The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-29
'SBusiness Principles" In Farming.

am requested bya reader to ''tell
some Of the uncounted ways in which
farmers lose money needlessly,' and
also some Of the main principles of
trade which are $50 entirely disre-
garded' by many farmers. think the
best way to answer the questions put
TO me by my correspondent will be to
refer to actual instances occurring I'M
der my own eyes. where FARMERS are
losing money needlessly,'' which they
would not lose if they did not disregard
''the main principles of trade" l will
pegin with one who fifteen years ago
was one of the most extensive, and APP
oarently one of the best and most pros
porous farmers in this county. He was
aiming Geo acres as a dairy farm,
keeping blooded stock and making
ancy butter. But he was carrying
mortgage of $4,000, and probably never
lad less than $1,000 of outside
1ebts. He would buy fine COW or a
fine bull, and give his notes for the big
prices asked, and keep renewing the
notes and making more purchases Of
course he pad some of these notes oc-
;asionally, but his debts kept increas-
ing. He kept his accounts correctly,
however, apd knew what he owed. His
dairy herd was increasing in number
and quality, and he had ready sale
for his butter at an extra price. The
farm was also well handled and in
creasing in productiveness, and he sold
as well as bought considerable stock.
He kept up the interest on his mort
gage, and his credit was very good
But his buildings were small and made
quate He needed larger barns, and
he Tor his wife) wanted better house
He had plenty of good timber-land, and
i'll the winter got out and drew to the
saw-mill enough to put up very ex-
| tens,ve set of buildings-barn, 120 by
46; a fine piggery, and large and very
handsome dwelling-house that required
good deal of nice furniture TO equip
it. He had everything finished in good
shape, but with plenty of unsettled
bills and notes outstanding, in 1872.
The next wear came the panic; butter
| went down to twelve or fifteen cents.
and fancy stock was absolutely unsala-
BILE. He was like big ship caught IA
squat with every sail set His cred
itors got scared, and everything was
shingled with attachments. He is now
In Dakota, growing wheat for the bene-
| fit of the railroad and elevator corpora
tons This was case of rather high
| flying farming for New England, but
| the bottom was good. and had it not
been for much closing money needless
ly." and neglect of business princi-
PIES this sad failure might nave been
great success.
Another case is that of Gs:tn whose
father selected and cleared land which
made one of the best grass farms in the
| country. About 100 acres was beaver
meadow, level. rich, moist, Yet not too
wet for good grass, The rest of the
clearing was upland pasture of good
quality, and there is plenty of wood and
a good sugar place This only son
inherited the farm Just when it had been
got into good shape. He is an intelli-
gent man and fond of reading, but mar
row, opinionated and ''set," with very
little business tact, and not too much
industry Everything about the place
is always in disorder and behindhand.
Dairying is the chief business, but the
stock is badly selected, badly housed
and cared for, and irregularly and care
lessly fed and attended to. His cow
| stable in winter is the most filthy and
disgusting l ever saw. The cattle are
rough, poor. dirty, infested with YER
min and drawn up with cold and hun
ger half the time, though the barns are
full of hay, some of it good, and more
not so good as it might have been.
This is all that is fed, and the cattle get
it and their water whenever it is con-
venient, sometimes not till nearly ten
o'clock in the morning. This mans
wife is good dairy-woman, or would
be if she could get good milk and good