Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-04-02
A GREAT PROBLEM.
How Can Make My Farm Pay?"--Wl
Suggestions by a Farmer,

A GREAT PROBLEM.
"How Can Make My Farm Pay9"--wiss
Suggestions by Farmer
This is question that many thought
full farmers are asking themselves, with.
out any definite answer. With all farm
products unusually low, and labor MS
high as ever known Except during the
wary, it would look as if failure to make
the farm pay expenses, to say nothing
about profit, must be the inevitable
result 1t is better to look at whatever
difficulties we have to encounter, and
to realize their full magnitude, than to
make light of them, and finally meat
them. That produce is low and labor
high, are facts we can not change as
individual farmers. But by being wide-
awake to every thing connected with
our calling, we can do much to change
the circumstances, so that we can see
profit in the near future, if not at
present. Let us bear in mind that the
same problem confronts every business
man at times-how shall l pay eX-
penses, and, if possible, make profit!
The first remedy | would suggest, is
to farm more on plan-to anticipate
a coming demand for certain articles
of produce, and have them ready for
sale at the right time. When every
farmer is engaged in producing some
particular product, it is then too late.
The only way by which we can intclli-
gently anticipate demand, is by read
ing carefully the facts in regard to it,
and these at present are far in advance
of what our fathers had to guide them.
To illustrate, as far rs we are enabled
to Judge from all the information at
hand, 1t would be safe for any farmer
who has had experience, and has suita-
bic feed for which he has no particular
use, to invest moderately in sheep
and this applies as well to many other
things. One argument is, they are
cheap; another, that farm upon
which sheep are made specially can
be carried on with less help than any
other. The only way to lower the
prize of labor, is to lessen the demand.
We are too much inclined to plan MS
our fathers planned. This will not do;
the world has moved, things have
changed, living expenses are much
more Taxes are on the increase every
year, and we must have more to sell to
meet them, or failure will be the re-
suit. If we must employ high-priced
labor, let us study to have it well-di-
rGcted, not running to waste here and
there. 1t is well known that some men
will accomplish much more work with
the same help than Others, and the
reason is, they make every move tell
But we must not be penny wise and
pound foolish the well directed
labor necessary to perform the work on
the farm, in workmanlike manner,
must be employed; anything short of
this is waste Of what is employed
Lot the bills for labor be light from
the LIST of December to the LIST of March.
The days are short, many of them
stormy, and we need very little help to.
sit by the fire and read our papers. Too
much help is hindrance at such q
time; but to ourselves the stormy day
may be turned to good account.
My experience of more than thirty
years on one farm. has taught me that,
with scarcely an exception, there
comes time every season when all the
operations on the farm-the blowing
and sowing, the planting and hoeing,
reaping and threshing-can be carried
on under favorable circumstances and
conditions. Itmay come early, it may
come late; but it is almost sure 10 come,
and the grand thing is to be ready
when it does come, and push as if every
day were the last. In this way we
/ economic labor, lessen the demand
and lower the price. 1t is folly to COM
plain about high wages as long as tho
demand is what it is at present. A
laboring man has right to make all
he can out of his labor. In one sense,
labor is commodity; if the demand is
good, the price must be high and the
poor man who has only the work of
his hands to dispose of, should not be
blamed if he tries to get the full price
that his labor can be made to command.
SO much for lowering expenses.
Now, how shall we raise the price of
products? To combine to hold GER
tain product for a stipulated price is
failure; there can be no concert of ac-
tion---too great variety of opinion.
But it needs no concert Of action for
farmer to determine that he will raise
a better article than his neighbor, and
in this way obtain better price, and
consequently more profit. We fail to
realize that in the little. extra price the
profit comes in. Many farmers are
never satisfied; no matter what the
price, they are always holding for a
better one. l have always found it
safe to sell any crop when it was ready
for market and the buyers were want
ing it. The time TO sell anything is
when you have buyer; "the proper
time to set hen is when she wants to
sit" The great trouble with the aver
age farmer is waiting in all things for
a more favorable opportunity. The
skrinkage on crop of grain that
might be sold in the fall, by holding it
until spring or later, by loss in weight.
and destruction by rats and mice and
other causes, is far more than most
farmers realize. The keeping of
horse or horses for which you have no
use--every year they live getting less
valuable-holding on simply because
not offered all you think they are
worth, is folly. Better make your
buyer present of few dollars, than
waste the amount of feed and care on