The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-03-20
THE FAR MER
WHO FARMS.

| ANOi oIlo WIZ Aao OooclfCu Sh'
mutations Of wealth and poverty
in any farming community for
period Of twenty years can proba
bly, parallel the story told by the
Atlanta Constitution Of the success
that attends untiring energy coupl-
ed with thrift, and "horse sense.
That paperbslis Of a Georgia farm.
er who. started life two decades
age. with thirty acres of wire
grass land, a steer and a Texas
pony and now WINS 10000 acres
of land, nearly a thousand cattle
so mules and 5000 sheep" For
weary length Of time Mr.. Tanner
the hero Of this idyl, lived labor
ious days and saved his profits in
stead Of "blowing them in at the
baroom or in a general splurge,
but the latter half of his life is to
be spent in atfluence. Mr.. Tanner
"raised his own supplies" of
course, which means that he did
not sell his crops cheap and buy
necessaries on credit at a high
price and a high rate Of interest.
He believed also in raising big
crops on a little land by intensive
farming rather than scraping the
unfertilized surface Of a large area
Last year, for example, he put $500
worth of guano on 40 acres and
got nearly $4,000 gross for the
crop and some $1,080 net. The
profit on each acre was three times
what the land would have sold for
Strange to say Mr.. Tanners chief
money crop is sea island cotton,
though his farm is 70 miles from
the coast. The moral seems to be
that the profit Of farming depends
good deal on the farm,r. Land
is poor inveetment for man
who expects land to farm itself,
producing crops as railroad
bond produces coupons, without
knowledge or toll but it may be a
gold mine for a man who handles
his land and his earnings in
businessliko way. Hard work is
not enough by itself. 1t must be
supplemented by good bookkcep-
ing and mental activity generally.
Even without these a rustic home
with a little pasture, a bit of wood
and garden produces larger
result for the investment than is
to be had any other way for the
same amount of money.
Bridgevillc, Del, March 10.
The opinion Of some of the most
farmers of the lower |
part Of the peninsula is that the |
coming season will be record |
breaking one for Delaware both !
i'll large and small fruits to say |
nothing of the potato crop.
Many of the farmers have start
ed to plant potatoes on a large
scale this year, something that
was never done before, and many
will plant from ten to fifteen acres
each. This industry, which has
been going on large scale south
IF the state, seems to be a very
one, and as fruit-growers
claim that it will not occupy their
;ime in growing potatoes they also
lave started in full blast. Pota-
ocs arrive at the end of the toma-
% crop which is the last crop
here, and it is thought
hat several hundred cars of pota-
oes will be shipped from the low
II part Of the state this year. The
strawberry crop it is believed will
,e enormous and it is feared that
growers will experience great diff
'ulty in securing pickers. 0. A.
Newton, u well-known fruit-grower
# this section, expresses the be-
ief that prospects We're never bet
er for a big peach crop.
The Tennessee, a new berry, has
net with much approval through
'ut the county, and several hund-
ed acres are under cultiva-
ion. The No. 10, and the Auto
lso have met with equal success,
'hile the Ganzy is becoming IL
roftable one,
I.he prospect for big yield Of
caches was never better.
Many growers state that since
he old way of shipping frrit in
helved cars hundreds of orchards
hat would have been pulled out
ave been allowed to stand, which
ill be partly instrumental in
uch a big fruit crop this year. As
IL as can be seen there is moth
ng in the fruit line that will not
e a big success. Basket factories
re running full blast preparatory
. getting ready for the rush. As
here is little sign of the San Jose
Gale about the orchards, it is
bought that the tress are free
rom disease. Yellows have prac-
calIy been wiped out and the
'ees are in perfectly healthy con-
ition. 1t is thought that at least
cars of berries and
bout forty cars Of peaches will
e slipped from Bridgcville daily
hen the bulk arrives, as this town
, the centre of the fruit belt. Many
lrmers living at near adjacent