Year: 1876

Nothing is so bad that Il might not be worse, and farming is net entirely wanting in advantages. Although it requires ofits follow CTS faithful and hard service and does not reward them largely, yet it docs not play them any tricks, it's rewards are comparatively certain. It illustrates finely the business maxim, "the greater the profit the greater the risk" We, of course, do not mean to say that farmers always get good crops and never lose any money. They have often to submit to bad sea- sons and low prices; and these misfortunes sometimes come in groups, one following another in swift succession. But notwith standing his liability to such dis couragcment the farmer who owns his land is much less prone to bankruptcy than most other business men. Even manufac- turers, who are also producers and who also have most of their capital invested in property as fixed and unchangeable almost as land, are more in danger at all times of financial ruin than are farmers. The reason of this is not far to seek. Fiist the manu- lecturers shops and machinery, though durable, are still more destructable than land. Then in the second place, the manufac turer has to carry large stocks of raw material in order to produce proiitably; whereas the farmer needs to have on hand for future production only a small quantity of seed. Finally, the competi- tion in all branches of manufac- turing is sharper than in farming; and many kinds of manufactured goods, if not positive luxuries, are still in the nature of luxuries, and will be used either not at all or very sparingly in time of finan- cial distress.

 The little risk in farming be- comes even more apparent when compared with Q business of a speculative character than when compared with manufacturing. The commission merchant, for in- stance, who absorbs so large d a portion of the price of agricul- tural products that the real pro- ducer of them is but scantily paid for his labor-he undoubtedly makes large fortunes; but how often he misses making them. And the dry goods merchont, and indeed, all tradesmen, how much oftener they make T eager than an elegant living. The propor- tion of business failures among farmers is small. Of course, it is kept small by the prudent man. ner of life which they practice. But the comparative safety of their investments conduces even more to keep it down.

 Now, this comparative safety of the farmers investments Is one of his advantages. And, when he is working himself into pas sion over the big profits reaped by the men of the city, he might, if he would, find consolation in redecting on this advance. It must, however, be confessed that we have to pay rather too much for our freedom from risk. The rewards of other callings are not so much more uncertain than the rewards of farming as to warrant their being so much greater as they are. For instance, the com mission merchants risk is not so far in excess of the farmers risk as to justly entitle him to a very much larger part of the profits on agricultural products. If the farmer can make the proportion more equltably by securing for himself large share of these profits, and yet not interfere or in any way impede the productive industry of the country, he not only has the right to do so, but justice to himself requires him to do so.

 "The force of this observation lies in the application of it'-a little duty that we trust each of our readers will perform.