The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-05-24
BRAINS VS. MUSCLE.
THOUGHTS FOR INTELLIGENT
FARMERS.
No Trade or Calling, or Profess
sion That Requires More Knowl-
edge Pertaining to Business 8
Than Farming---Money and In
dependence in it When Right y
Pursued.

lCOrFeSDOHueuCe TiLlSUOTO Tu.l
There are many occupations and
positions that require but very little
muscle, and may be filled to perfect
ion by persons that are weak physi-
cally, or, in other words, have but
little strength or muscle. While on
the other hand, there are very few
trades, professions or situations, no
matter how much manual labor is re-
quired to perform them, that can be
carried on successfully without brains.
Especially SO with the farmer. He
has to use his brains as much as any
one else. We will admit that it takes
muscle to perform the work on the
farm, but without brains we would
,, not know that il was necessary to do
the work at all. We hear much of
self-culture education, ETC., for a high
er sphere. Now, we believe that there
is no trade, calling or profession that
requires any more knowledge pertain
ing to the business than farming.
knowledge is power !" Is it not
applicable to the farmer as much as to
any one else? Show US farmer that
mixes his brains with his labor and
we will show you one that makes
success of his business. On the other
hand, show US one that depends alto
gether upon his muscle, luck and the
moon, and we will show you one that
generally makes an elegant " fat"
In order to make success of tilling
the soil one must have purpose-a
certain, definite object in view. To
attain this object he must use his men,
tai or intellectual powers. All things
considered, and the soil properly
drained, fiat and shallow culture is
the best for corn it is also the cheap
est mode. In check culture, hills
should be three and one-half feet
apart, each way, with two stalks in the
hill. Drill culture, the rows should
be three and one-halt feet apart, and
from one to two feet apart in the drill.
We prefer drill culture for many rea-
,.
are standing alone the ears grow lar
ger and nearer of a size than when
crowded in hills. Another is that a
greater yield can be had from the
ground, especially where the land is
rich, for we can have two stalks to the
hill. Cultivation should nearly al
ways commence before the plants are
up. A small toothed harrow may be
used to good advantage, it will destroy
weeds and grass and leave the ground
in excellent tilth for the cultivation.
If the land has been plowed deep and
we'll pulverized when preparing it, it
is not necessary to cultivate very deep.
Corn needs little cultivation in one
sense, and yet good deal in another.
At no time does more than an inch of
the soil need stirring, and that only
for the purpose of killing weeds, ETC.,
and keeping the soil open, or to pre-
pare mulch on the immediate serface
to prevent the rapid escape of moisture
by evaporation. More stirring than
this is injurious. 1t does no good to
tumble the surface of the soil back
and forth, first to the corn and then
from it. 1t only helps to dissipate
the moisture, the main object in rails
ing good crop of corn is to keep it
free from weeds and grass by surface
cultivation, as the weeds, etc., draw
the moisture from the soil and choke
the crop. Continue to cultivate till
the corn shades the ground. Farm
life is self sustaining and preservative.
Some say farming does not pay, and
that everything costs more to produce
it than it is worth. Yet we live along,
and no honest farmer gets acquainted
with the sheriff or ends his days in
| poor house. But on the other hand,
[ the farmer is the bone and sinew Of
the country, upon whom all other
classes of people depend, and then
they are the most independent class OF
people in the world Farmers should
give their boys an agricultural edu
cation, SO they will know more about
business farming, then we would have
more good farmers, and | know we
would hear less about the farm not
paying. 1t has often been remarked
that almost anybody can get along
we'll at farming when there are no un
usual difficulties with which to con-
tend, but it requires a skillful manager
to reach high degree of success when
the conditions are unfayorable. The
truth of this principle has been proven
in numberless instances.
But, while it is true that the farmer
is, and always will be, to some extent
the victim of circumstances, it does
no, follow that he should be contented
to simply let things take their course
On the contrary, he should strive by
all the means in his power to over,
come the evils which threaten him
But too many of US are satisfied to &c
the usual round, do what We have
done in the past years, and await the
result with what hope and patience
We can command,
The Southern farmer has grown
cotton as special crop since the in
vention Of the gin. Almost every
section is engaged in cotton growing tc
the exclusion OF all other crops. The
West has furnished our meat and
bread, raised our horses and mules
manufactured nur wagons, plows, etc
, Long and many have been the year:
of depression to the farmer. But mis-
fortune has some compensations. Il
forces men to think, and thinking al
ways produces good fruit. Hard