The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1884-09-13
Business Methods on the Farm.

Farmers might 10 worse than take a
little note OF how other business men
manage their affairs and learn sons,-
thing from their observations. A farm
or should not be like Il clam and shut
himself up within the hard shell OF bis
" ways and Dctions, nor think IL mat
tcrs nothing to him how the world
moves, or to the world how he gets
along. lie may learn a good deal by
studying the ways of people in cities that
will do Inn good in his cwn business.
For instance, II he should 20 into u city
workshop and find one or two mon at
work in n corner, but all the rest OF
the great building empty, or, II filed, the
machines running empty aud wearing
out with rust, lo would be struck with
wonder and amazement. II no were
to interview the owner, whom he would
certainly think to be crazy. and were
told that he had not sufficient means to
furnish his factory, iat he could not
allori 10 hire labor. or that he was doing
well enough, that no made a living, and
was well satisfied with what he was
doing, our iarmer would be o and
more amazed. That is. II he were not
struck with n similarity between the case
OF this man and his own when his
thoughts were turned to his own farm,
where the larger part Of his fields was
oyorrun with weeds; where the crops
yielded little more than the seed for
want OF tillage or fertilizers; where
hall bis COWS failed TO pay for their
feed; whore his crops were DESTROYED
by insects, his land poisoned with stag.
nant water for want Of drainage. aud
all this was excused because lie could
not AFFORD 10 hire labor. or buy f%ertiiil-
ers, or procure good stock, or that no
was doing well enough.
II we could only see ourselves M
others see us how different we should
act IL helps us thus to sec ourselves
to watch closely other men. Il helps
the farmer 20 become acquainted with
other business men by whose industry
and enterprise markets ara found for
farm products. Competition, too, spurs
him TO greater efforts or to letter
methods, but, unless he knows more
about what his competitors are aud
what they are doing than the bare fact
that they arc growing wheat more
cheaply than hc Is. or are making sub
siitutes for his butter and cheese from
cheap lard and tallow. h. will be poor.
~ able TO keep ahead In tho n aud
will find himself left behind.
In observing tho ways OF other
business men n farmer will find
that each man makes his special bust.
ness his LIES work. and studies Il thor.
ougly inside among his " machinery
and work. and outside among his Gus.
toners. both actual and prospective,
and sticks TO II through good times and
bad; that economy In every way Is most
strictly enforced. no work or means OF
any kind being wasted. no opportunity
being missed, no dead stock being car.
ricd. and everything that docs not pay
being inexorably and Immediately cut
OF. And II he learns no more than this
he will at least discover that in a gen.
era way the business man who should
run his store or workshop rs the major.
lty OF farms are run would very soon
be without any business at ali. Ne
doubt u Is true that a large proportion
OF business men fail to succeed. But
all these failures ars due to the want
OF the strict business methods which
alone Insure success. and Il Is simply
an indication that the farmers business
Is an excellent and profitable one that
30 few farmers fail In IL. rather than
their methods are the best SO that We
SOC very few farmers succeed In other
businesses. while q great many bust.
ness men mako excellent and sncccss.
full farmers IN. y. Times.