The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-08-02
A True Economy.

farmers IN the ownership and use
of costly farm implements and Ia
Dor saving machines of various
kinds:
We gave, a few weeks since, an
account Of cooperative plan
adopted by the citizens of Ashby,
Mass, for procuring a large mum
Der of valuable magazinesaand 9th
or periodical publications, at a
comparatively trifling expense to
each member of the association.
We hope that readers of the Farmer
have not failed to profit by the ex-
ample of the country people Of Ash
by, and will in the future be able
to supply themselves with an album
dance of good reading, at rates that
will be within the reach of all who
have any desire for improving their
minds by so easy method. Farm
ers seem to have been among the
last to avail themselves of the adj
vantages of cooperative measures,
but they are beginning to learn wis
d W in this direction, from seeing
what other classes are accomplish
ing.
While looking at one of the new
manure spreaders on exhibition, in
a dealers warehouse, recently, we
learned that farmers in some sec
tions are organizing companies for
the purchase of such implements
as are rather costly, and not re-
quired for very frequent use on the
same farm. Such an enterprise is
very much to be commended. Take,
for instance, neighborhood of ten
farmers, each of whom would have
use for a manure spreader, a seed
drill, or a field roller two or three
DAYS in a year. Either one of these
implements will earn from twenty
five to fifty cents per hour, while
in actual use, perhaps more; but
no one farmer may require the use
of some of them more than half
dozen hours, or at most two or
three days, in the whole year. I'm
der these circumstances, it is usu-
ally a serious question reckoning
the interest on the cost, the room
needed for housing when not in use,
and the wear and tear of the ma
chine, whether, on the whole, it
will not be cheaper to do the work
by the old methods, or, as in the
case Of the roller, let the work go
undone.
In many neighborhooda are
Il I, rr,hn fn lAFnUInn
themselves with all the necessary
improved farm implements, but
they cost too much to lend, and
borrowing farmers are not always
pleasant customers to deal with.
They often forget to return articles
when they have done using them,
occasionally break something with
out telling of it, and are not al
ways willing to pay for their use,
unless it be in praise of their good
qualities.
Now, an association of farmers
might provide themselves with all
the needed large and costly imple
ments, without feeling the expense
very much, and would have per
feet right to use them all they
might need. The first step is to
form a real association, not an in
formal and indefinite one, coming |
by mutual consent, with
out either head or rules. Let the |
company be formed under writ
ten agreement, signed by each |
member, with u record of the num-
Der of shares of stock taken by |
each. Then let one Of the numb er
be chosen to have the care and con-
troll of one or more of the imple
ments, charging and collecting an
sum per acre, or per hour, |
for the use, whether used by a
stakeholder OF others. AT the end
of the year, the fund collected |
could be divided equally, upon the
shares held. This makes a per
fectly equitable arrangement for all
parties, and when the machine
needs thorough repairs, or is worn
out, a vote of the stockholders
would fix upon the course to be
pursued.
A stock company has been or
ganized that has successfully car
ried out tins scheme to the entire
of the stockholders.
The keeper of the machines often
goes ont to work for others, using
his own team, and divides the re-
ceipts between himself and the com
pany, the latter getting the rates
agreed upon. Manufacturers and
dealers may at the first view sus-
pect that such cooperation might
diminish their sales, but we think
it would rather increase them, for
more ground would be worked, and
.he more a machine is used, the
sooner it is worn out and must be
replaced. Again, there will always
De a few in every such company
who use machines or implements
great deal, and who will, as soon as
hey feel able, have one of their
own for the great convenience of al
ways having it home when wanted.
As man who already takes two or
hree newspapers or magazines is
more easily induced to take anoth
II than one who reads none, so
nan who has learned tn e value of
IN implement by using it will be
more likely to purchase than one
Who is a stranger to the merits of
he machine that is offered him.
seems to be the lever
" which the farmer of this genera
ion may most readily lift himself
o n higher level than the one he
low occupies.
All Cotton-No Cotton.