Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-11-03

20, the Autumn days are coming. when the bees
have stopped their hnmming, and the
partridge lo.e Is drumming IN the copse
upon the hill 80
When the leaves are slowly falling. and the
sable crow is calling to his mate to stop
her squalling with Wild and mournful
trill; sz 4
Autumn winds the boughs are rustling. and the
towns again are busting, while the coun.
tryman is hustling with his apples and his
corn; = 81:
Days Of Johnny-cake and bacon, when the
woods are all forsaken, and the meadow
larks have taken flight across the fields
forlorn; .ss =@
IT'S the season melancholy, days when nature is
not Jolly; soon the welcome Christmas
holly will be hung DER banquet hall;
Shows Of winter will be DER US, and the season
soon will bore us when in manner quite
decorous We must seek the evening balls
For the summer days are over, withered are the
delds OF clover, and each merry wood
land rover on his haunts no more does
5@ dote:
And the question now, my dearie, that doth
make me feel so weary, is the old one,
dark and dreary, can wear last winters
coat2'
49, -Henry zn0zens.
FARM BOOK KEEPING.
How many farmers keep accounts? If not
how can it be known at the end of the year how
the balance stands as to profit and loss? The
lack Of knowledge of profit and loss would soon
swamp any man in mercantile, manufacturing,
or any other business outside of agriculture
In fact it does really bankrupt many "a farmer
But, one may object, few persons know correct
" how to keep set of books. This is true If
IN account is to be kept with large number of
deals. Nevertheless all this is not absolutely
farm. An account with each field and with
each kind Of live stock, andsthis in the most
simple manner will suffice.
Suppose the farmer is to SOW forty acres Of
wheat Every days blowing is to be charged
In the memorandum book; also, seed, sowing,
narrowing, harvesting, thrashing, and market
ing. The wheat sold is then credited against
ID profit. II the crop does not pay it's cost the
shortage Is loss.
Suppose the farmer il fattening q bunch Of
steers. He fixes their value when put up to
feed at, say,$3 per 100 pounds. This repre-
sents the capital invested. He knows how
the crib. This corn, the labor of feeding, and
care represent cash or debit. What the steers
are sold for is the credit. The difference be-
tween these two sums shows the profit or loss
according to the side of the balance-sheet it
may come on.
Again. every item of household expense and
everything that costs money or labor, may be
entered on one set of pages, and whatever
brings in money may 60 on other pages. using
one side Of a book for debit, and the other for
credit. A comparison Of these two sets of
fgares will at any time show apparent gain or
loss.
Many persons will not keep books because
they do not like to face personal
daily or weekly expense. Why not? If it tends
| to keep down outlay that may be avoided it
ledger, and these small items are often what
make or mar profits.
The last report of the Agricultural Depart
ment exhibits the increasing Importance of Mimi
| esota as corn growing state, and the selection
! of seed-corn has become a matter of first con-
Germ to farmers. The botanist of the exper-
| iment form Of Ohio, Prof. Daval, makes a re-
port upon the cost of seeding, as applicapble to
that State, from which q general application is
readily deduced, which shows the profit and
loss Of the matter in an interesting If not start
| ling sense. Pref. Daval says: In 1884 there
were 1850, 600 acres planted to in the State
| of Ohio. Assuming five quarts of seed to be
required per acre. it would require 400, 900 bush
| els OF seed-corn If only per cent failed to
| terminate there is loss of 10000 bushels,
worth over $1,000. But this is not the actual
loss, for farmers usually plant 10 per cent
| more seed than they would if it was known to
| be all sound. Then we must remember that
| seed-corn usually sells for double the price of
ordinary corn, tue actual loss is not less than
| $36, 900 in Ohio alone.
Individual farmers may argue that the cost per
! capita is too Insignificant to be taken into ac-
! count. Here is where so many err in fguring
upon profit and loss; These little savings
| clear profit Inattention to these would swamp
any merchant or manufacturer, and the rule
| holds good with the farmer. 1t is not the gross
| receipts but the difference between these and
| the cost of production that tells. But to figure
| little further: A seed that is not strong in its
! germinative power produces weak plant.
Hence, bad seed may reduce the yield OF corn
| all the way up to ten bushels per acre. Sup
! pose from bad germination portion of the field
has to be planted over, this may increase the
cost of the crop from 81 per acre up, and reduce
| the crop in addition, perhaps, ten bushels per
| acre. Right here ia probably why the average
twenty-seven bushels per acre when it should be
! forty. This and the added cost of cultivation
| and poor ultimate stand will at least form
| large integer in reducing the average yield. 1t
| will pay every farmer to save seed-corn sure to
terminate. Before hard freezing weather in
! autumn is the time to do 60, whatever it may
| cost. The surplus may be sold for never less
| than dollar per bushel.
! LARGE HORSES FOR THE FARM. :.
| There can be no doubt but that the importa-
ton Of French, English and Scotch draft horses
| has greatly improved the standard of the farm
horses in this country. While pure or nearly
pure blood horses of these breeds may prove too
large for farm work, it is gu te certain that the
native horses, on the, whole, too email, at
least for the West The introduction of self
binding reapers, '-sulky plows and other imple-
| ments of heavy draft has created an increased
| demand for heavier horses for farm work.
While in the way of general utility. activity and
| strength our native horses are very good, it ie
| evident that they can not cope with larger
| horses In doing the heavier part OF farm work,
with the machinery aud implements now in use.
Pro ;ressive farmers see the wisdom of crossing
with the large and powerful foreign breeds.
| The result Of these crosses can now be seen in
| nearly every part of the country. 1t is doubt.
! full il the eulky plow, self-binding reaper and
! many other useful implements, would be in so
general use to-day, we're it not for such causes.
Another thing in their favor is that any surplus
| stock Can always find ready sale. Indeed, go
| great is the demand for grades of the draft
breeds in the cities and in the lumber camps Of
the north, and prices offered ARE tempting to
| farmers, that they find it .fdcu1t to retain q
| team of such horses for their own use. The
great increase in the importation Of draft horses
! for breeding purposes shows that the popular
demand for them is general and permanent.
Prairie Farmer.
MER1Nos IN SOUTH AMERICA.
Vermont Merino breeders seem to have seiz-
| ed the opening in the great woolproducing
countries Of Uruguay and the Argentine Repub-
| lie of South America in introducing the Ameri-
| can Merinos there. The focks Of these vast and
fertile regions, once they are we'll imbned with
/ the blood of the American Merlin o, the pure de-
scendants of the once amoue flocks Of Spain,
will easily compete with the woods Of Australia,
which owe their fneness to Silesian and Saxony
hat