The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-30
FARMING IN VIRGINIA.

kcntuCklan UdNtiiIHS pN'"
Louisa and Richmond. says the Louisa
News. pointed to the bad fencing the
old field pines and the large fields OF
broom straw with the ironical remark
that that is very pretty farming The
Louisa News in commenting on this re-
mark saws that these estates used 70
present a better appearance, but that me
farmers can't do pretty farming now o"-
ing to worthless labor Increasing taxa
ton. and the refusal on the part Of or
lawmakers to protect them by up-to-
date laws.
That is one view. Here is another from
DR.. Charles w. Dabney. president OF the
University Of Tennessee. which institu-
ton has a department designed 20 edu-
cate farmers. DR.. Dabney has recently
written an article on the subject of farm
ing. and he does not say that "up-to-date
laws" have anything to do with the
farmers success. In his opinion the sue
cessful farmer is the man who grows the
best and finest things. the richest fruits
and the freshest vegetables. or the man
who manufactures his farm produce TO
the highest degree before he sells them.
'It is not the man." says he, VINO
grows corn and oats and sells them in
the grain that makes the most money
but the man who feeds them to good
stock and converts them into the best
meat milk and butter"
orr farmers have heard for so long
a time that free silver was necessary
| to their prosperity that some Of them
have almost despaired, having come TO
the conclusion that 1t is no use to work.
so long as the country is under the gold
standard But good, discreet. intelligent
business farming will pay under the gold
standard. and careless. slipshod. anti
quated farming will not pay under any
| standard. In the business world mer-
| chants and manufacturers find that they
| must make their business conform to new
| conditions. Competition is so keen that
| every man is always racking his brain
| 70 know how he can make or sell given
article better and cheaper than his COM
petitors. Such men are always studying
business conditions, always studying the
wants and tastes of the people, always
| studying modern methods. always study
| ing economy, in short, they live in the
living present and do business according
| TO the most improved methods. What
would become Of the old time merchant
or manufacturer. If he should attempt to
| compete wit, the latter day hustler, en-
ploying the same methods that he en-
ployed fifty years ago. He would be
| curiosity and a laughing stock in the
community. Yet there are farmers
hundreds and thousands Of them all
| through Virginia. who farm as their
| fathers farmed. who never read farm
magazine, who know little about the
| character Of the soil which they cult
yate. who do not understand its chemi-
cal ingredients and what sort Of ferti-
| lizer IT needs. who never think OF In
| ouiring into commercial conditions VINO
| never consult the wants Of the people,
| but 20 on year I'm and year out making
| the same crops in the same old way
and when they do not succeed they blame
| it on the government.
| We do not say this harshly, but in sor-
row. The successful farmer Of the day
must be an educated farmer, and he
must farm on business principles, or he
| cannot hope to succeed. There is a pop
ular belief that when a man Is not fitted
to do anything else he may make money
| at farming.
| Never a greater mistake. There is no
| branch Of industry under the sun thu.
requires more intelligent supervision, or
| that will respond more readily to intelli-
gent work than farming. The Intelligent
farmer will succeed, and the farmer who
does not understand his business Will
fail, without reference whatever TO leg
| slation.