The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-12-30

ana DaTs, gooQ implements, good stock,
good soils, made { if not naturally sol
| by artificial means, good seed, good til
| lage, and an intelligent rotation of
Icrops. Italso consists in good agricul-
| tural reading, good judgment relative
| to what to grow and how to dispose of
the crop to best advantage when
grown, and above all in correct bust
ness habits generally. Take this as the
definition Of good luck and you may
clearly understand why we have
among farmers such lucky dogs as
Messrs. Irving, Sanford, and Moore.
Take the other horn of the dilemma
| for an explanation of why there are so
many, even frugal and Woodworking
farmers, who are always poor in conse-
quence OF not being ableto make farm
ing pay.
/ In very many cases decidedly the
worst clog to the wheels OF successful
farming existing lies in the loose BUSH
ness habits of the farmer. 1t is the
worst because in correct business hab-
its must exist the life of any business,
and also because it is a clog compare
| lively invisible. In other words, grass
or weeds among the growing corn or
cotton, or bad fences, are seen and
criticised by every passer; and among
stimulants to reform we have none
more powerful than just criticism.
| On the other hand, our business man.
agement is not usually thing Of such
conspicuous prominence; as rule it is
a thing not much observed by others
than the parties directly concerned,
hence it is walled in from criticism and
left without anything in particular to
urge it into keeping step with the pro-
gress of the times. The merchant who
/ buys our products is up to the highest
line in business way of course; and
this, since age are decidedly otherwise,
throws all advantages strongly against
us.
Little as is usually thought of it,
correct business habits are as import
ant to farmers, in proportion to the
extent of their operations, as they are
to merchants or 10 business men in
any other branch. Success depends
wholly upon them. To know how to
produce a thing is all we'll enough; but
when we have produced it. what? II
we have not produced 1t for our own
especial use we must transfer it to the
use of other parties, and that act Of
transfer is business. Can we transfer
it with advantage to ourselves, getting
more in return for it than the cost Of
production, taking everything into
consideration IF not, then we had
better not have produced it; all our la
Dor and all our care and all our anx-
iety has been simply in vain-we are
standing exactly where we stood be-
fore the work Of production was un-
dertaken. Under the rule Of this kind
of business management farming can
never pay, of course, In truth it is @
losing game in the time; for, while we
may sell our products so as to just
make ends meet, we are losing in the
wear and tear" Of ourselves; at the
end Of every season year in life's al
lotment has been expended, which is
certainly O matter entirely worthy OF
serious consideration.
A large per cent Of our farmers
about all who can not make farming
pay have the next door to no system
whatever in conducting their business
affairs. They contract Obligations APP
parently without q thought Of how
they are to be met at the expiration OF
the time specified. The time rolls
around with astonishing rapidity, find
ing them no better prepared to meet
the Obligation than they were on the
day when it was created. But it must
be met, as "value received" has already
been had--hence there can be but ono
result, seriouD sacrifice. The obliga-
tion is met at loss to the farmer, Huu
the business man" goes on his way
rejoicing under the conflicting emotions
of having secured what was justly his
due and at the same time having re-
celved q sound cursing.
The system Of dealing with mer-
chants pursued by many farmers is I'M
business-like and highly Objectionable.
1t consists in having running &C.
count" as it is called. The farmer
calls for the article wanted, says
charge this" and that is the end of
the matter until, at some future time,
bill embracing q long list Of articles
Is presented for payment. Then dis
satisfaction is likely to follow. The
| farmer can not remember all the items;
and many that he does remember are,
he is sure, charged against him at Ag-
ures entirely above what the articles
were worth. So he pays the bill in
some way, possibly by struggle finan.
cially, and swears that the house with
which he has had the transaction will
never get another dime Of his money.
And of the fact that he means what
he says there can be no doubt; but
eventually madame comes to town and
| is met by the old merchant with the
blandest Of smiles. He has just receiv-
ed a new line Of goods which he wish
es to show her, not in the hope Of sell
ing them, but merely because he knows
her to be lady Of such superior judg-
ment relative to that particular line Of
goods. Of course she can not refuse.
The goods please her. She would take
something, but she has not the money
at present. The merchant assures her
that the money has nothing to do in
the case; she can have the articles and
send him q few pounds Of butter, or a
| ACH PSNAloo VI AOAiOJs VI % AON ShlCA-
ems or eggs, when she has them to
spare. She readily falls into the trap,
and in less than dozen weeks later the
former old routine is going on-the
merchant is requested to "charge this"
every time a member Of that family
comes to town.
charge this, A more dangerous
| and mischievous pair Of words were
never associated together. They are
words that the farmer should never
utter in connection with any business
transaction; neither should he permit
any one to utter them for him. Ger
tain it Is, if he makes use Of them in
the presence Of his merchant he will
have to pay round sum for the luxury.
But the merchant is not to blanche
can't help it. Money is necessary to
keep up his business; and if you hold
his money in your possession by not
paying cash down for his goods, he
must of course charge you extra as
much as that money would bring to
him were it in his own hands. He
couldn't keep up on any other plan.