No. 13. 



Brief Remarks by a Plain Farmer. — Xo. 1, 



20: 



For the Farmers' Cabinel. 

 Brief Remarks toy a platu Farmer.— No. 1. 



There is no calling, the proper manage- 

 ment of which is more generally mitunder- 

 etood than that o'i farming ; wliile at the same 

 time there is no business in whicli a man can 

 engage, more dignified, that will insure as 

 much real comfort and true independence, 

 and afford greater certainty of profitable re- 

 turns than agriculture. 1 admit that no man 

 can by farming, whatever may be the price 

 of agricultural produce, become suddenly 

 ridi. An idea of tills kind should never en- 

 ter the head of any farmer, — but his gains 

 are nevertheless, "sure and certain;'''' that 

 is, if his aftairs are promptly and judiciously 

 managed. I hope, now that the dignity of 

 the calling is acknowledged, and the certain- 

 ty of profitable returns made manifest, that 

 more attention will be paid by farmers to 

 tiieir true interests, and that instead of ma- 

 king their sons professional gentlemen, and 

 sendhig them to our large towns and cities, 

 to become merchants and traders, (I say 

 nothing of the thousands who are ruined by 

 tins course,) bring them up at home, — let 

 them be well instructed both practicallij and 

 theoretically in all that appertains to agri- 

 cultural knowledge; — let them be fully im- 

 pressed with its importance — in a word let 

 t!iem be ma.de practical Farmers, tillers ofthe 

 eoil, — men who are not above their calling, 

 for it is one of which no man should be 

 ashamed ; their individual happiness will be 

 promoted and the interests of the country ad- 

 vanced ; — we shall not have so many lean 

 doctors of medicine, briefless lawyers, or ruin- 

 ed merchants and tradesmen. I will now pro- 

 ceed to give a few observations which may 

 possibly be of service to some of your 

 readers. I wish to be understood as not 



I laying claim to originality, but shall avail 

 myself freely ofthe experience and advice of 

 agricultural writers. In Sir John Sinclairs' 

 Code of Agriculture, published in Hartford 

 in lS18,.we have an interesting paper on the 

 most 



I Essential means for carrying on the Im- 



i PROVEMENT AND CULTIVATION OF A FaRM. 



j Industry, prudence and economy, are 

 I essential to insure success in any business 

 ' whatever. A regular system is also indis- 

 pensably necessary, and in none, more so, 

 than in that of farming. Capital, to a suffi- 

 cient amount is also a very desirable object, 

 though not so particularly requisite here 

 were land is comparatively cheap, as in the 

 old country, England for instance, where 

 the farmer pays annualy in rents, onorous 

 taxes, and odious tithes as much per acre, 

 as he need here pay in this favored country 



for the land itself. Still, capital, to a certain 

 extent, in this country is not only desirable 

 but even necessary ; not merely for stocking 

 a farm, but where there is any "deficiency 

 in respect to this important particular, the 

 farmer cannot derive sufficient profit from his 

 exertions, for he may often be obliged to dis- 

 pose of his crops at an under value, to pro- 

 cure ready money; or he may be prevented 

 purchasing the articles he may require, 

 though a favorable opportunity may present 

 itself"* A disposition too general among 

 farmers is that of taking large farms, without 

 having the means of having them properly 

 stocked, and thorouglily cultivated, — capital 

 is too often, iftvested almost wholly in the 

 land itself. This is a radical error. It 

 makes many a person ^J^c upon a large 

 farm, who might live in comfort, and acquire 

 property upon a small 07ie.-\ Every tenant 

 in order to be secure, must have a surplus on 

 which to rest, beyond the ordinary expenses 

 of labor, to meet any contingency which may 

 occur. He who farms within his capital is 

 thereby enabled to avail himself of any op- 

 portunity of purchasing to advantage; while 

 he is not compelled, if the markets are low, 

 to sell with loss. Franklin has justly ob- 

 served, that there is a difference often per 

 cent., between " Will you sell, and Will yoii 

 huyV — and it is want of attention to this 

 well-founded axiom, that prevents the farmer 

 from being empowered to wait for the ques- 

 tion " Will you sell V The farmer is a 

 sturdy bargainer, but if his customer be aware 

 that a sale is absolutely necessary to the af- 

 fairs of his competitor, the buyer is sure to 

 carry his point. The credit, the show of a 

 little capital, confers an advantage on the 

 farmer in these contests, and can alone put 

 him upon a level with his antagonist. |; 



Economy and prudence are essential to 

 success. Judge Peters, in his valuable 

 "Notices to a young Farmer," published some 

 years since by the Philadelphia Society, for 

 Promoting Agriculture, says: — " Do not com- 

 mence with erecting costly buildings ; 

 but apply your time, efforts, and pecuniary 

 means to your farm." Want of calculation 

 in this respect has been the ruin of many. — ■ 

 Comfort and convenience must be studied. 

 If compelled to sell, a pooi farm must be part- 

 ed with at a low price, however magnificent 

 and costly the buildings. A small farm well 

 stocked, and convenient buildings, — who can, 

 who would desire more ! The subject of 

 farm accounts will be taken up in my next, 

 if you see fit to publish the present article. — 



* St. Clairs' Code, page 36. 



+ lb. 37. 



t Reports of Select Farms, VoU 1, page 20. 



