The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-11-18
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB.
What Isa Good Farmer .
Reported for The Egis.


Reported for The Egis.
The Deer Creek Farmers Club met at the
residence of +. w. Baker, in Bel Air, on Satur-
day, Nov. 10Th. The President, Mr.. ID. G.. w.
Smith, being absent from the county, MIR. John
B. Wysong was called to the chair, MIR. X. Har
ris Archer being Secretary. The host read the
following extract from the American Farmer
entitled 7What Is a Good Farmer2" This fur.
nished the theme for discussion:
1.-The usual reply is the man that raises good
crops uniformly and that makes money. Thls
is true in one sense, but in another it is entirely
| false. Any good worker with average judg
ment can get good crops from rich lands. Ii
| is, however, no test of skill, Judgment, ol
energy. The really good farmer is the mar
| that raises good crops on lands that were natur
| ally or incidentally poor. 1t may be that the
| crops of wheat and corn yield less per acre, but
| in series of 10 years will be of n higher aver
\ age than on the lower and more fertile lands
| I'he man that improves a farm and produces
| good crops is entitled to the credit of being q
| good farmer all the time and in any country
| b. Frank Hanway said he would define
| good farmer to be one who takes poor land
| raises good crops, Keeps everything around
him neat and in order and at the same time i'm
| proves his land.
! JOS b. Hanway argued that to be Il gooC
| farmer man must carry on the business sys
| tematically. He should keep record of al
his farming operations, of his bills payable anG
bills receivable, so that at the end of the year
| he would know what he had done. He should
| once year make an inventory of all his per
| sonal property. He should have a memorials
\ dunn book and in going over his farm should
| note what requires attention and by doing this
| things would not be neglected. AT the end OF
| the year a farmer who had u complete record
| of his farm work and expenses might see where
| i'll he might improve.
| John Moores remarked that if farmer had
to itemiZe every thing he would get diScour.
| aged He had better be picking up stones.
| X. III. Archer said it would be good idea fol
| a farmer to make an inventory every year. II
| would prevent loss of articles
| VIM Nunnikhuysen said farmer ought to
know what he is doing but keeping account OF
| little details takes too much time; man who
1 Improves his land, Keeps his buildings in good
repair, his fences i'll good order, his fence rows
| clean and raises good crops is a good farmer.
Mr.. Munnikhuysen agreed with another
| neatness OH a farm might be carried too far,
| and said that these things could not be done
protitably by hiring great number OF hands
but should be done gradually, with ordinary
| farm force. Every time field Is worked stone
| should be picked Off and soon they would be
no longer in the way; The proper prepara-
E. P. Moores said that man can be called a
good farmer who keeps everything in order,
plows, sows, cultivates, reaps and sells at the
| right time. Many good farmers are halnpered
| by debt and can not hire men to do the things
which would make their farms look better and
which would add to their reputation as farm.
ers. If farmer kept u complete record OF
every thing he would probably be Disguised al
the end of the year. The good farmer Is the
successful farmer.
S. A. Williams said in determining what is 4
good farmer it depends upon what you are
| seeking. farmer who takes q well-estab-
| ished farm, conducts it through series OF
| years. keeps it up and shows good returns is
called a good farmer. Another who improves
| II po,r farm and makes it yield him living
also might be called good farmer. Another
to improve It keeps out of debt is called a good
| farmer. If asked which of these good farmers
| is the best | should say the man who makes d
success through farming alone-whO supports
his farm and makes it yield him a living. Such
| a man is really doing the most good to the
State. Much can be accomplished with the aid
of intelligence, but some men who cannot read
nor write are good farmers, in spite of theiI
| want of method. a farmer who keeps ac.
counts is enabled to cut down expenses here
and there, and make his farming more success
| full.
