480 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



not an inch farther ; an incontestible proof of the 

 benefit of the stones." 



THE INDEPENDENT FARMER. 



BY T. O. FESSENDEN. 



It may be very truly said 



That his is a noble vocation 

 Whose industry leads him to spread 



About him a little creation. 

 He lives independent of all, 



Except the Omnipotent donor; 

 His always enough at his call — 



And more is a plague to its owner. 



His labors are mere exercise, 



Which save him from pains and physicians; 

 Then, farmers, you truly may prize 



Your own as the best of conditions. 

 From competence shared with content 



Since all true felicity springs, 

 The life of a farmer is blest 



With more real bliss than a king's. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 IS FARMING PROFITABLE ? 



This question has long been and still is a topic 

 of much interest. Editors of agricultural publica- 

 tions, orators on agricultural occasions, and the 

 "friends of the cause" generally, seem to feel them- 

 selves bound to decide it in the affirmative. Am- 

 ateur farmers have entered the field, and in some 

 cases have resorted to rather questionable "cypher- 

 ing" to prove it a money-making occupation; and 

 in other cases, have engrafted upon it branches of 

 business nearer allied to the commercial than to 

 the farming profession. Nor, in my opinion, should 

 the fruit and vegetable gardens, near cities, be ta- 

 ken into the account at all, though they are so oft- 

 en cited on one side of the question. From the 

 circumstances of their location, &c. , they are clear- 

 ly exceptions to the general rule ; as much so as 

 are the many broad acres that are covered by the 

 waves which float home the ships of the merchant 

 princes, whose traffic enables them to build the 

 delightful villas that skirt our large towns. Not 

 allowing, then, any "Pent up Utica to contract our 

 powers," but extending our observation over the 

 whole broad expanse of our country, — Is farming 

 profitable 1 



As merchants, manufacturers, bankers, specu- 

 lators, professional men, &c, count "profit," I 

 have no hesitation in answering in the negative. 

 And with reverence, I can say, heartily, 1 1 hank 

 God it is not. I can imagine no greater curse to 

 our land, than that farming should become profit- 

 able ; as profitable, I mean, as commercial and 

 professional pursuits, generally. If farmers could 

 afford to bring up their families in those habits of 

 idleness and extravagance which merchants and 

 many of other professions are able to do, how long 

 before our whole land would become a Sodom or 

 Gomorrah 1 Who does not know that a greatma- 

 jority of the business men of all cities are reared 

 in the country ; that but for the constant flow of 

 health and energy, of enterprise and vigor, from 

 the country to the city, the latter would soon be- 

 come bankrupt in character and population 1 This 

 fact is well understood. The country is the nur- 

 sery of men. The more sterile the better. The 

 more unprofitable the occupation of the youth, 

 the more rigid the principles of economy and in- 

 dustry that he has been subjected to, the better 



for the man. As the case now stands, the far- 

 mer who would make "the ends of the year meet," 

 is under the absolute necessity of requiring the 

 constant aid of every member of his family. His 

 boys and girls, himself and wife, must work and 

 save. No drone can be tolerated. The old grand- 

 mother, and the youngster, find something to do. 

 Every cent is counted, and must be, as well as ev- 

 ery moment. Here is no "strike for the ten-hour 

 system." They "work while it is day." And 

 then their economy as to dress, furniture, equi- 

 page, &c. Those who, like myself, spent their first 

 score active years upon a farm in the interior of a 

 New England State, and the second like period in 

 villages and cities, will call this no over-drawn 

 statement ; nor can they fail to have noticed the 

 contrast between the economy of the families of 

 farmers in the country, and those of other classes 

 and professions who congregate in villages and 

 cities. Were farming as profitable as these various 

 professions, would farmers not also shrink from 

 making "drudges" of their sons and daughters? 

 If they could afford it, would they not take life ea- 

 sier, and fare and dress better? As well as other 

 folks'? This certainly is human nature. But ev- 

 ery one acquainted witli farmers, who are fanners 

 only, — who look to their farms for support, — who 

 have paid for their farms by farming, — knows that 

 they do not ; — that they cannot. And the only 

 reason is, that farming is not profitable. 



If farming were as profitable as manufacturing, 

 for instance, capitalists would invest in real estate, 

 and by means of overseers and operatives, effect a 

 most undesirable change in the condition and re- 

 lations of our agricultural population. W ho would 

 exchange our present condition for any thing like 

 the "factory system," or like that state of tilings 

 which existed when agriculture and war were the 

 only professions that became a gentleman, and real 

 estate the only idea of wealth? Though other 

 professions and pursuits are more richly reward- 

 ed, in dollars and cents, in honors and emoluments, 

 let us count up our mercies, as well as think of 

 our hard lot. Is it nothing, — may we not exult, 

 — that New England soil will not support a corps 

 of "overseers," though "scientific ;" that the 

 haughty baron and his retainers, or that the "good 

 old English gentleman," even, cannot endure our 

 climate ? Nothing, that here the poorest boy — 

 the son of a very pauper — may reasonably look 

 forward to the time when he shall own a farm — a 

 house and barn — flocks and herds? Though he 

 may never dream, like the merchant's clerk, of 

 mansions and servants, of founding colleges or en- 

 dowing asylums, is not his a healthy ambition ? 

 While, therefore, we feel compelled to admit that 

 farming has small claims upon one whose sole de- 

 sire is to become "rich," we have no fears of driv- 

 ing every body into other professions. Engrossed 

 as the American people are by the love of gold, 

 their better affections are still alive. The advan- 

 tage to a family of the severe discipline of a farm 

 is understood and appreciated. As their business 

 is unprofitable, farmers are compelled to train their 

 families to such habits of economy, industry, and 

 persevering labor, that they thereby qualify them 

 for success in whatever business or profession they 

 enter ; while many other occupations being more 

 profitable, render such habits unnecessary; and 

 consequently the families of these people, though 

 better educated, and, perhaps, as young men and 



