
ma, they say, man can support his
family oni4 acres. Itold this north
erner that come of our planters had
1900 acres of land; and he asked me
III knew that thsresw was such Ia thing
sassbsing 4landpoor." and making
failure on large farm when email
;ons]would pay F}g
It is the dollars saved, not made,
that make men rich. As / have neV.
er owned a very large farm, I cannot.
speak as to them except from observa.
tion; but judging by the want of inn
provements, rotten barns and empty
cribs that Ises, it seems that only a
narrow living comes from them-,and
not profits enough to keep the houaes
in decent repair. You all know the
troubles Of farming, now that the la
cer OF q large farm is geneaEaallsXz aEa W pssgIe sgJ
to hardships and exposure; and g liv.
ing is all they want. And they can
live on very little-happy with a Dor
rowed mule and an umbrella on the
road to church. Now who is it that
keeps up all the happiness of the col
ored man? The land owner of course;
and the more negroes he has, the
more it takes to keep them up.
Houses to live in, frewood and
we'll water, and supplies. are all fur
nished by the land owner. If a crop
is made, We may come out even; if
not. the landlord loaes. With these
losses, added to the heavy, drenching
rains and the uncertainty of seasons,
we see no profits in large farms.
So small farms must pay, or none.
But; say some, we have small farms
too that do no: seem to pay. This is
true. But whose fault is it2 Such
farmers do not start eight; they shut
their eyes to the expenses, and lea e
it too much to the land to make
crop, withcus proper help, following
in the wake of the man with big
farm.
Some think they must put in a
largeserops and must take in all the
rocky knolls and gully-washed hills,
when it would be far better to leave
such places alone, and select only land
with a good soil to improve. Let the
large land owner, instead. select a few
screa, that can be built up to raise 2
bslesi Of cotton or so bushels of oats
to the acre, and bring it up to fine
state of cultivation. Do not let the
poor land eat up the profits Of the
good lots, Do not let a triaing ten
ant eat up the profits Of good one.
Farming requires hard study. Law
yers, ministers and doctors have to
scratch their weary heads and learn
the principles and rules of their pro,
feasion; and likewise must farmer
study the nature of his soil. and the
kinds OF manure that suit it. Farm
ere have to count on the uncertainty
of seasons; and they also have to-
study human nature to deserve and
maintain the respect of their laborers.
These are the slsmsnts of success.
fai farming: Let. good labor; End.
good stock; srd. good implements snd
tools; 4th. good manure. First, good
hands withpocr stook, is time thrown
awsya Second. good atook with poor
hand. is q waste of money. Third,
bad tools, even with good hands and
good land, is waste CT labor. Fourth,
all the best labor and tools and stock