Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-04-05
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
The Business of Farming.

The successful farmer, East and |
West North or SOUTH is the one who
devotes himself most diligently to the
business of agriculture. He should |
not delegate his work to others. nor
fancy that toll of mind or body for
which he pays can efficiently take the
place of that which he himself might
perform. The man who attempts to
live by any other profession or bust
ness, finds that THE first condition of
success lies in his full understanding
Of his work and his complete devotion
to it, The lawyer the physician. the
merchant, the manufacturer, the arti-
san, the chemist all devote them
selves solely to the vocations that
they have chosen. all pursue the lines
of labor before them faithfully. stu
diously. with unilagging industry; and
in direct proportion 10 the industry
and singIeness Of purpose of each does
he excel in the work he undertakes, I
or achieve the object that he has set
before his life to attain. The same
rule holds good of the farmer. His
thoughts and his interests should all
center about his farm, his stock and
his crops. His farm should be his
first interest and occupation; all other
matters in which he engages should
subo rlinate themselves completely to
that.
BY this we do not mean that farm
err should become dumb slave to his
work. We do not mean that he should
make of himself a mere draught-horse.
toiling early and late under the self
inflicted goad of avarice or stupidity,
even rs his OK and horse labor for him.
We do not mean that he should toll,
as farmers we know have done. I'M
remittingly, increasingly, allowing
themselves neither physical or mental
recreation, in their eager desire to ac-
cumulate wealth, until the health of
both mind and Lody had become i'm
paired, and their ono desire was
thwarted by the very persistence of
their effort, to obtain it
No. the life of slavish toll that many
farmers lead is not only unwise. but
wholly unnecessary. A fair degree of
effort intelligently directed. will al
WAYS secure TO him, if the conditions of
soil and surroundings are at all favor
able. more than living competence.
A farmer has it in his power to secure
more of case and comfort, during the
time when he is amassing his fortune,
than the member of any other occupa-
ton. He is more independent than
any othor man, as entirely independent
as any man can be in civilized society.
The enjoyment to DO derived from
pure air, fresh fruits and flowers.
and all the beautiful things in nature,
that other men seek at cost of ex-
penditure of time and money, may be
part of his everyday life. The con-
ditions of real pleasure and comfort
are his in far greater degree than is
granted to most of mon of other voca-
tons, the question is how fully he will
avail himself of these conditions 10
make his daily happiness.
Generally speaking, the more in
telligent farmer is, the more con-
tented and successful is he. The man
who most thoroughly understands,
not only the nature of the soil he
tills. the character and value
of all plants and other things
directly connected with agriculture,
but other departments of knowledge
as well, and especially the nature and
needs of men. will, other things being
equal. prove the most succe ssful
farmer. We never yet knew an
ignorant man who was a good farmer
throughout, The most truly success
full workers in agriculture read and
ponder and understand. With minds
active and devoted to their business,
they are ever ready to search for in
formation wherever it is to be found,
in books or papers, and to profit by
its practical use. Aud the further
they search into the realms of science
the more thoroughly do they see that
the mine of useful knowledge re-
vealed by the proper study
Of agriculture aid the rela-
tive physical sciences is we'll nigh in.
exhaustible. Book farming" i:
often spoken of with great contempt
but this contempt is wholly un-
deserved. Books on farming con
tain the experience gained by many
practical farmers through direct con
tact with their work for many years.
He who reads and profits by the los.
sons which these men learned saves
himself not only the time spent
in learning these things by the slow
process of experience, but time, labor,
and money often lost through the
mistakes of ignorance. Every man,
then, who puts his hand to the pillow,
should be, in every wis, and reason
able sense, book farmer. Il. Lewis,
IN Rural and Workman.