The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-02
The Curse of Debt.

Ication, but as an evidence Of good faith.
The Curse Of Debt
The farmer in debt, says the Farmers
Review, must be exceedingly careful of his
credit. First, he should buy on credit as lit
tie as possible. The man who spends his
money before he gets it is always at dis
advantage, for as soon as he gets any
money some hand is reaching for it, and he
no sooner hasit than it is gone. l think the
farmer is more tempted to run In debt than
almost any other man, because dealers are
so willing to trust him, for his farm is a
good basis for security and it is property
which cannot be hidden or carried away.
The sooner you can establish the habit of
paying cash down for everything
you buy, the better for you, for IF
you do this you will often deny your
self many things which you can do with
out IL will require fimrness and self-denial
to buy only what you can pay for, but
without it you are in danger of getting into
the habit of buying on time and keep your
self always in debt. There are many
things which are desirable to have, but not
which tho farmer who is in debt must learn
to do without. 1t is good plan, whenever
you reach the conclusion that you need to
make an expenditure, to postpone action
until you sleep, and then talk the matter
over with your wife. Often little cool re-
Fiction will save your mourning a debt
which you will find burdensome and cause
for regret. / knew young farmer some
years ago who was badly in debt, and so
situated that he must hire all work done
that he could not do himself, who bought a
500 fruit evaporator in year when fruit
was plenty. A few days running it with
hired help showed that he could not make
expenses, and it was set away and has not
been used for ten years, but during all that
time ne has been paying interest on its cost.
Another case which came under my notice
was a young farmer paying S35 for a force
pump and rubber hose to water his sweet
potato bed, and finding it did not pay it was
thrown aside after a single year. l could
multiply instances which illustrate the
truth l wish to enforce, which is to make
no outlay which is unnecessary, but it is
only needful to call attention to it, for
the man who keeps his eyes open will see
in his own neighborhood plenty of illustra-
tons.
Another help to getting out of debt is to
make the farm produce as far as possible
the family supplies. l know farmers in debt
who depend on the butchers for almost the
entire supply of meat. Others who have
large families take no pains to have vegeta-
bles, fruits, poultry, ETC., and are even care
less about a constant and regular supply of
milk and butter. Now, it is easy to plan SO
that there shall be a small, steady income to
meet the little outgoes, and the most pros
porous farmers l have ever known were
those who rarely go to town without pack
age of butter, basket of eggs, some poul-
try, fruit or vegetables to help pay the
bills. There is great failure to live up to
the privileges of the farm as we'll as to Sc
cure its profits, to the man who does not
look after the many small sources of supply
and income which the farm furnishes The
most important advice l can give to the
farmer in debt | believe to be to put more
of thought into the work of his farm, and
what | mean by this is that you should de-
eide upon plan which is adapted to your
land, your locality, and your own taste and
capacity. Half the farm management with
which am familiar is of such a character
thot any man could see that it would fail of
profit, because the owners are not studying
to know what is best for them, but only
trying to copy after some one else. There
is also lack of persistency and DISPOSE
ton to change the plan Of management too
often. There are few localities where some
line of farming can not be chosen that will
prove profitable, but in choosing we must
act deliberately and wisely, and having
chosen must adhere persistently to our
plans. Lastly, we must not grow discouraged
if our progress is slow. The position of a
farmer out of debt and with farm in good
condition as regards fertility, buildings,
fences, ETC., is one worth a long struggle,
and know no man more to be envied than
the one who between the age Of 10 and so
finds himself in this condition.