Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-03-08

/ should prepare an essay Oh Inc
Advantages of Small Farms and In
tensive Farming" l do not feel
competent to do justice to the ques-
ton: nor will / have time to enter
into full details of this matte-.
But as the question is of so much
Importance to our country and State,
l would feel like 1 was Sinking a
duty not to say something; and per-
haps what say may be key to
unlock our minds to the fact that
small farms are the salvation of our
country, and the only way for a.
farmer to be happy-with cash in
his purse to spend for the comforts
of life.
1 once had talk with northern
man, who said that in his country 40
acres was considered a good farm,
and 100 acres a large farm. In
China, they say, man can support
his family on acres. l told this
northerner that some of our planters
had 1000 acres of land, and he ask
ed me if / knew there was such a.
thing as being land poor" and
making a failure on a large farm
when a small one would pay.
1t is the dollars saced, not made,
that make men rich. AS l have
never owned large farm, l cannot
speak as to them except from obser-
vation; but Judging by the want OF
improvements, rotten barns and
empty cribs that see, seems that
only a narrow living comes from
them-aud not profits enough to
keep the houses in decent repair.
You all know the troubles of farm
ing, that the labor of large farm
is generally negro labor. We all
agree, too, that it is about the best
there is, inasmRch as the negroes
respect the whites, and were raised
among us They are used te4shard-
ships and exposure; and a living is
all they want. And they can live
on very little-happy with a bor-
rowed mule and an umbrella on the
road to church. Now who is it that
keeps up all the happiness of the
colored man? The land owner OF
course; and the more negroes ne
has, the more it takes to keep them
up.
Houses to live in, fire wood and
well water, and supplies are all Iur-
nished by the land owner. If a
crop is made, we may come out
even; if rot, the landlord loses.
With these losses, added to the
heavy, drenching rains and the un-
certainty of seasons, we see no
profits in large farms.
So small farms must pay, or
none. But, say some, we have small
farms that do not seem to pay.
This is true. But whose fault is
it? Such farmers do not start right;
they shut their eyes to the expenses,
and leave it too much to the land to
make crop, without proper help,
following in the wake of the man
with big farm.
Some think they must pu: In a
large crop,and must take in all the
rocky knolls and gully-washed hills,
when it would be far better to leave
such places alone, and select only
land with good soil to improve.
Let the large land owner, instead,
select few acres, that can be built
up to raise bales of cotton or so
bushels of oats to the acre, and
bring it up to a fine state of culti-
vation. Do not let the poor land
eat up the profits of the good lots.
Do not let trifing tenant eat up
the profits of a good one.
Farming requires hard study.
Lawyers, ministers and doctors have
to scratch their weary heads and
learn the principles and rules of
their profession; and likewise must
farmer study the nature of his
soil, and the kinds of manure that
suit it. Farmers have to count on
the uncertainty of seasons, and they
also have to study human nature to
deserve and maintain the respect of
their laborers.
These are the elements of success
ful farming: 1st, good labor; End,
good stock; 3rd, good implements
and tools; 4tb, good manure. lst,
good hands with poor stock, is time
thrown away. End, good stock
with poor land, is a waste Of morey.
srd. bad tools, even with good
hands and good land, is waste of
labor. 4th, all the best labor and
tools and stock on poor land.is most
awful of all wastes. Therefore by
all means manure aoeH. This is the
grandest desideratum of all. Com
bine and change the manure. Some,
i know, will sly that by the time
we procure good tools, stock and
labor, and then manure heavily, 1t
will take all the profits. | deny the