The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-06-07
DOES FARMING pAYl


Recent discussions of the question
whether farming pays, in the leading
agricultural journals of the world,
leave the question still open. Per-
haps it is best that it should be, so
that we, as farmers, may strive more
diligently to answer it af6rmatively.
We should at least look on the
bright side and try to encourage each
other. Discouragement is contagious.
When Peter said "I go a-fshing,"
the other disciples said, 1--WE also go
with thee" In other lines of bust
ness, looking on the bright side has
commercial value. May this not be
true also in farming?
A banker, discoursing with one
who was taking a gloomy view of
husbandry, said to him that he did
not blame young people for going
from the farm, as they seldom heard
anything but grumbling and COM
planning about farming, that it did not
pay. This banker understood we'll
the individual accounts of depositors,
and positively affirmed that their de-
posits showed that there was no real
cause for such Encouragement.
Much of the capital of the banks of
our country is carried there from
farms. Many who are interested in
banking institutions have made
good share of their wealth on farms
in earlier years. If farmers should
now withdraw their deposits from
these institutions, it would seriously
impair the business prosperity of our
country. Some will succeed in al
mostsany calling.
Pliny relates that Cressinus gather
ed SO much more wealth from small
piece of ground than his neighbors
could from much larger pieces, that
they accused him of witchcraft. To
defend himself, he brought into court
his servants, with their instruments
of labor, and said: "My witchcrafts,
O Romans, are these. These servants
and these tools are all the witchcraft
l know of. Isay not to my servants,
Go do this or that, but Come, let
lis do it, and so the work goes or" ;"
Industry and diligence make any man
excellent and chief in any condition,
calling or profession.
If the English system of renting
for term of years were generally
adopted by the people of the United
States it would add millions annual
ly to our income, and many landlords
and tenants who now by reason of
frequent changes find only loss, would
have handsome return. A rolling
stone gathers no moss. AS we'll might
hen experiment in Matching chick
ems by sitting on eggs now and then
day, or by running from one nest
to another to see what would result
from it. The true husbandman is
one of long patience, waiting for the
early and latter rain. He finds more
pleasure in setting out small fruit, or
in planting an orchard, than in rails
ing mushrooms.
The question under consideration
is one of such great breadth that it is
not easy of answer. The most sue
cessful business men in large town
near me were brought up on farms,
away from the enervating influences
of town life. The most prominent
and influential men of our great cities
are seldom removed more than three
or four generations from country life.
It requires the exercise of the most
heroic will to resist the powerful in
fuences of degeneracy in the plague.
spots Of the world /; and it is largely
by the infusion of country blood that
our cities are kept from more rapid
deterioration. A great reservation of
wealth may be stored away in our
children, and from these treasures
they may draw their richest supplies
in after life. In the long run it pays
better to have ability to acqui,e wealth
than to confer great riches on children
who may not retain them.
The general purpose of amassing
large fortunes suddenly, so common
in our time, may tend to restlessness
in agricultural pursuits. But there
is not one in thousand who reaches
the goal of his ambition. The gains
of the farmer must be slow, and often
it takes lifetime to sum up results.
He never need be out of employment,
consuming the earnings of former
years. For him there is no dead
line barring him from labor. The
strength of declining years finds full
scope for activity. Even children
may be wisely employed, according to
their strength and development. And
while there is great difficulty in OBJ
tanning farm help, great care should
be manifested lest the children be
overworked, become discouraged, and
turn away from farm life.
The competition S o common in
other lines of business is already upon
US, and we must be at Our best.
| know of one in a peach-growing
district who sccceeds far beyond all
his neighbors. His land is no better
nor are his opportunities any greater
than theirs. He confines his selec-