The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-03-04
Audersp1s gutettigeueer.
FARMERS COLUMN.
D9- Communications from our Farmers
on any matter pertaining to agriculture,
are respectfully solicited for this column.
Make the Farm sels.sustaining

Ht ftHpcCJ&GtJ oOttCeeS"JV' e'''o So''e"'''
Make the Farm SclG.Sustaining.
Mr.. EDITOR: In my article of week
before last, I was considering the qucs-
ton of labor, and its results, from a
Biblical standpoint, and while / do not
claim to have made it as plain to the
minds of others as to myself, yet all
must see that whatever is in accordance
with the Divine will must surely come
to pass. So that if it is His will that
"no labor that is in the Lord shall be in
vaip," and that to work for q hcing is
a legitimate object, then every one so
doing shall certainly secure that for which
he seeks. And this is true both Of the
just and the unjust, for He maketh
His sun to shine and His rain to fall
upon each alike. Iu the olden time, the
Egyptians, being instructed by Joseph,
turned aside hom money n.c1ing and con-
quests, aud devoted all their energies for
seven years to this one object of
making bread-stuffs, that they might be
able to tide over the years of drought so
sure then, even as now to come. AS
result, the whole land was filled with
plenty, so that they could feel at ease
though the skies above them were as
brass. And not only SO, Isfeel himself,
because of iasproeidsnno, was compelled
to send tbither for supplies, and even
tually to ':go down into Egypt" in order
to perpetuate his own, and the lives OF
his posterity. Because of this violation
of the Divine order, (of course l speak
of natural thipgs) he md all his were
held in bondage to this, people upwards
of four hundred years. I speak in this
manner concerning this event, because
we are too apt to overlook natural causes
in trying TO ferret out the spiritual signiti'
catinn OF all passages in the Bible such
as this. Let us remember that this is a
historical record given for our learning
upon whom the end of the world has
come, and that Jacobs improvidence
was the CAUSE Of his posterity's bondage
and that ii we go contrary to the same
rule, like results will follow to U.s.
Turning aside from this line of reason
ing, and from illustrations drawn from
the Scriptures, we come nearer home
even within the range Of our own obser,
yation and experience, and what do we
see? That every man we have ever
known, without one single exception,
who has devoted his time and strength to
the cultivation of the cereals Il. c.) corn.
wheat, oats &C., and thus enabled to raise
his own stock, has succeeded in life-has
always had sulficiency of the things oi
this life to drive the wolf from his door,
and better still some to spare to his less
proyident countrymen; so that in the
course of decade of years he has been
enabled, though in many cases starting
from nothing, to rank as the most pros
porous man in his community. And ye'
again, these are the men to whom the
masses 60 when in strait to borrow
money with which to pay debts, or run
them another year. Let us analyze this
sentence. The man who works for q
living-for bread-has plenty, and to
spare, has money to lend. And all men
speak we'll of him because be has done
good for himself. 1 am strongly temp.
ted to give tho names of scores aud
hundreds known to myself, as examples,
but will refrain. 1t is enough to say that
they are in every neighborhood. And
ask my brother farmers to look them up
and follow their example in this respect
for in so doing you will place yourselves
in the channel through which flows the
current of success. But, says hundreds
of your readers, 1 am in debt, and am
obliged to raise cotton. And others, |
will have to give lien for supplies, aud
will have to plant cotton to get money to
pay for them. Such is the almost uni
versal cry and indeed the lot of all such
is a hard one. But how camo you in
debit How comes it that you have to
give a lien? Was it not caused from
planting cotton from working for money
instead of bread9 Most assuredly it
was in nine cases out of ten. Was it not
because of unholy aims, desire to be
rich rather than to live veil? I am sure
that is the cause. If those be the causes
of this almost hopeless condition, then,
in all conscience, let me ask if doing that
again, over and over, can ever relieve
you? Never, never. The only hope of
our rec nption from the evils existing
in this direction, is to turn aside from
former practices and unholy aims and
go to work to eat bread in tho sweat
of our face.
Let every farmer realize that the earth
upon which he lives has living in it
for him and his, and that if he would
secure it, he must agork for it. "In the
morning, then SOW thy seed, aud in the
evening withhold not thy hand" Sow
beside all waters" on the hill top, and
in the valleys. Plant oats, corn, pota.
toes, garden stuff in abundance, and
when done planting certainly enough of
these, then, and not till then, SOW your
cotton seed. "Work for the night is
coming" Work your crops in which
your living lies, "at early morn and dewy
eve," and cease not until its done, then,
and not till then, work your cotton for
money. "For the love of money is the
root Of all cvil.' In my next will say
something rs to the preparation Of land,
planting and cultivation of bread crops.