The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-25
AUNT JENNIE'S LETTER.

CinClnnatuS letter, u
last week, appears in this issue. Our
farmer boys should profit by the
lessons it contains. IF there is a
class of people who should study to
make their business pay and at the
same time find pleasure and profit in
it. it is the farmer boys. If by study
ing the best methods of farming you
can learn to make two barrels Of
ccrn grow where formerly n only
could be gathered, do you not think
your time would be profitably spent?
There is no occupation SO fraught
with pleasure to him who tolls as
farming. But you say that it is such
hard work and you have so little
liberty. Do you suppose for one
moment that there lives a man who
has been faithful in all things and
made a success of his life work who
has not felt just as you feel? Long
hours, little liberty, and hard work,
are essential elements in the begin
ing of all success. In the winter
when you + resting, the lawyer or
doctor is studying. No relaxation
from his task. Patients do not call
the doctor out at certain seasons.
He cannot study this present case
next week. It must be done at once
or there may be no occasion to study
it at all, while you can learn this
week just how you should plant such
and such things next year and find
out what kind of soil is best adapted
to certain crops which will be Of
much benefit to you the year follow
ing.
Of all professions that of farming
is the most independent. You have
no boss to say you shall work GER
tain hours, rain or shine, sick or
we'll or your place must be filed by
a man who will. There are few bills
to pay-that is, if you have learned
to produce what is consumed at
home. But if you are following the
old ruts and have your granary in
one State and your smoke house in
another and your horses fed from
the fields of still another, bills will
worry you continually. And if you
own your farm now, my word for it,
it will not be long before some n
else will own it. You have it in
your power to either be your own
landlord or allow some other man or
corporation to dictate tOyOu. Which
will you do, be independent Or de-
pendent?
Let your boy learn all the i'm
proved methods of farming. hear
you say, "Well, Ihave succeeded and
he can do as I have done; it is the
same land" Yes, it is the same land
and right here lies the trouble. A
large portion of it is worn out and
must be renewed in order that boun-
tiful harvests may be secured. You
did not learn this. It was not neces-
sary that you should. But times
have changed. Competition is sharp.
Prices are not what they once r
Other mems sons are studying and
will get for their thoughtfulness the
best harvests. Can you afford to
have your boy behind in the race, or
will you help him to win?
He is bright, and can with d little
help from you make a success of al
most anything he undertakes, and
the farmers feed the world. We
must eat and somebody must make
what we eat. Right here I must
saws something about the false pride
of many farmers sons. A great
many people in the cities and towns
we're raised in the country and are
always ready to buy fresh country
Droduce and if, when you are get
ting ready to go to town, you would
take with you some thing to sell,
YOU would not only increase the con-
tents of your pocketbook but be
he7ping some anxious hOusekeeper to
get fresh articles of food. It might
not be much, but cents make dollars
and dollars make eagles. Despise
not the day of small things. There
must be a beginning or there is {
never any accumulation. You saw J
that if it is known that you carry {
something to sell every time you go {
to town somebody will talk about il