John Moores said good farming can not al
ways be measured by success. The best FARM
er he ever knew in Hartford county died in
debt. Business management comes in as one
of the qualities of good farmer. A man may
be an excellent tiiler of the soil and raise good
crops but lack the capacity to manage and
everything would go back. By capacity he
| cation, skill to manage labor, to know when to
buy and when to sell. Some farmers have a
great advantage over others In not having to
| grub ditch or pick off stones. Another farm.
err. who does all these things gets no credit for
his work and yet may be the better farmer OF
| the two.
Robert F. Hanna said good farmer is a
man who takes place that is poor and out OF
repair, improves it, raises good crops and fixes
up the place. 1t is not always the man who i;
out of debt who is the best farmer.
s. NJ. Lea man who can make his land
improve itself is good farmer.
James w. Hanna.-The man who makes the
most money from his farm is the best as well
as the most successful farmer.
X. Harris Archer said that the circumstances
surrounding man have much to do with the
estimate of a mans success. A man who
makes living for n family of five or six chill.
dren, keeps everything in comparatively good
shape for 20 years without getting in debt
could be called good farmer Another a
might at the end of % Years have his farm in
better shape than the other man, but it would
not follow that he was better farmer. Likes
to see a farm nicely fixed up but this extreme
neatness may be carried beyond a point where
it will be profitable to the farmer. A man
should never go in debt to secure it.
VIM. ID. Lea man who makes commu-
nifty better by having lived in it is the best
farmer. man who can take an average
farm, raise good crops and keep out of debt is
good farmer.
L. E. Swartz said it means a great deal to be
good farmer. A man may be good farmer
and not make money, because of the expense
of providing for large family. If a man
keeps his farm in neat order, the buildings in
repair and his work done in the best manner
and at the proper time he should be called a
good farmer.
Thomas Lochary defined good farmer to be
man who is always trying to learn. 4 good
farmer keeps correct accounts of all his farm
work. There is no way of learning so rapidly
as by mans own experience, and if a man
has something to which he can refer to refresh
his memory his own experience is more valua-
BILE to him. A good farmer observes how his
brother farmers do their work and also profits
by their experience, which is the cheapest eX-
perience a man can get.
james +. Kenly, answering the question d.
rectly, he would say that man who keeps his
farm in tirst-class condition, his buildings and
fences in repair his fields clear of weeds and
stones who gets his land in high state of cul-
tivation and keeps it so, might justly be called
good farmer. 1t is not always the man who
fn,-
He knows farmers who do their work in Il
rough way and make more money than neat
farmers. They are satisfied to raise poor crops.
They may be called successful farmers but
not good farmers. With regard to keeping
farm accounts u different system, he thought,
would have to be devised from that commonly
used i'll other branches of business.
Harry Wilson said there is Il difference be-
tween good farmer and successful one. A
good farmer is one who raises good crops, keeps
his farm up to the standard, and tries to make
it provide for itself. All farmers should keep
IL strict cash account. A farmer might make
good crops buG his expenses might over-bal-
depends upon his situation and whether he has
large or small family to support.
John B. Wysong said that if two farmers
would begin with an equal amount of capital,
the same kind of land and with equal expenses,
the man who is the most successful at the end
of u given period is the better farmer, although
his farm may not be as neatly kept as the other.
A farmer may be so neat and particular as to the
details of his work as to lose money by it. AS
rule, however, the good farmers are the sue
cessful ones. The failure of many good farm
ers is because their expenses are greater than
the products of their farms sell for. 1t seems
difficult to devise a good system of keeping
farm accounts.
s. A. Williams, from committee previously
appointed to enquire whether some suggestions
| could be made with regard to the improve
ment of our roads and the reduction of coun-
ty expenses, asked that the committee be con-
tinued until more light can be had OH the sub
ject. The committee was continued.
Among the quests were Mr.. VIM L.. McGill,
of Washington, and Mr.. Frank E. Gorrell.
The next meeting will take place at Walkers
Hotel, on Saturday, December Sd, at o'clock,
p. NJ.