Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-08-30
THE FARM

The Farmer Viewed as Business Man
Probably no occupation is carried on
with so little regard 10 business rules as
that of farming. The farmer requires
more education, and knowledge Of a
/ greater variety of subjects than any of
the sO-called learned professions.
The man who knows only how to turn
a good furroW, prepare the soil for the
seed, stop the growth ofIWeeds, and pro-
IN Ote the growth Of the plant, has not
mastered the art of successful farming.
II Tor has the man who knows only how
to raise fine horses, sleek cattle or fat
swine, or how to fertlIlze his fields to
the best advantage, raise the best corn
or potatoes, or the highest yield of oats
or barley.
The man who to-day really makes
thorough success as a farmer must COM
bine all these elements of knowledge
and many more.
1t used to be said that any fool could
be a farmer; but at the present day peO-
pie begin to realize the fact that the
farmer needs the most education. The
time has gone by when the haphazard,
slipshOd, gO-as-yOu-p please methods of
farming can be made to pay.
Agriculture has come to be recognized
as a science. Millions of acres of soil
in our States and Territories have been
opened up to the pillow, and their surplus
products are forced upon the markets of
the world. The products of the cheap
labor of foreign countries are also
emptied into our midst to glut our
markets. The farmers upon the worn
soils of the older States, and especially
our own New England, must look closely
to the details of their business or go to
the wall.
What would be thought of the manu-
facturer who did not know to the frac-
ton of a cent the cost of the raw ma
1,f, rT~,e T~-IT-
or the manufacturer of leather who did
not know the exact cost of the material
and labor required to make q case of
boots and shoes, or the manufacturer of
OleOmargarine who knows what 1t costs
per pound and laughs in his sleeve at
the farmers gilt edged butter.
And yet now many farmers can tell
the cost of a pound of butter or pork,
busheI of potatoes or corn, or a ton of
hay? They sell their products for what
they can get offered, not knowing
whether they are making or losing.
The remedy is this: When farmers
come to realize that farming is a bust
ness as much as manufacturing or bank
ing or buying and selling goods, and by
a careful keeping of accounts learn to
figure the cost of every article they pro-
duce, then a successful beginning will
have been made. Let them keep debt
and credit with every acre of corn or
pOUdLO6s or Deans or gram
Charge each acre with the interest on
it's value, the probable amount of fertil-
izing material used by the crop, the cost
of labor in its care. Credit it with the
market value of the crop produced. The
difference between the two will repre-
sent the profit or loss.
A like account should be kept with
the herd Of COWS. If any one of the
number entails loss upon you, dispose
of her.
Keep a strict account with the orchard,
if you have one. Debit it with the labor
employed in its care and in harV esting
of It's fruit. Credit it with the value of
its golden product and learn from the
balance on the right side of the ledger
that it is one of your best friends. I
have said that the farmer needs to be
educated for his business. One branch
of study I would particularly recon-
mend, - that is bookkeeping. / speak
from personal knowledge and expert
ence and know it pays. 1t is like the
compass to the mariner.
The farmers book is one of refer
ence to which he can at any time refer
for date Of article bought or sold, and
price given or received for the same.
The book will solve the great problem,
Where does our money go tO?" and
perchance lead to a more careful con-
sideratiOn and economy.
Having learned to calculate the cost
of the products of the farm, the next
business is to know how to sell them.
Make a study of the markets and learn
for yourselves the prices OfthOse things
you wish to sell. If you cannot fix your
own prices you can at least prevent be-
ing taken advantage of by interruptions
traders.
Do away with middlemen. Don't en-
plOy your local marketers and express
men to sell your products, they viii re-
turn you as little as they dare to.
There's too many following in the foot
steps of "Old Hutch" the millionaire
of Chicago, who figured so largely in
the recent wheat squeeze.
Do your own selling. If the price is
below the cost of producing, hold on to
the product till you can double your
money.
The sTOCK-RANCH