Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-01-24
Our Farm Waste.


reapers, mowers, threshing ma
chimes, and ether costly farm i'm
plements - that is, whether the
same amount of money expended in
the purchase of manual labor (where
it can be had) to do the work with
cradle, scythe, fails, &c, that these
machines do, would not 60 farther
than it does as now expended. OF
course all recognize the fact that
these machines supply what is diff
cult now to obtain-good laborers.
But If the laborers could be obtain
ed, would they not be the cheaper
investment? We say this is ques-
ton about which there has always
been controversy.
The foregoing is Introductory, say
ing that the largest per cent. of work
that can be charged to any depart
ment of farm economy as at present
practiced must be charged to agri-
cultural implements-or rather to
the improvidencc of farmers in
purchasing and taking care Of them.
AS a rule too many of these ma
chimes are around in y neighbor-
hood-that is, for profit. In other
words, an unnecessary number are
purchased in proportion to the work
there is for them to do. We speak
of reapers and mowers especially.
There is no reason why one reaper
or mower may not do the work
which, especially in districts where
farms are small, five are now en-
ployed to do. We are not sure that
we might not double the number
and say that one reaper and mower
might do the work that ten now do.
OF course this remark would not APP
ply to the large grain farmers of
the West; but even there the num-
Der might be diminished if those
purchases were employed all of the
time during harvester run for Il
whole neighborhood, rs threshing
machines are run.
Here, then, would be most i'm
portant saving. If we say that one
machine can do the work that five
now do, and fix the price of the
combined reaper and mower as low
as 1925, there is $500 saved on the
original investment in a single
neighborhood of five farmers, be-
sides the interest on the money and
the deterioration of the property.
Thus if four-fifths of the investment
in these machines were saved an
nually to the farmers of the United
States the sum with interest and
deterioration of property thus saved
would be enormous. We are sorry
we have not at hand the figures
which show how many of this class
of machines are annually made, SO
as to give this view of the case the
emphasis of figures. But each far
mer in a neighborhood may do n
little figuring for himself; if he
thinks our statement eXtravagant
let him show us wherein.
But this surplus machinery thus
purchased and lying idle and I'M
productive ten months out OF twelve
is not the only waste; for in addi
ton to the wear from use and de-
probation in value in consequence,
is that resulting from want of care.
Farmers can not afford to pay 10
per cent. interest on capital that
lies unproductive ten months in the
year, unless they make enormous
profits on it during the two months
it in use. But that isjust what they
are doing, it seems to us safe to say
on this class of farm implements;
indeed we may include cmployments
Of all kinds, for we regard it a very
modest estimate to say that the
depreciation in the value Of farm
implements annually, from wear
and want of shelter and proper care,
is 10 per cent. of their cost. See
what this amounts to! The census
report of 1870 shows the value Of
agricultural implements made in
this country in that year to have
been s52,0O0,000. Surprising these
implements to have been sold that
season and the deterioration in
value during 1871 to have amounted
to 10 per cent. (Which we do not
think extravaganO, they cost the
farmers of the country $4,000, 200;
add the interest on the money thus
invested, at 7 per cent.--$3,6 100000
and we have the handsome sum
of ss,s40,000 which agricultural
implements are costing the farmers
of the country, besides the s52 ,Ooo,-
600 of unproductive capital ten
months in the year.
OF course some people will think
this extrauagant calculation; but we
fear it is too near the truth Utica
Herald.