Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-11-17


Tho following suggestions In regard TO
making farming profitable, which we copy
from the Country Gentleman, apply equal
ly to those who have small farms and TO
those who have large. The whole article
Is worthy OF attentive perusal:
"a shrewd writer has given two rules,
heretofore mentioned occasionally In these
columns, by following which any one may
acquire more or less wealth, namely-L
Cut short your losses : and 2. Let your
profits run on There Is no kind of bust
ness where the adoption Of these rules is
moro needed than in farming; but there
are many cultivators who do not know
when they are losing and when they are
gaining. The farmer who determines TO
know which from which must, in the first
place, measure all his fields. Until be
does this, he cannot know the amount OF
labor required TO till, the quantity OF seed
required, nor the average product per acre
after harvesting the crop.
"The next thing is to set apart few min
utes every day for recording the operations
of his farm in systematic manner. He
must not leave this as the last thing TO be
attended TO, and liable 10 he forgotten or
neglected, but it must be made as regular
and essential as his daily meals. II re-
garded as Of little consequence, it will be
neglected; If looked upon as Of vital inn
portance, on which all his success hinges,
he will he sure TO give it daily attention.
The measurement ofbs fields, the accur-
alto record each day, under its appropriate
L. ,,f mol,
field, and the weighing and measuring of
everything which passes through his hands,
will in a short time educate him into fegu-
larity, system and order, which in itself
will lie OF great value through life. In 4
short time, and with few minutes Of care
each day, his land will become an expert
mental farm, ON which he will in time ac-
cumulate vast amount OF accurate, relia-
BILE and practical information, worth more
than ten-fold all II has cost him.
ITO enable the farmer TO work with &C.
curacy, he should be provided with a num-
Der OF appliances. He should procure a
tape-line or surveyors chain 10 measure
his fields; the former will he more easily
used and sufficient for all ordinary Pur-
poses. A knowledge of common arithme-
tic will enable him TO calculate the con-
tents. By measuring his wagon boxes and
granaries, he may readily ascertain their
contents; dividing the number CT cubic
inches they contain by 2,74S will give the
number of heaped bushels. The graDaries
should be marked inside by several hori.
zontal lines, each numbered with the con.
tents up TO that line. This will show ap.
proximately at any time what grain lie has
on hand, or any added amount. He may
also determine, at least remotely, how
much hay he has in his barn, by measur
ing the space 1t occupies, and allowing
about 500 or $50 cubic feet for ton OF solid
packed timothy, and 700 or 800 for clover
But the most important assistant of all viii
be the platform scale for weighing loads o
hay and grain, and domestic animals. HI
may thus determine the amount of hay
more accurately as II is drawn in than by
merely measuring; and he may know ev
cry week whether tho food and mode o
feeding his animals is proving source o
profit or loss. He need no longer sell ia
animal by estimate. For measuring grain
he will of course be amply supplied will
different sized measures.
"Having supplied all these facilities, thu
next thing is TO provide distinct and well
arranged systematic plan Of accounts, will
space allotted to each field, animal or di
vision Of work. After some practice, few
minutes will be enough at the close OF eacl
day, TO record the days operations, and t,
place each item of labor or expenditure un
der its appropriate head, as well as the re
ceipts or sales. In this way farming woul'
cease to become hap-hazard business, bu
would soon arrive at distinctness and Ger
tainty. The owner could easily ascertain
where he is losing and where he is gaining
He could then omit understandlngly thos
operations or crops that continuously prov
waste OF capital, and retain those oni.
which result in gain. He could confident
ly adopt Ricardo's two rules, TO cut shor
his losses and let his profits run on.
"This course may be adopted on SINAI
farm, as we'll as large one; and the small
farm, although admitting less OF expensiv
machinery, would have the advantage O
being wholly under the eye Of the owner
instead Of under the hired agents of the ex
tensive domain, and would In the long rul
prove eminently satisfactory"
The Animal Worlds Behavior Toward