Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-05-31
HINTS TO FARMERS.
Excellent Article Reproduced
From The Progressive Farm
er, Giving Many Helpful
Suggestions.


Every week in the year we try to
help our readers to do better farm
ing and to make more money.
Money is a very necessary thing as
the world is now adjusted, and we
believe that every man should make
his work bring him just as much as
possible. To make country life in
the South what it should be, it is
absolutely necessary that Southern
farmers make money, and this is
why we insist week after week on
better methods Of farming and high
er ideals of farm profits.
But while we believe that
most farmers ought to make more
money, we do llot belisge that maxi
ing money should be the chief aim
of any mans life, least Of all, any
farmers life. We need, as class,
more money so that we can have
better schools, better roads, better
churches, better homes, more of the
conyeniences and refnements of
| life; but the man who loses sight of
these things and wishes money only
for its own sake has q very wrong
conception of Iife. The poorest Ia
borer, who must earn each day the
food and clothing for himself and
his family by that days work, if he
only has hopes and ideals and aspi-
rations, is far richer man. than
any multi-million lire whose great
est object in life is to add to the
golden store he has acquired.
This is the farmers busy season.
All summer long there will be an
other task awaiting him whenever
the one he is doing may be COM
pleted. Upon the doing of these
tasks, and their, being done we'll,
his years profits will depend. He
can not afford to neglect them; nor.
can he afford to neglect other things.
equally important in the living of a
we'll rounded Life.
For one. thing, the farmer must
not quit reading during the summer
months. OF course he viii otsget
too busy TO read w aSps paper
!that s,,ala s. les!aSs so.
save dimes. Nor 81 uld he gettoo
busy to read the newspapers, and
even to read a little just for recrea-
ton or diversion. The hard-work-
ing man needs recreation and the
good farmer must be hard-work-
ing man. Hence, it will pay him,
we believe, to, make plans for lit
tie diversion and. little rest now
and then, just as he makes plans for
his work To meet with other far
mers occasionally for an exchange
of ideas, to take drive with his
wife now and then, to go once in
awhile during the season to picnic
or ball game, to attend the far
mers' Institutes, to be ready TO do
his part in forwarding any public
movement for the upbuilding Of his
community-these things are worth
doing Just as much as are seeding
and cultivating and harvesting.
We would especially stress the
picnic idea-the occasional days
outing for the whole family. Too
many country house keepers stay 80
closely indoors that they miss half
the beauty and sweetness of the sea-
son. To all such days outdoor
recreation is wonderfully refreshing
and re-invigorating. Indeed, there
are many of us who lose one of the
best parts of country life just
because we are too taken up with
our daily work to see and enjoy the
beauty of the world about us. Now,
the writer knows that country life
is not ell romantic sunrises and po-
etic sunsets. He knows just what
it feels like to travel down the dus-
ty corn rows on hot day with the
blades saving one in the face, or to
drive binder with the sun stand
ing right overhead and never a
breeze stirring. There is hard work
and plenty of it on the farm in sum-
mer time; but the beauty and charm
are also there, and if one devotes so
much thought to the unpleasant
tasks that he cannot appreciate the
pleasant things, he loses the best
part of farm life.
Every country dweller has lived
all his days among sights and
sounds which should have gladden.
ed and refreshed and inspired him.
made him stronger and better; and
it is his duty as we'll as his privilege
to take these things into his life and
enjoy them.
To get the. most out of farm life,
it is necessary to do good farming,
but it is also necessary to keep in
touch with ones fellows, to find
time for study and recreation, and
to keep ones eyes open to the en-
during beauty of the quiet country
ways. The country is what we
make it, and it will be our fault if
we do not make country life the
fullest, gladdest, and wholesomest