Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-03-08
farm, Garden Il 9Jpllaellold,
GuEssING IN rARMING.


1t is little surprising that notwithstanding
the Improvement in nearly everything apper-
tanning to farming, so little has been effected
towards inducing farmers to operate in a sys-
tematie manner aud keep record and account
of their farm operations and business gener-
ally and specifically. But one farmer who
does so, ninety.nine keep all their accounts
Sin their head, and consequently are right
ly termed ''guess farmers for they never
kRop, but guess it is SO and SO. They don't
know whether this, that Or the other crop
pays best whether they can afford to sell
their produce at such and such a price or
not. They can't tell if it is for their inter
est to continue such course of husbandry,
use such fertilizers, cultivate field in such
manner, nor even at the end Of the year are
they sure whether they are on the profit or
loss side Of the ledger. They guess it is
about SO.
Neighbor Smith came in last evening while
was filling up my record, and said, as he
noticed nay occupation
''What you doin, book kecpin %
Yes little. Fixing up my account. !
suppose you keep farm accounts, don't you?'
Ne? no. It's too much bother, can keep
my counts in my head.
''Don't you think it better to have some
thing you can rely upon anybody is apt to
forget"
''It's well enough for storekeepers and sich
to keep counts, but don't see no need Of
farmers doin' it.
isn't it as much for our interest to look
after our business as it is for the storekeeper
to attend to his ?'i
''Well yes, 1 'spose so, but what's the use
OF feller's spending time to write down
everything about what he does ?''
''Itpays Smith. "
u don't see how"
well, see here. How was your corn crop
this year -
Pretty fair though the frost hurt it some
"Shall you plantsome more next year?
"Sartin. alters plant corn"
"What for?
what for Why because l alters do"
Yes I see. Now, Smith, how much did
that field of corn pay you ~
Pay mel Well I guess about"
THAT isn't it do you ka0o ?''
'WeI not exactly, but I cal'late-r
Never mind, but really, how, do YOU
kaot0 whether you made or lost mouey in
raising that field of corn p
Dunno as do, for sartain
"Now, look here, Smith. There is my
'corn-feld' record. / have written down
everything connected with it, and to day
have summed it all up and kn0w all about it,
Here is the size of the field, the kind of soil
what grew on it last year, when and how ma.
ny times it was plowed, narrowed and furrow
ed and also the amount and kind of manure
used, how it was put on and what I used for
top dressing. Then here is the time Of plant
ing time and manner of cultvating. how far
apart were the rows and hills. number of
stalks in the hill when the corn came up and
what variety it was when it was harvested,
&c, &c. And here have got in exact fig
ures the cost and price of everything connect
ed with It planting, hoeing and harvesting
the value of the corn, beans, pumpkins and
fodder value ofmanure, rent of land. and
every item set down in full So I know ex
aetly how much it cost me to raise that piece
of corn, and thus whether it pays me to con
tinue raj ing it under such circumstances. 4"
This .nly an example. All other farm
operatiou should be recorded in somewhat
the same manner, and then there would be
an end ofthe continual guessing and think,
ing and ignorance in regard to those things
we should knoa0 about.-G. q. b., in
Working Farnaer.