Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-10-07
interview With a Farmer.

interview WIN q i oAMoA'
The Religious Herald" of Richmond OF
Thursday last publishes the following IL
terAiew with Maj. A. Fl. Drewry, a s"c-
cessful farmer:
We met, few day ago; Major A. H.
Drewry, one of the most successful farmers
in Virginia. He said to us: 81 have hso
oppor tunities to go into other lines OF busi-
ness, but have stuck to farming for the
pure love have for it. 1t is the most de-
lightful and most independent life man
can lead. There is less Of temptation to
evil in it and more to turn ones thoughts to
his Crestor than in any other business one
can follow"
"But you can't make any money in
it,"
Mai. Drewry: ''Yes, can. All have
I made by farming, and know many 9TH
ers who can say as much about themselves
But grant you to succeed in farming
man has to watch every point, and give
earnest, personal attention to it; and he
must adapt himself to the changed exigen-
cies of the hour. He will 60 to ruin sure,
| if he follow in the footsteps, of his fathers,
who owned their laber and raised crop OF
slaves. They could afford to farm as they
did, since their wealth was largely in their
slaves. To begin, it never pays to Guilt
yate Door lana. If the land will not repay
cultivation, man must be an idiot to culti-
vate it. He had better be asleep or at play
Let him go at something else and not pre-
tend to farm at ALL Then we must use
machinery as far as practicable, and thus
reduce the cost of labor. There is great
waists here. A man often employs two or
three hands to do what could be better
done by one with machinery, which would
be inexpensive, or comparatively So"
"What else, Majol?'
| Msjor Drewry: 'Instead of putting all
the eggs into one basket by cultivatine
large crops of corn, wheat and tobacco,
which give SO much work at certain Pc
RODS, and none at others, it is for better to
mix in other crops, which will give en-
7ployment the year round. Raise good
stock, hogs, horses, butter, poultry, etc
These things come in at all seasons, and
ones barn will then be his bank. Then al
J your expenses come in you will have some
thing to meet them. This will keep thu
farmer at home and keep him interested il
, his farm and family. When it is all cottor
or corn or wheat you are greatly pressed
J for time, and then comes season OF res
which is not good for farmer. He hat
| better keep at it the year round and not b.
so much rushed at one season. 1t is going
, to be better for the farmers-bound to b.
better. Farming is going to pay we'll. II
the long run the farmers vocation will b.
best. 1t brings us nearer to God, as said
, than any other calling. All one has to d.
is to stay at home and keep at work, AM
trust to Providence, and he will come on
all right. But be sure, I beg you, to urg
your Religious Herald farmers to diversif!
their crops. One great thing is to rais
good stock and good horses. Too man.
people are content to raise scrub cattle
Better have one good cow than three O.
four mean Ones"
"Bsfore the war, when farmers came tt
Richmond, what attention was paid tt
theml They were then the great power
They had the money and the great mer-
chants patronized them then. But now the
city is rich and the country is poor, and the
city people do not waste much time upon
the poor farmer; but it is a long lane that
has no turn, and am looking now to the
turn, when farmers will begin to come to
the front. No farmer works as successful
merchant does.
| A merchant will work all day and write
up his books at night, and watch every
point and know where he stands every hour.
Many people call themselves farmers who
know nothing about their business. II
farmers would work as men in other call
ings do they would be as rich as others.
You will see them hanging around public
places, and fooling away their time when
thoy ought to be at work at home. Some
of them, mean.'
"You belong to the Farmers Alliance, OF
COURSE"
Maj. Drewry: "No, sir, do not need to
belong to any such alliance. 1t can do me
no good. I need no office. have no axe
to grind. am eating to be an old man,
and I have seen things like this come up
many a time, and have seen them run by
mon who had nothing in common with a
sure enough farmer. believe in farmers
combining, but d. rot believe in being
run by q miserable set of old hacks who
will fleece the farmers just as the carpet
Dagger did the negroes at the close of the
war. They are doing it now, and their
zeal for the poor farmer is hollow pre-
tense. Those who choose TO bs run by such
fellows may follow them, but would des-
pise myself to do go. OF course have
nothing to say against the good men of the
order. They have my best wishes. It's
only the raecals that denounce and the
impostors."