Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-07-09
oLuIoHINe AT STARS.
An Analysis OF tho Wholesale Advice Given
TO Fnrmnrs md DnlrYmcn.


TO Farmers and Dnirymcn.
II is altogether too common for dairy
writer's, when invcighing against the
productions of the great mass Of poor
butter that is put on the market, wholly
unfit for market, or TO be used by those
who have n normal taste, to assume that
II might all be made nearly as good as
the best; and a large share of the indig-
nation that is expended is launched at
the farmers and farmers wives, who arc
the authors and iinishcrs of tho unpal-
atablc mixture. They are commended
to learn how to do better, and in some
cases studied homilics arc written, Civ
ing all the minutia in regard to butter
making, from the birth of the incipicnt
COW, to the end of the sale through the
commission man, it may be thousand
miles away.
We have large amount of doubt in
regard to the wisdom of the bulk of
such advice; because, to attempt to fol-
low onc-fourth of ii, is as much above
and beyond the mental and business
push of the majority of farmers, as it
would be for them TO master the details
of any other business that it takes years
of close application and study TO sue
ccssfully manage. Some can do the
whole business; but even large part of
those who can, will do better 10 conline
their work to certain parts; while the
overwhelming mass will do no better
than they do now, while attempting to
get along without the aid of others who
are vcrscd in the intricate details that
1t takes time and money to be familiar
with. There are thousands who will do
better, and make larger men of them
selves, TO make it a study TO produce
more of the most profitable milk for the
production of butter and cheese, from
the same acres, than they will to scatter
and weaken their energies in learning
to do more, and then learn and practice
all the rest from the milk pail on. Part
of those thousands have sufficiently
taxed their capacity when achieving so
much, and world be "bulls in crock
cry store" if they undertook more; and
part are so mentally constituted that
they had better double up on what they
know, and repeat their efforts over and
over, than to learn another trade. 1t
would be waste of effort on the part
of law schools to teach that all their
pupils may attain all that the soundcst
and brightest may achieve; and so it
would be equally Il waste of effort TO
say to all the uncducatcd farmers that
they may equal the more favored ones
in intellect and education, and that it
is the duty of each to rival and equal
the varied accomplishments of the
completest farmer he knows, instead of
coniining himself to master q lesser
number of things that arc within the
compass of his mental push and tastes
and capital.
The tendency of the times in all de-
partments of mechanical labor and pro-
fcssional effort, is to run to spccialtics,
and thus better equip man to excel in
his line. The same principle applies 10
the farmer to great extent; and hence
it will be true, that tho more the doc
trinc is inculated, and the more the adj
vice is acted upon, that the farmer
must be "miXedh to the extent of being
and knowing and practicng every
thing on each farm, that ought to per-
tain to the many, shall we have the
diversified crowd of imcompetcnts
and halfway successful ones we now
have.
The average farmer who gives his
thought and purpose to make each acre
of his farm produce five thousand pound,
of good milk per annum, can learn
to do that quicker, do it with more cer-
tainty and with less hard work and
anxiety, than he can learn to make two
thousand five hundred pounds per acre
net him the same income through
skillful manufacture of the milk, anC
the most successful sale of his product
To teach men, taking the mass as it is
that they can take front seat, ant
ought to do as well in the early future
as the men of ripe experience and grca
knowledge are now doing, is no Kind
ness to them, for development comei
step by step. Men should reach for tha
which is just above them, and within
their enlarged capacity to compass; bu
not waste energy at clutching at stars
-Hoard'S Dai,yman.