The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-12-18
Does Farming Pay :?

At the November Farmers Club meet
ing Mr.. Alfred Kirk submitted state
ment to the meeting of the debit and
credit of IS acres of land for three years.
The first year was a wheat crop and the
two following years were hay crops. A
careful, itemized account had been kept
of the cost, and the land charged with its
proportion of tax. The result of the three
years crops was $I7S as net profit On a
$50 acre farm, if every foot of the land
were cultivated in this partial rotation of
crops, the farm would net $3.50, or $5e3,
IN round numbers, year, or 81. 90 a day
crediting the entire earning of the farm
up to one person. The farmers wife and
the other members of the family in the
meantime are working like team of
mules and if any pay is to go to them it
must be taken out of that $I.oo. But
there is more to add to the expense ac-
count. The family must be clothed and
boarded and it has all to be taken out of
that $I.9o day. And there was no in
surance OH buildings, stock and crops,
which a careful farmer will have. We
will not attempt to itemize these expenses
Every family ought to do that or be able
to. There is still another expense not
often thought of by the ordinary farmer.
There is per centage of wear and tare
inherent to every business. The buildings,
fences, implements, etc., are steadily
deteriorating, the horses must be kept
shod and the blacksmith has a bill at the
end OF the year against every farmer.
None of these expenses were taken out of
that SITS, or $I.9o per day, which the
farmer must draw on to meet.
1t is true the shifty farmer and prudent
wife pick up large part of the family
living on the farm that it is impossible to
take fair account of, but the farmer is
subject to many losses that are not easily
itemized. He loses much by unfavorable
weather, insects, death or loss of an ami
NAL occasionally, deterioration of farm
stock, &c.
And the wheat crop this estimate was
based on was 80 bushels to the acre. This
is very large yield, requiring very fav-
orable year. The average yield though
out the country is about u bushels, and
If the State of Maryland alone, or even
Cecil county. be taken the average will
tall far below 80 bushels per acre. Or if
any one farm, the best in the county, is
taken for five years the average crop will
fall considerably below 80 bushels per
acre. All of these facts and others, per-
haps, must be taken into consideration in
arriving at the truth of, "does farming
pay? p" the subject under discussion by
the club.
Several of the members attempted to
say they were satisfied that farming paid
mite 1t will depend on what people,
farmers especially, are pleased to consider
paying business, and a good many seem
to be satisfied with next thing to nothing
being fair paying profit. Farming does
pay as well as manufacturing or anv
other productive industry outside of the
monopolies or trusts, which amounts to
saying that it docs not pay at all. One
farmer, one mechanic, one manufacturer,
ETC., out of thousand make paving
strike. This holds good in every line of
business, but such isolated cases do not
establish rule.
Now look at the industries that are not
productive industries; the people who
receive salaries, interest, annuities, fees,
etc, etc, those who do not add to the
wealth of the country, but consume the
products of the wealth makers Compare
the men who receive 81 900, SI,5oo
$4,000 and $1,000 a year salary, or of
interest. with the $I.oo a day farmer.
Leave out Sundays and their per diem is
50. S.. S., $40. day almost. Here is
clear case of one-half the community
living off the other half literally eating
their flesh and drinking their blood. And
yet some farmers try to console them
selves and say, well, farming does pay