Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-07-19
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Getting Behind with the Work.

netting w ith INV " VT
Promptitude in doing farm work Is
the first essential to success. 1t is for
this reason that energy, enterprise,
and what may be called eXecu tive
ability are so important for the farmer.
No matter how hard he may work,
much of the labor goes for naught If
not done ut the right time. In olden
times men could only work by manual
labor. He who was strongest or quick
est, or could work the most hours per
day, was on the high road To success.
We have n great many farm maXims
based on this idea. intoxicating early
rising and close application TO work
through the entire day. These are
still important, but in modern times
the farmer who would grow rich
simply by hard work on the methods
and with the implements Of his grand
father, would surely fail. Getting up
early, as modern farmers must uHder-
stand it, means willingness and ability
to adopt labor-saving and other i'm
provements as rapidly as they are
brought before the pubic.
But the most wide-iwalle farmers
are occasionally caught mapping.
They are more dependent than
any other class of workers, unless it
be sailors, on the weather Rains de-
lay in many ways. They hinder work.
and they make weeds grow all the
faster. If through wet weather in
spring, or from any other cause, the
farmer has land likely to become idle
or Improbable, it is not always easy
for him to see a way out of the diff
Guilty. If the proper seeding time be
passed before the crop can be sown,
some other must be in its place. 1t is
such emergencies these that test the
practical ability of the farmer. 1t re-
quires something more than muscle 10
see way out OF difficulty like this.
Rather than SOW crops much after
their time it is generally better to seek
something new. put in small area a
good many crops ia the best possible
way, and diversity the product as much
rs may be. II this is done the farmer
will be able TO perform more work him
self, and make the help hired by the
month at cheaper rates fully as eli
cient and valuable rs that he could hire
by day work at much higher prices.
This is one OF the ways by which an en-
ergetic farmer can get work done and
crops grown more cheaply than his
dilatory neighbor.
Another method OF labor-saving /.
TO have land thoroughly under1rained.
Two weeks Of team labor gained in
this way gives the farmer whose land
is drained an enormous advantage all
through the season. If there were nc
other gain from draining than this il
would pay 10 drain all the lots at least
that were often under cultivation. The
labor of keeping crops clean after
planting is also greatly lessened OF
well-drained land. With a good out
let below to carry off surplus water the
cultivator can be started one or twC
days earlier after heavy rains, anC
this makes an enormous difference in
the difficulty of keeping hoed crop.
free from weeds. If one stitch in time
saves nine, much more does one days
work, done at the proper time. save
twice nine if delayed.
1t requires good, practical judgmen
to forecast probable work to be done
and adapt it TO the help that is EN-
pioyed to do it. Trying to do too
much is the besetting sin OF American
farmers. They have been led int
this through the cheapness OF lane
and of late years by the increase O
labor-saving machinery. 1t has seemed
too small business to cultivate a few
acres thoroughly and at profit, so the
Swimming process over II larger sur
face has been practised with the ide;
that in farming as in other business
what is done on large scale can b.
done most cheaply and therefore mos
prof tably But it is impossible fo
even the best business man to devot,
in farming, on large scale the Close
attention to details that is essential u
success. The large farmer almost in
evitably gets behind with work and
/ loses heavily. while more moderate
attempts within his means to accom-
plish would result in success. -Ameri
can Cultivator.