Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-13
Profitable Farming.

In this country generally, all The
most essential conditions for success In
farming are found. A fertile soil, tenn.
perate climate. improved implements,
and good markets easy of access. If q
moderate degree of prosperity is not at
tanned under these circumstances the
failure must be traced to some prevent
able causes. like negligence, extrava-
gance, idleness, or inexcusable igno-
rance. OF course misfortunes attend this
as every other industry, which no wis
dom can foresee or guard against, but
no industry can be named which is at
tended with SO few risks and in which
ordinary care and labor are so sure of
meeting an adequate reward.
Let that prudence and economy in
management be exercised which are
deemed essential to success in other pur-
suits, and the same or more gratifying
results will follow.
The successful merchant keeps a
careful account of stock on hand, he can
tell. on brief notice, the exact amount
of his assets and his liabilities, and the
nature and extent of his expenses. and
he keeps his business s0eH ia hand.
The architect and builder has his
plans well formulated and his line oil
work correctly laid out before he begins
his structure. He enters upon his un-
dertaking with clear ideas as to how
each part of his building shall be put
together and how it will appear when
it is completed.
If the business principles of the mer-
chant and the artisan, so far as practi-
cable, were adopted by the farmer.
there would be less cause for complaint
on his part as TO the uncertainty and
unprofitableness Of his vocation. 1t is
too often the case that farming is con-
Quoted on loose principles. There Is nc
system in keeping account of receipts
and expenditures, no method for ascer-
tanning whether given crop is more
profltable to raise tan another, or
where at the end of years harvesting
the balance of accounts stands. Nc
definite plans are followed in the rota-
ton OF crops, in the blowing and the
seeding of soil, in providing for
droughts and other contingencies.
No industry is so often conducted
in the aimless, hap hazard way
as that of farming. So many are
engaged in it who act as though
they thought Nature would be pleased
to yield them her bounties even though
they treated her in the most shiltless,
iisorderly and neglectful manner. They
disregard Eer plainest rules and set at
naught her wise arrangements and still
expect generous return for their labor
1t may be true that some exceptionally
rich lands need only be ''tickled with a
hoe TO laugh with harvest" yet, so
far as the widest experience goes, there
needs to be more serious work than
tickling" with hoe. to make even
the most genial soil laugh. 1t needs, in
plain language, thorough, systematic
hard work, labor with purpose, and
an aim in view. 1t is well that the
world, at least the most intelligent por-
ton of it, is giving up the idea that ag-
rlculture, least of all occupations, re-
quires foresight and business tact.
When it has given up that idea alto
gether and come to a clear understand
ing OF the fact that no industry paws
better interest than this on an invest
ment of good judgment, sound reason
ne and careful business management,
he more ample and satisfactory will be
'he result. A. ]. Observer