Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-09-26
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Are We Making Farming Profitable 2

Farming in its fullest sense is the
cultivation of the soil with reference
to the production Of vegetables, and
the conversion OF portion OF them in
animals and variety of forms which
are best adapted to the wants OF man.
Every farmer does not farm in the
fullest sense of theword. Cultivating
the most leading crops, selling or feed
ing them to the various kinds OF farm
stock, are the branches most common
ly practiced. Now the question arises
are we in these making it profitable.
We may cultivate many acres and
raise large crops; we may raise, feed
and sell much stock and yet not be maxi
ing it profitable To raise larger cops,
the expense OF producing them may
be greater than the value OF the prod
uct; the draught on the soil may be in
excess of the supply of fertility; it may
be improperly sold or cared for; 1t may
be injudiciously fed, thus making
farming Improbable.
1t is expected that the professional
man is, or should be, well educated and
we'll schooled in his business, or else
he can not succeed, that the merchant
deal in the best brand of goods, that he
must keep an accurate account OF all
expense, loss and gain that he may see
if he is making his business profitable;
by this he can see on what he makes
the most profit that he may deal in
these more largely.
These qualifications seem indispen-
sable to the merchant and all profess
sional men. 1t is equally as much so
with the farmer. His is not a business
to be carried on successfully by the
unlearned or indolent any more than
any other occupation of life. The
farmer must not only be industrious
but must be studious; his mind, his
thoughts must be in his business The
crops, the stock and household econ
omy should be his chief occupation.
He should keep an accurate account
of all his business, the expense, loss
and gain, in what particular branch OF
| his business he is most successful.
what crops are most profitable foi
him to raise, the most profitable dis,
position to make of them; the best
and most profitable stock to raise, and
how best to dispose of them. Farmers
are too careless in regard to keeping
an account of their business, conse'
| quently they often raise crops that are
| not profitable, and raise and feed stock
at an expense. There are few crop;
that are profitable to raise and sell of
the farm. From my experience in grow
ing vegetables, / see many farmers
grow and sell vegetables at less thar
the cost to grow them. 1t puts little
money in their pockets at the time
but they were no better off than i
they had not raised them; in fact, no
as well off. Unless the farmer keeps
an account of the expense in growing
]. q crop he will overlook this and sci
blindly.
Many farmers, if they would for ont
year keep an accurate account OF tn,
expense of each crop they were grow
ing, would be surprised to find The
profit of one crop consumed in de
fraying the expenses of another, al
though they may make a considerabl
profit on their entire farms. Whea
sown on clover sod | believe can b.
sold off to profit, most especially t.
grind the wheat and sell the flour ant
feed the bran, which, by the way,is tn
most profitable way to dispose o
wheat even if bran is sold, too. TIL
clover sod should be turned under fou
or five weeks before sowing; the whea
will make heavier crop by SO doing
but it is profitable to sell Glove
hay, or at least it would yield
greater profit to feed it to farm
stock. BY knowing the feeding valu
of a crop and the value of the manur
produced from it, farmer can otte
make calculation what crop can b
sold off at profit or to sell one GRO
and buy another.
In order to know whether we al
making farming profitable. we shoul
know what it costs to raise ever
bushel of wheat, corn and oats, ever
pound of grass and clover in ever
thing we raise. The farmer shoul
know how many pounds of feed it TAKE
to feed his stock, and to fatten his stoc
for market. If he knows what it cos
him to raise every bushel of feed, ar
then knows how much he has fed an
knowing how much his stock is wort
before he commences feeding or to ia
ten, and knows the value OF the mi
: nure produced by his stock and VIII
he has received he can tell wheth'
farming is profitable to him. Tho
ID. Baird, in Southern Cultivator.