Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-05-02
Guessing in Farming.

A writer in the Working Farmer says:
1t is little surprising that, notwithstand-
ing the improvement in nearly everything
appertaining to farming, so little has been
effected towards influencing farmers to ope-
rate in systematic manner, and keep re-
cord of their farm operations and business,
generally and specifically. But for one
farmer that docs SO ninety nine keep their
accounts in their heads, and consequent
ly are rightly termed ''guess farmers" for
they never know, but guess it is so and So
They don't know whether this, that, ur
the other crop pays best; whether they
can afford to sell their produce at such and
such price, or not. They can't tell if it is
for their interest to engage in such a
course of husbandry, use such fertilizer,
cultivate such friend in such manner;
nor even at the end of the year are they
sure whether they are on the profit or loss
side of she ledger. They guess it should
be so.
Ncighbor Sunith came in last evening
while | was filling up my record, and said !,
as he noticed my occupation:
"What you doin'-book- keepin' %
Eyes; little. Fixing up my accounts.
[ suppose you keep farm accounts, don t
you?
Me ? no. It's too much bother.
can keep my counts in my head"
''Don't you think it is better to have
something you can rely upon? Anybody
is apt to forget
Its well enough for stroekeepers and
SIGH to keep counts; but I don't see no
need of a farmer dom it,"
Isn't it as much for our interest to look
after our business as it is for the storekee-
per to attend to his?'
"Wall, yes, [ spose so; but what's the
use of feler's spending time to write
down everything about what he does?''
at pays, Smith,
81 don't see now"
"Well, see here. How was your corn
crop this year?'
Petty fair; though the frost did hurt it
some"
"Shall you plant some more next year?'
"Sartin. I alters plant corn"
"What for ?"
"What for? Why, because [ alters do :"
Eyes; see. Now, Smith, how much
did that field of corn pay You p
''Pay me-? Well, | guess about
"That isn't it. Do you know ?"
"Well, not exactly; but carlate-"
''Never mind; but really now, do you
know whether you really made or lost mo-
pey in raising that field of corn %
Dunno as do, for sartin."
'.Now, look here, Smith There is my
'corn6eld record I have written down
everything connected with it, and to-day I
have summed it all up. and I know all
about it. Here is the size of the field,
and the kind of soil, what grew on it last
yea r, when and how many times it was
ploughed, narrowed and furrowed, and
also the amount and kind of manure used,
how it was put on, and what | used for
top dressing Then, here is the time of
planting; time and manner of cultivating;
how far apart; where the rows and hills;
humble of stalks in the hill; when the
corn came up, and what variety; when it
was harvested, etc. And here have got,
in exact figures, the price of everything
connected with it: Planting, hoeng and
harvesting; the value of the corn, beans,
pumpkins aud fodder; value of manure;
rent of land; and every item set down in
full. So know exactly how much it cost
me to raise that piece Of corn; and, thus.
whether it pays me to continue to raise it
under such circumstances.
This is only an example. All other
farm operations should be recorded in
somewhat the same manner, and then there
would be gu end Of the continual "guess-
ing" and thinking" and ignorance in re-
gard to those things we should know
about.
ROMANCE. The young married couple
who thought they could live on love and
moonlight. find there Is some yirtue in