The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-01-30

anu perhaps Tile HlSileSC stage OF any
agricultural region. 1t is preceded
by discovery, exploration, hunting
and gradual settlement, speculation,
numbering and mining and then agri-
culture.
laundering and mining, of course,
only utilities parts of what nature has
provided. 1t is expensive, reckless
and wasteful, and often leaves a coun-
try in a worse shape than it was orig
inally. More, it is a transient moving
from place TO place, while agriculture
which follows, is settled. The first
agriculture is OF necessity devoted to
raising the products to supply local
needs, corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat,
root crops, etc. This is followed by
stock raising which is comparatively
easy. But even during the early ag-
riculture will be found farms where
fruits for home use have been set. If
it is found that the locality is special
ly adapted to the growth of fruit, it
will gradually develop that side of
farming. This development will be
brought about by some man who rec
ognizes the special adaptibility of his
section for fruit, or by one who has a
natural loye for fruits. OF course it
is to be expected that some men are
much more adapted to stock raising
than fruit culture and it would be
folly for him to go into fruit; then,
too, if all went into the fruit business
there would soon be such glut and
over production that it would be a
drag and general failure would be
the result.
There are two factors which should
influence people going into fruit grow
ing:-First, the personality of the
man, second, the present and future
prospects of the market. This is dis
regarding the natural features of the
section, which, of course, must be
favorable or else the personality of
the grower is nothing.
To be successful in fruit, one must
have at least a liking for his work
and then apply himself to it. He
should know something of the gener-
al principals of plant growth, some
thing of pruning, cultivating, spray
ing, handling and marketing his
fpnit IIC4xo4L:
these things for it is not necessary
that he be perfect in his knowledge.
Training in these lines is excellent,
but if one has advantages of soil, eli
mate and other local conditions, and
then is wide awake and receptive to
help, makes use of the various agri-
cultural papers, publications from
the q. s. Government and State
sources, keeps posted ON apparatus
and methods of combating noxious
insects and plant diseases, watches
the market and knows it's pulse and
is not bound down by local lines and
prejudices, he can certainly make a
success. And after all, success is but
a relative term. The end of life is
happiness and not the amassing of
money by extremely hard labor and
self abstinence from necessaries and
some luxuries.
Then the markets pulse must be
watched. To know what market
pays best for your Ben Davis or York
Imperial; what market wants plums
and what peaches; whether you can
do better by selling some fruits in
Pittsburg or some in New York, or
whether your local mining regions
are your best markets. These are
things you must watch. Only exper-
fence will tell you. Many growers of
apples pay no attention beyond shak-
ing the apples off, packing all kinds
of varieties and in any condition or
simply taking wagon loads to local
market. These methods will not do.
Can your merchants or professional
men conduct business on such a plan?
If the farmer would put into his bust
ness one half the business merchant
has to, he could be independent. One
fact that would tend to show this is
that business men who go into farm
ing nearly always make a success of
it. Col. Truesdale.)
In studying the market some points
must be borne in mind. One is that
it is well to go into some things that
yield most readily to various uses, as
for instance, a fruit crop that may
be used for preserves, jellies, sauces,
liquors, ETC., is better than one limit
ed to simply the marketing of the
fruit, and, personally it appeals to me
to take some fruit which is not so
perishable as to need immediate mar
keting.
The matter of extraordinarily hea-
Wy crops is of Importance also. but it
occurs so seldom that one large crop
need not lower the general profit.
This naturally brings up the ques-
tion:-Can there be an over produc-