The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-08-15
WHAT SALARY DOES A FARMER
RECEIVER

He receives the equivalent OF a larger
salary than ninety nine out OF hundred
of them are willing to admit. They un'
der estimate the profits of men living on
a salary.
There is a great difference among
those who live by farming. Agreat many
work the soil because they do not know
what else to do, or because they cannot
live by anything else. Many Of this class
hardly deserve to be called farmers.
They lower the standing of farming as a
business. believe there is no business
by which a man can live so well with so
much neglect, as in agriculture, Still
nothing better repays good care and
ability. 1t is rather slow to yield bril-
liant returns at the outset so it is in any
business. The farmers profits are con-
cealed in the rise of land-in improve
ments by ditching, clearing, new build
ings, more land, more tools, or better
stock. Most farmers have no idea how
much it costs them to live. They forget
to figure in the pork. poultry, mutton,
butter, flour, vegetables, etc, The salary
man lives entirely by his individual ef>
forts. In estimating a salary, we must
do so by looking at the privileges enjoy
ed the hard work of brain and muscles,
and the gain in property or improves
ments.
am personally acquainted with two
brothers in Michigan, who started out
on an equality about twelve years ago,
One of them, after good education,
went to farming, the other to teaching.
They had only a few hundred dollars
apiece to start with. The one who fol-
lowed teaching for the last six years, has
received annually from two thousand to
two thousand seven hundred dollars.
One.third of this amount would be Gals
led large salary by nine tenths of our
farmers who can save as much each
year as does the teacher referred to.
The farmer, Of the two brothers under
consideration, owns and works small
place of seventy or eighty acres, which
he is steadily improving, He has good
buildings. He owns small cheese fac
tory. He is out of debt. He has lately |
bought 80 acres more of land worth |
81 900, and from previous experience,
he is certain he can save $500 a year
above all expenses, to apply as payment
on his recent purchase, He is easily |
keeping up with the teacher in accounts
lating wealth. He works no harder. The
natural tact of the two men for work and |
and business was not much different, |
while they worked together on the old |
homestead The farmer in question is |
not an old fogy in any sense of the word. |
He is all the time looking for new and |
better implements, but he is very cautious
about buying any of them until he has
seen them tried and knows that he can
make good use Of them. He does not
make costly experiments, but he is every
year trying some new vegetables or
grains or grasses. He is improving his
stock by some purchases, and by ma
ural selection" He wastes no money! in
rushing from one department to another.
He keeps COWS, raises some hogs, Its
tie wheat, some corn, hay and grass,
some fruit and poultry. In no sense of
the word can he be said to have made
money by buying low and selling high.
He is not a trader. He has no tact in
making his money by good bargains.
What he has earned has come by legitiN
mate farming. Some would call him a
little conservative. He is very cautious,
saving, industrious, but he dresses we'll
and lives ell.-RHyal NeV Yorker.