The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-06-13
The Farmer a manufacturer.

One thing that works against the
farmer is the almost universal idea that
ne needs to have no training for his
business, that in fact he is not engaged
N business, but that he only needs to
10 certain hnwarying tasks and then
trust to luck for the outcbf,ie, II is this
ldea that causes the city man who has
made failure at everything else turn
to farming as last resort though he
knows no more Of trne farming than his
hogs-if he is lucky enough to have
sny--do about Latin. OF course he only
adds TO the already long list of unsuc-
cessful farmers who furnish the stock
In trade for the political demagogucs
who have taken the farmers to raise
and Who seem always to find willing
dupes among this class of people.
First 1T should be Thoroughly taught
that the farmer Is manufacturer in the
strictest sense of the word and then
that like any other operative that no
must know his business in all its de-
partments and must apply business
principles to its managemeiit Just as if
it were plow factory or cotton mill.
This does not mean that he must be !,
graduate of some agricultural college,
Gndeed, that would be a disadvantage
to him If he graduated from some Of
them VIC know of), but he must have
served an apprenticeship in somo way
until he is master of the operations of a
farm. Then he must be progressive
enough to make an effort to keep up
with the progress OF the times Just as
his brother manufacturer in other lines
does. If he will do this the chances arc
that he will be successful.
Our southern brethren express the
idea Of the farmers business more aptly
than we do. though they do not work up
to the idea they express hhy better
or even as we'll as we do. They say
Of their crops that they make" them.
Thus: John Smith made ten bales of
cotton this year" Or "Petet Jones n,ade
so many barrels of corn or potatoes this
season. They are correct. They do
make their crops in just as strict a sense
as the mechanic makes a house or the
founder makes cannon. He is man
ufacturer and he should rise to the i'm
portance of the situation by adopting as
strict business principles to his manu-
featuring as does any other factory pro-
pl1Cbol. hlu uc Will illu tHat ue IL en-
gagged in business that will show n
balance on the right side of the ledger.
Don't for minute imagine that we
do not recognize many evils of monopo-
listic source that are yet to be righted
and that must be met and conquered,
but we do not want you to
lose sight of the fact that if all these
wrongs were rcdressed it would still
be necessary to do farm business accord
ing to business principles to make Il
success OF it.
We can't GO: around that and there is
no use trying to.
The legislature or congress cannot by
any act it might pass make any class OF
people prosperous, but it can protect
him in his rights so that by using proper
efforts any individual can make himself
prosperous.
Don't lean back and throw all the re.
sponsibility for your failures upon con.
gress. but while yon by proper organic
alton compel congress to enact proper
laws keep keen lookout for every
chance to improve your own condition
by doing your business to the best ad
vantage.