Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-07-08
A Philosopher Who is Also a
Farmer, a New Conner to Our
State, Writes a Thought
full Article.

Iul ArIlclc.
! EDITOR ADVERTISER: For any
unsel6sh man feeling himself
above bowling to money god, or
notselely bent upon avarice, to
tear away from old associates and
friends, with a tolerably clear COM
prehension of individual duty to
society, and to settle il your State
where he is disfranchised during
two or three years, is sufficient to
cause the blues. But since being
informed by "Uncle Ben" that
Blue Branch near him will drive
away the blues, take courage and
l may be pardoned for the though hi
that one public duty is to write
you again.
1 see that 1 have cast my lot in
a very good farm community with
a fair average farm citizenship;
some of my neighbors express it
as sin Gods c ,untry.' I feel that
with the numerous churches and
Sunday schools We have among us
God most surely does not disown
the Chotee section of old Edge
field. This section, like other farm
communities. at present is driving
away any misapprehensions of fu-
ture finance &C., of county, state
or national government, with ,'len-
ty of faithful hard licks against
grass, and for the "touchups" TO
money crop as we'll as to the hon.
my crop for hcg and man. Yes
these touchups" to the growing
crops whcre the grass is about SUBJ
duel afford the genuine farmer
much inspiration to labor on
through these hot long days with
out murmur, because he is con-
scious thot he is a factor accom-
plishing something.
One year ago a friend who came
in at noon plainly wearied almost
to exhaustion, surprised me by
jumping up popping his heels to-
gether and exclalming II do love
to plow to kill the grass and to see
the crop grow" He realized that
he was thus coiqueror and ben
efactor, and no doubt enjoyed to
some extent the reflex honor and
influence of sneh characters. The
surroundings of the farmer are
we'll calculated to develop indi-
viduality of character. Human eff
forts become higher and better
when feeling an Individuality and
responsibility. Such appreciation
adds greatly to the moral force of
communities without which real
true prosperity Is impossible. Yes,
every one feels that he has some
duties which he owes the public
aud society, but it is not always
clear to him now or when to per
form them. Yet every farmer
serves society when preserving the
soil under his charge. Like my
frlcrd above, by taking a lively in
terest in what we are doing we are
entertained and the more inter
ested even while at hard work.
No man can be good servant
and feel the pleasure that is due
him in that service unless he takes
an interest in his work. No one
can appreciate tue many resources
of the farm home or comprehend
the leaks that destroy those. re-
sources unless he takes pride in
his avocation rs farmer. Having a
pride IN our labors we increase our
efforts more faithfully 10 accom-
plish better results which i'll turn
give us more satisfaction. Let this
spirit possess the laborer. crop
per. tenant, employer or landowner
and they will exert themselves
more to avoid some of the serious
drawbacks on the farm. All will
be more impressed that the
many gullies, sunbaked, plow, or
wash-exhausted spots present a
very unpleasant sight in viewing
the crop over, and are source of
many hard licks to no profit. On
1 most of such spots the yield is not
equal to the manure and seed used
much less giving return for the
work done, tilling the cotton crop.
This fact, recognized by the inter-
ested and intelligent to such an
extent as to cause a Topping off
these spots, would be of great value
to Tie country; for while these
spots are worked at loss to the
producer they increase the general
cotton crop many bales thereby