The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1904-05-18

crop ou the trees rulnously low; some
being so disheartened that they sold
their orchards, and in some instances
the buyers had paid for the orchards
with the apples from the trees.
There are numbers Of farmers
throughout the land who sell jast as
recklessly, and then denounce the
middlemen who live and in some in
stances gro" rich, from what should
be the profits Of the farmer. But
who is to blame? The farmer will
have to look out for No. l There
are papers in every section of The
country which print reliable reports
of crop prospects, prices, supply and
demand, and if farmer does not
keep posted on these points he
should not blame others for taking
advantage of his ignorance. In con-
trast with the foregoing statements,
I saw a man who claimed to have
saved $4,000 on his onion crop by
acting on information contained in
that paper as to the shortage of the
onion crop. As g medium for infor-
nation, record of actual experience
of farmers, both in success and in
failure, and of experimental tests of
various kinds by the experimental
stations of the different States, there
is no paper that will take the place
of live farmers paper. A farmer
ought to subscribe for as many as
his means aud time for reading will
allow. But if be takes only one and
follows the advice and suggestions
contained therein he will be sure to
advance in his calling. Love for his
work and a self respect not depend
ent on the opinions of others, will be
strengthened. He will be stimulated
to beautify his home and improve his
surroundings and to procure for him
self and his family comforts enjoyed
by others. He will be enabled to
appropriate the experience of others,
to plan economically and systemati.
cally and to carry these plans to a
practical consummstion. The picture
which most writer's draw of far
mers' life is one of drudgery, but I
see no reason why the farmer should
not enjoy the pleasure and comforts
of life.
One of the noticeable events of the
last few years is the rapidity with
which the farmer has come to the
front. Every class is showing him
attention. The railroads long
considered an obstinate enemy-are
beginning to reach out a helping
hand by cooperating with growers
directly in the matter OF marketing
crops The banks are accommodate
ing and the merchants are anxious
for his patronage. Of course this is
not out of disinterested love for the
farmer, but they realize that it is to
their interest to cooperate cordially
with the farmer. The farmer will
find it to his interest to encourage
friendly relations with every class
that can help to advance his business
and to study the taste and demands
of consumers. As intelligence and
practice in business methods increase
among farmers, they find that they
are in large measure independent
of the letsil dealer. They can buy
at wholesale prices and retain the
profits for their own use, instead of
passing it to the retail dealer. At
the present time all farm produce is
high, and the farmer will probably
be tempted to overcrop himself and
to forget that home-making and not
more money-getting, should be the
object of his toll. While he can furn-
ish his family with many neces-
saries and luXuries at nominal cost,
still some money is needed for other
things, and he should have an eye to
enterprise and use discriminating
Judgment when deciding upon his
money crop. I hope that every
reader of this paper will study his
particular line of business 30 success
fully that the end of the year will
find him with clean balance sheet
and a satisfying surplus.-L. G.
Holland, Ninety-Six, S. G.