The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-07-16
Leakages on the Farm.

The strictest economy must be prac-
ti,ed to make farming pay. Those who
! think that it is easy to make money and
! farm and have a general good time, are
, mistaken. There wants to be the strict
est economy in the most minute detail.
There is hardly any businessin which so
many leakages can occur as on the farm.
And we have no doubt that the want Of
success of number Of our farmers is
owing to inattention to small matters.
There is no greater source of leakage on
farm than the careless way in which
machinery and implements are kept.
According to the Improvements Of mod
ern machinery, &C., the outfit for hum
dred acres of land cost in the vicinity of
81 100 at the least; and this for capital
of hundred acres of land. When this
machinery is allowed to lay out Of doors
in fence corners and exposed to all kinds
of weather, there is no doubt that taken
a given amount of capital the farmers are
looslng greatly on the mere score of inn
plements and the care of such. EconO-
my in the preservation of the material
that is used in production, at the present
rate. is great point in preventing leak
ages. As general thing, say an ordi-
nary reaper only lasts, ON an average,
four years, this, by economy and care,
would last three times this period.
Plows, harrows, wagons and other inn
plements might come under the same
category with a regard to economy
With farm of one hundred acres, we
venture to say that no man at the pre-
sent price of labor and the cost of ma
chinery and implements can make any
headway, unless he stays the leakage in
the saving of machinery. Taking
maximum yield of grain, and there is
not a fortune in farming unless man is
careful and attends to the small things,
the leakages.
1t is all folly to suppose that farming
can be conducted only ON pure business
principles, and that with regard to econ
omy and attending to leakages. But one
of the most potent leakages of all on our
farms is not active but passive, and that
is the presence of so many noxious
weeds. Of all the drains on the produc-
tiveness of a farm weeds are the most
potent. It might appear strange, and
almost incredible, if we state that of all
the vegetable productions raised in this
country in given area, fifty per cent. Of
the production of this country is weeds
useless.
What do farmers think of this? Is
not this a leakage? No reference need
be made to the personal habits of a far
mer for wastes on a farm; the general
economy practiced on farm is sufficient
to teach lesson on leakages. If far
mer keeps poor lot of stock to eat up
his gain and fodder, an adequate return
is not made for consum ption; here is
leakage. Good stock is a great point,
and there is no more expense to keep a
good animal than poor one. Feeding a
lot of scrub cows, steers, sheep, horses,
fowls, ETC., that will only bring one-half
the price Of well-bred animals, is a COM
mon source of shortage; and there is no
wonder a number of farmers get poor
when their class of stock is looked at.
Another fruitful source Of leakage, and
with better class of farmers, is the
misapplication of capital to the best adj
vantage. Instead of laying out their
surplys money to improve their land by
drainage, and the purchase of better
class of stock etc, they put it into saw
ings bank, and probably only realize 6
or 7 per cent, when by using the same
capital on the farm 80 per cent. might he
obtained. A farmer should never allow
his money to only draw interest when
there are so many opportunities of in
vestment on the land. The leakaees we
have mentioned are enough to dry up
farmers profits