The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-11-08

ural sections causes most of this COM
petition, the writer says.
But the farmer who has faith in his
business (and all should have faith),
NAV easily head off this trouble by the
employment of labor-saving machinery
and implements. In such implements
aud machinery there has been made
astonishing progress of late. But the
simple employment of these advantaS-
es is not enough-good farming born
of the best intelligence must be asSoci-
ated with their use. A machine may
do its work to perfection, but 1t can
not think. We may do most of the
labor on the farm by machinery, but
it calls for brain power to make the
machine put it in where it is needed,
and when it is needed.
The farmer must have faith in his
business, and under the stimulus of
this must exert himself to not only
drive it to success by every available
means, but to drive it to better sue
cess each year. Good farming pays,
hut it NAV be made something more
than mere good farming. With this
in view should be directed the farmers
thought and skill. 1t is the demand OF
the age.
The old idea of farming. and for its
| time the correct idea, was that it was
mainly hard work. The method of
farming ran mainly in ruts, and when
man got into one of these all he had
to do was to pull ahead. He need not
even plan. The rut was all sufficient
to direct his course. The man who
| got up earliest, worked hardest and
longest, made the most money. He
| was bv these facts the good farmer,
and therefore successful.
| Hard work never has been and never
will be entirely eliminated from tilling
the soil Thorns and thistles and
/ weeds it produces, as it has always
done, and it is still in the sweat of the
| brow that the toll tiller eats his bread.
But we have relieved the farmer from
more toll than would once have been
thought possible, only it operates pref
tv impartialIy upon farmers of all class
es. The better farming now needed
must be the individual work and
thought of the farmer himself. If he
can not plan. calculate, and judge
about the details of his business, he is
| in no better shape for success than his
uuskilled competitors, who perhaps
work harder and for less wages than
he.
Can American farmers maintain
their civilization, culture, and interest
in all that concerns humanity while in
competition with semi-barbarous COM
petitors? There is no more important
! question than this before the American
public to-day. 1t far transcends the
pretty disputes of political partisans
about the spoils of Office. The AD'eri-
can Culticator believes they can and
that is can be done only through such
improvements in farm stock of every
kind, and in methods of manuriHg,
understanding. and cultivation, rs to
enormously increase the value of all
our agricultural products. Possibly
in some things 1t may be impossible
for us to hold our own. These the
| skilled farmer will avoid-he will con
fine his operations to such things as he
is sure can be made to pay, and run nt
risks Of course there are two ways
of paying-one thing may pay direct
ly, and something associated with il
may pay Indirectly. To properly cal
culate OH the results that may work
out from these is where comes in the
great call for an exercise of intelligent
thought.