Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-06-08
A Successful Modern Farmer
and How to Get Happiness
on the Farm.

on the Farm.
Essay written by Miss Lois Black
and won first prize in a contest in
the Trenton High School.)
There is no doubt that farming is
the oldest occupation known to civ.
ilized man. The Bible tells us that ou1
first parents, Adam and Eve, were
farmers. They belonged to that class
called horticulturists because we are
told that they were placed in the gar
den and commanded to dress and keep
it. Jacob of old was scientific live
stock man, for we know that it was
his knowledge, peculiar as it may
seem, of livestock breeding that made
him one of the richest and most use
cessful farmers of his day, and this
was in the very early days of mans
existence an earth. Later we find
Ruth, one of the most beautiful and
lovable characters in sacred history,
following the reapers and cleaning in
the fields of Boaz, and then we find
Moses, the meekest of the meek, sing
ing of the increase of the field, the
milk of kline, the fat of lambs, the
kernel of wheat, and the pure blood
of grapes. Undoubtedly then, we
would say that farming is probable
the oldest occupation known to man,
and one which should be considered
the most honorable for we find that
God himself placed upon it his seal
of approval and caused his richest
benedictions to follow it.
However, before we can give any
idea as to what will characterize or
what should illustrate successful
modern farmer, it will first be neces-
sary to discuss in a limited way, at
least the history, progress and devel-
opment of farming, or agriculture, as
it is called in these more modern days.
W note that the early farmers were
practically all livestock growers.
They had nothing to do but herd
their sheep or cattle on the hills or
valleys and watch them grow from
feeding upon the grass of the rich
meadows. People moved from place
to place to find better meadows and
richer fields for grazing, but when
they began to build and establish
homes they could not move so easily
they began to plant and grow crops
to supplement the feed for their cat
tie or sheep in addition to that OBJ
tanned by grazing. Here we observe
them using crooked or forked stick
for turning the soil. The crudest i'm
plements were used in harvesting,
threshing and preparing their grain
for consumption. AS population in
creased and as civilization advanced
there was growing demand for in
creased production of food and feed
to be used by both man and beast.
Necessity being the mother of inven-
ton numerous and various contri-
vances were made which enabled the
farmer to cultivate more and to cul-
tivate better, and hence reap larger
harvests than formerly. In the mean
time the law of human development
has never ceased to operate, and
when taking an inventory from time
to time in the history of farming or
agriculture we find unmistakable
evidences of progress in every farm
activity but shiuld we take time to
stop and compare our agricultural de-
velopment with other lines of human
activity we are compelled to ac-
knowledge that it has not kept pace
with manufacturing, mining, engi-
commerce or OCner INDUSTRIAL
activities.
1t is only within recent years that
science has been scientifically applied
to farming, and it is exceedingly un-
usual now to find a farmer who stud
iedly and knowingly applies any
scientific methods to his farming op-
erations. On the other hand you can
not find another successful occupa-
tion which is not based and exclusive
ly conducted on scientific principles.
For example, the miner, the engineer,
or the trader.ba all of their activi-
ties on purely scientific methods or
principles. Some say that farming is
different from every other occupation
in that experience is the only thing
that counts or is worth anything in
farming. We admit that experience