The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-02-07
Weights And Measures.

Weights And Measures.
No farmer can be a frst.claas farmer
tunless be takes continual note Of weights
and measures and while ne cannot
successfully dispute this, many ofus must
admit that we ignore weights and meas
ures right along. Ask us how many
acres are in the cotton or corn fields, and
We will say about so many acres; the
exact size of the field we do not know.
Ask us how many pounds of corn or hay
we feed, how many pounds of bacon or
-four the family uses in year, ETC., and
we cannot give the exact number. We
guess at it; and guessing about such
matters is certainly not good business
policy. Certainly no merchant or banker
would dare to depend so much on guess
work; and why should not the business
man be in the country as we'll as in the
city9 Why should not the farmer be a
business man as we'll as the merchant and
manufacturer
To insist upon accounts being taken on
the farm, Of weights and measures, may
strike the reader as being somewhat too
particular, as being "fancy farming;;"
but, if he will do a little thinking about
the matter, be will see that it is only in.
sisting upon business methods in farm.
ing; and who is ready to say that farm.
ing should be conducted in an unbusiness-
like way, with total disregard of busi-
ness principles and methods? The man.
ufacturer knows just how many pounds
of iron and feet Of lumber enter into
each article, and what they and the
workmanship cost. The merchant does
not guess that muslin has cost him about
so many cents per YARD or that sugar has
cost him about so many cents per pound;
and when he sells he knows just how
much he has lost or made. When We
sell cotton, or corn, or pork or wool, or
butter, how often can re tell what it cost
us and how much We have made or LOST
Surely it is conclusive that farming isa
good business when ne are every one not
bankrupt, defying reasonable business
rules as we all do; andI do not think
that any intelligent person can doubt that
our business would be more satisfactory
and profitable if we adopted business
methods, the base of which is an account
Of weights and measures. -
Likely the very large majority over.
estimate the difficulty and labor of this
account. To measure fields is an easy
matter. Don't make one of the compli.
Gated land measures, occasionally illustra.
ted and extolled in the papers. Nothing
is better than a measuring pole just one
rod long, with foot and three inch. space
marked on it. Make the pole of some
light, tough wood. 1.-THE field is regular
in shape, measuring It's easy. If firreg.
uIar, stake off as much oft as you can
get in parallel sides and ends, the corners
being square; in other words, layit off
in the largest right angled quadrilateral
you.can, and measure it. Then lay off
the residue of the field in squares,
measuring each; or,you may be able to
do the work better and more easily by
making triangles. To measure a very
Irregular field may require some little
time, but when it, or any field is measur.
ed, the work is done the next. year, and
it is surprising how much will be added
to the certainty and system of farming
by this one thing of a knowledge of the
exact dimensions of each field. One
step more, and the yield Of each field in
each crop is known: and then another
step tells'which crop, is most profitable,
and in which field, and the farmer knows
what crops he should most largely
tproduce, and what crops should be most
largely grown in each field. Give man
rod pole. pint cup and half-bushel
measure, and be is given the means of
bringing his business from mere guess
work to well-nigh certainty, of substitu.
ting for haphazard the busines methods
that allow of system and intelligent di-
rection.
But the man will ueed more, for some
articles must be weighed, not measured.
Every considerable farmer, especially if
he is a stock. raiser, should have platform
scales. But whether the platform scales
are had or needed, pair ofsteelyards will
be needed. Once become accustomed to
weighing things, and you will not miss
the time required /; and, though you do,
the time will be well spent.
You will find that by using weights
and measures you often prevent yourself
being cheated by others; and far oftenel
being cheated by yourself; for a mar
cheats himself and his family when he
gives food to animals that do not pay 9
fair price for it, or spends his land and
labor in crops that are not profitable.
Surgery Without Danger.
! KANSAS OITY, Mo-, January 27.-T. s.
Tinslav. an architect of this citv. haE