The midland journal., 1904-04-01
VENTURE the assertion, there
is not a mercantile or manu-

neighborhood, when exposed to
honest competition-that will yield
greater per centage of actual profit
on the investment, than many of
the surrounding farms, if the said
mercantile or manufacturing bus
mess be conducted on the same loose
and unbusinesslike methods that
are employed on the average Cecil
county farm in this enlightened
agricultural community.
That's a pretty broad assertion to
fling into the faces of this assem-
blage of agriculturists, and | fancy
there are some farmers about here
who would say "you can't prove
it," fortunately these farmers do
not attend the Farmers Club; when
proven they would not believe it
because they never believe anything
but what they prove themselves,
and as they don't prove anything
themselves except failures, they
don't believe anything possible but
failure, and consequently they like
to talk failure to prove their asser-
ton. 1 will go farther, though l
have not the least desire to offend
your high sense of self opinion in
the matter, yet l am going to say,
and in saying it | include myself
most emphatically: right here in
this intelligent farming section,
blessed with all the advantages OF
school and college opportunity,
booked in the theory and drilled in
the practice, community filed
with Grange and Farm Clubs and
Institutes, there is scarcely one in a
hundred that thoroughly under
stands his business, or is entitled
to graduation diploma. AS a
matter of courtesy | will except the
gentlemen present and say I can
scarcely name a half dozen out side
this audience.
There are some things we all
know. There is some excuse for
the man who does not that which
he knows not, he does the best he
knows; but what of him who does
know and does not do? While we
have many of the former class | am
not sure the latter class is not quite
as numerous. Now as a matter of
interest to us all, let us compare
some of the business methods and
practices of our overworked farmers
with those of storekeepers and bus
mess men right here at home: We
cannot be so personal as to mention
names, but as we consider the mat.
ter if you will try to think of some
one who fits the situation we will
be able to understand each other
pretty well. We all admit, most
people are in business for the money
to be made out of it. A few deli
cate people may be in business for
their health and a few very rich
people may be in business for pleas
ure, like Mr.. Alfred Vanderbilt
on his Portsmouth farm-he is now
spending $50, 900 for improving his
house, and $4,000 more on his
polo grounds,-but you and and
the great majority of whom we wish
to speak, are in business for the
almighty dollar-the dollar that is
hard to get and harder to keep,
the promoter of all industry, the
measure of all commodities, the
means of all exchange, that's what
we are after, and it is not bit of
use to deny it. For the sake Of
opportunity to get money we do
business-we bargain, we buy, we
sell, we exchange, we produce, we
create commodities. We enrich
and cultivate the fertile acres of
our farms, to produce fruits, veg
etables, grains, meats, hides, wool,
dairy products and the hundred
and one articles of our trade, to get
in exchange their money value.
You see the farmer is sort of a
manufacturer running his machine
with natures assistance, we might
call it a co partnership firm-the
farmer and nature-in which there
can be no dissolution Of partnership
without serious loss to both, espec-
tally the farmer. The farmer is
also sort of merchant or trades
man, as he sells his products to the
various markets of the world; in
this he need have no partner but
he generally does have a sort of
silent one inlthe dealer who does
this business Vor him.
There are \lots of farmers who
never realized they were in
the manufacturing business-didn't
know they had q partner, whose
capital is SO essential to their ma
terial welfare. The fact of the
whole matter is 90 many farmers
do ,,a.x, l;ttla th kin0 and let tho