The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-12-06
The Bad Economy of Attempting
Too Much.

Farmers, as we'll as politicians and
newspaper men, often "bite off more than
they can chew" although in somewhat
different line. While they do not, as a
rule, perhaps, tell stories about their
neighbors (Which, when traced back to
them they are unable to prove), they often
do attempt more farm work than they are
able to perform. This is one of the
points, and very important one, which
go to make up the mismanagement which
never shows itself more palpably than on
a farm. There is seldom anything gained
by laying out so much work that one is
in chronic rush to get this done or that
done. There are those who deliberately
lay out their work knowing that such
will be the case. They say, "Well, it
will keep me busy, but l can get it done
if work a little lively" And so they
60 at it, and work very lively indeed.
Thus it goes all through corn planting,
harvesting and corn-cutting. They fuss
and fume and work themselves to death
simply because they have attempted to
do little more than they are able, ex-
cept by the most strenuous efforts, to
perform, or, rs is more frequently the
case, the work attempted is not more than
half done.
There is another class who, while at
tempting too much, are not aware of 1t
until they have it proven to them by the
appearance of their farm, &c. A case of
this sort is that of neighbor, Doctor.
He is doctor; a practicing physician.
That is where the trouble begins. When
he became farmer he didn't drop medi-
cine entirely. The bad economy of hav
ing two callings was exemplitied in his
case the other day. The threshers came
with their many horses and multitudes of
men to thresh his grain. But just as they
were about to set up and begin work the
doctor was wanted. Just when the "head
boss" should have been present lie was
absent. And SO it happened that the
threshing wasn't accomplished in twice
the time necessary.
But aside from his profession the doc
tor attempts too much. In the spring he
determined to build new board fence,
replacing an old WORKOUT one. To this
end he got out some posts and hauled
them to the desired spot. But either he
had begun little too late, or it was too
big Job some way or other anyhow he
couldn't get any further, and there those
posts have lain all summer.
His garden bears as evident signs OF
neglect as everything else. A row of
cabbages, and another of tomatoes, and
little bed of beets have long ago been
buried out of sight by the weeds. If
they are ever resurrected | am afraid
they won't be very plump at any rate.
Then his corn-patch, too. And this will
be the most powerful argument, because
corn is usually the last thing hard
pushed farmer will neglect. His corn
patch is a tirst-class patch of weeds, with
very thin crop of very thin corn amongst
them.
But such examples are sufficient. AL
most every farmer is able to tell how
much he can do. Those who cannot will
learn by experience. But let those who
can use such knowledge to their profit,
make it a rule never to plan more
work than they can do, always making
plenty of allowance for those jobs which,
though unlocked for, must, nevertheless,
always be attended to. INV.