The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-12-04
FARMERS MUST LEARN.
The Governments Investigations into the
Methods Of American Farming.

cANNcNS NUS4 AEANN"
The Governments Investigations into the
Methods Of American Farming.
The government at Washing
ton during the passing year has
made a special study of the
methods of the American farmer
and has discovered some very
useful facts. This study has
been made with the view of dis
covering the weak points OF
farming as a business and tc
suggest practical remedies fo1
the defects. The report as civ
en- to the public is full of valua'
bic information. 1t points out
many of the reasons why the
average net revenue from the
farms is not larger than it is at
present.
One of the chief obstacles in
the way OF the farmers better
success is his ultra conservatism.
He trembles in the face of change.
Many are raising the same crops,
and in the same way as thel1
fathers did twenty-five years
ago. Each years work means
the same old staple crops with.
out the least variation. Be the
year a proserous one or not, sc
far as the net results are con-
cerned, it will make no differ
ence. The next year will wit
ness an exact reproduction Of
what the preceding years record
did.
Any suggestion of change u.s.
ually provokes a patronlzlns
smile, as much as to say: u
know what I am doing, and need
no advice" In the meantime,
there is a stubborn adherence tc
the staple crop cultivation which
is rapidly piling up an over-sup'
ply of all. Farmers complain
of low prices for their products.
When manufacturers find prices
getting low they reduce the out
put of their factories. The
Same economic principles will
aoply to the farm. The price
of wheat and corn is regulated
by'supply and demand. Dimin,
| ish the supply and the price
will rise. There is an easy plan
of reducing this supply. It can
be done by the simple process OF
diversifcation of crops. There
are other farm products besides
wheat and corn which have
marketable value. Indeed, there
are numerous things which in
proportion to cost of cultiva-
ton yield a much better profit.
Why, then, should farmers rely
so absolutely upon the so-called
staple crop? Why in Maryland
should farmers restrict them
selves principally to wheat, corn
and tobacco? By this method
they each year deposit their
hopes in a single vessel. Bad
luck with those crops will mean
a diminutive net revenue for the
year.
If the farmers generally in
other States, as we'll as in Mary.
land, would raise less wheat and
corn and a little more of some
thing else the wheat supply
would be less superabundant
and the revenues Of profit would
be increased in numbers. That
would insure better prices for
wheat and corn and at the same
time, remove the farmers from
their yearly dependence upon
those two crops. There are
many other crops from which to
make selection. The choice
should always be governed by
location and existing conditions.
One set may turn partially to
trucking, another to fruits, an
other to grazing and another to
haymaking and baling. There
are many other substitutes
which can be proftably made.
All that is needed is enterprise
backed up by energy ana some
practical business sense. Farm
ing is like any other business, it
needs persistent alteration ac-
cording to the shifting condi-
tions of the same old line of
stock all the time. If it is out
competed in one line it will
adopt another at once. That
should be the rule with farmers.
A little less complaining about
the low price of wheat and corn
and a little more energy expend-
ed in the diversifcation of crops
will mean a larger income at the
end of the vear.-BaltlmO ore