The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-02-28
lMPRON Ed METHODS IN FARM.
ING.
Fri State Farmer and Gardener.


This is Il time when the world il
making great progress in every line,
whether III the way o! making life cas-
lc? and more comfortable O. III killing
people by land and sea-. Inventive .
genius is constantly at work and in .
every conceivable direction there is ,
Improvement in method and increase ,
III intelligence. The business of farm /
ing, too, has shared to some extent i'm
the progress. In the inventory of +
tools and implements there has been a !
very great advance; but we regret TO
say that in placing the business of |
farming on the basis of Il science or in |
general understanding of the principles /
and adoption of the best business !
methods, the progress, while very not !
able with few people, has not been
great with the vast ma )rty. But the
movement for really intelligent, bust
ness Farming is making good Roadway,
and every year the circle in which it
operates is Widening. In Il late issue
OF the Practical Farmer the question
was asked, sin what way has the pa
per helped you in your farm operations
during 1899? Have you found 1t a
profitable Investment? The replies to
the question, and they came from all
parts of the country, North, East,
South, and West, were very numerous
| We greatly regret that we have not
room TO publish, some of these letters:
| they make us more hopeful than any
thing we have seen, that in due time
| even the "avcragcn farmer will break
out of his shell and become intelligent,
| progressive and busincss-likc in his
methods, successful in his results and
be able TO live in a far more comfort.
able and less iaborous way.
The letters to the Practical Farmer
) oil show with one accord that whereas
the writer's had before made failures
in their business or been very moderate.
ly successful, that since they had read
and studied the paper, learned both
from The scientific writer's and the cN-
pcricncc of practical farmers both the
scientific principles and the actual sue.
ccssful methods of those who contrib
ute to its columns, they became sue
ccssfu and prosperous.
There are two ways of reading a
farm paper; first, careless, casual
Slancing over the contents, which
leaves no impression for good and cX-
cites no interest second, a careful
and critical way of reading what each
writer has to say, for the purpose OF
discovering whether he teaches any
thing of real value to the practical
farmer. Every one who reads in this
way is sure to learn IN every copy OF
the paper something that Is worth
4, than tho SnhSn i,,I e.,
4 whole year. Such readers of the pa
per learn that there is a good way and
Il bad way OF doing everything on tho
farm. That the difference between
good plowing and bad plowing ma,
add large per cent. to the value of {;
crop; that the difference between good
thorough cultivation, done in the best
possible manner and ut the proper
time, may determine whether there |,
to be Il good profit or an actual loss OF
a crop: that land may be SO plowcd an,
50 cultivated that neither droulh nol
excessive raiEs will materially inur,
the crop, that the proper making, car,
ol and use of manurcs may of ltscl
determine whether a farmer will max,
, money and live in comfort or be Il con
STAN loser, laborng hard and living il
discomfort.
But 1t IS not necessary TO 30 into al
the details of profit that may result
itom the proper reading OF Il g0oC
farmer. 1t can all be summed up in
the broad and general distinction tha,
exists in every calling on earth, be
tween Intelligence and ignorance. That
distinction is universally recognized
Even the most ignorant themselves
recognize and value it at its tue worth
The most ignorant negro on IL cotton
plantation, who owns Il coon dog, val
ues at its real worth the intelligence in
the animal that enables him to trail
and tree cOonS; or if he owns mule
that is suddenly taken with collie, looks
hurricdly for Il man who knows how &c
"docior" and cure him. In fact, nc
one but an actual idiot fails TO aDyrc.
ciate the value of Intelligence in any
calling in lie, as compared with ign0.
rance.
Since this is true, 1t is nothing short
OF beng wonderful that there is any
where in this progressive country, Il
single farmer who knows how to read
who does not subscribe for and study
diligently one or more good farm pa.
pcrs. Now that the subscription sea.
son has begun, we hope that every
farmer into whose hands this paper
casually falls, will think enough of the
benefits he may acquire from studying
it TO subscribe for 1t Cor year, and we
also hope that present subscribers will
do all they can TO induce others to take
the paper and read it, and thus aid the
great cause of promoting intelligence
and prosperity. Every one should for
his own sake aid in the general pro-
motion of intelligence and prosperity,
because the better Off and more intel.
llgent are all the people in a neighbor-
hood or country at large, the better Oft
and happier Is each individual.