Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-04
Business Methods on the Farm.

ness metn0QS. LII is the want OF DuSl-
ness principles, largely, that causes the
wall about agricultural depression.
venture the assertion that seven-tenths
of the farmers of the United States do
not even keep running account of
receipts and expenses; consequently
they don't know what it costs to raise
bushel of corn, wheat, or oats, or
when the proper time comes to turn
off the cattle, horses, hogs, or sheep,
or in fact, any product of the farm.
1t is Just as essential for farmer to
take an inventory of his stock in store
as it is for the merchant. 1t is needed
to determine whether it is profitable to
carry more or less of certain kind or
article, or whether ii is profitable to
carry it at all. Sometimes we carry
too much for the capital invested, or
not enough, as the case may be. We
can not discover this by guesswork.
OUT Dy surlct business principles. Inc
cry that farming doesn't pay, we fear,
has become chronic. One signs for the
old days when wheat was $1.25 a
bushel, forgetting that it took $500 or
more TO buy self-binder, while now
you can buy one for less than half the
amount and very much superior ma
chine. In fact, everything that we
use in the way of machinery and i'm
plements is about one-half cheaper
than fifteen years ago.
"Oh, but corn is SO cheap. It doesn't
pay to raise it." Let US see. Hogs are
at present $3.50, which is equal to
forty cents per bushel for corn, at least.
| would rather sell hogs at $3.50 per
pound than corn at forty cents per
| bushel. Counting corn at forty cents
a bushel, sixty bushels to the acre,
gives $24-a pretty good income, say
for $50 investment. Now mind you,
it's not my fault if you have sat in the
house, or held the counter of the cor
ner grocery down, or perhaps worse
than all, spent your time at the nearest
village saloon, when you could have
attended that acre of corn yourself,
and hereby saved the extra expense
of the hired man. [ would advise less
grumbling, the more we indulge in it the
more chronic it becomes, and with the
wall of protection built up higher, en-
bodied in the Mckinley bill, and with
strict business integrity on our part, /
am satisfied ours is bright future.
The American Farmer.
In his baccalaureate address before
the graduating class of the Mass
achusetts Agricultural College Pro-
fessor G. S. Walker said: 'sHereto-
fore, in all parts of the world, the
farmer has been no match for his adj
versary. He never held his own
against the soldier or priest, against
| politician or statesman. In ancient
| times he was slave; in the middle
| ages, a serf. In the nineteenth century
he is a slave, serf, peasant, or pro-
| prietor, according to location. Ameri-
can farmers. as class, are face to
| face with a crisis. They have subdued
a continent and furnished raw ma
| terial for our factories, bread for the
operatives. and manhood for our civili-
zation. They sustained the Nations
credit with their hard earned dollars.
rescued endangered liberty with their
conscientious ballots, and defended
time and again the stars and stripes
with their loyal blood. Vigorous in
body. strong in character, striking in
individuality, lovers of home, massive
in common sense, fertile in resources,
devout believers in providence, the
farmers of America will never allow
| themselves to be overwhelmed by the
| fate fate that sunk the tlllers of the
SOIL IN india, in Egypt, and in Europe.
From all parts of this land the farmers
are coming together. Organization
and cooperation are wonderful ideas
that have awakened them as never be-
fore. They are grasping hands with a
grip that means something, comparing
ways and means, uniting upon ends to
be gained. They demand for them
selves and children an education equal
to the best. They insist upon a fair
share of the profits of American III
dustrv, claiming that no state can
exist in which tillers of the soil bear
the most of the burdens and share the
least of the blessings of advanced
civilization. But they are in danger
of making mistakes in the struggle
that will turn back the progress of the
movement. They demand leaders.
To supply this demand is the impera-
tive duty of every educated farmer.
Whatsoever of bodily vigor, mental
power and moral heroism the educated
farmer may have acquired from an
cestors, college or university, he will
need that he may cOnsecrate it to the
great work Of strengthening his brother
farmers of America, so that they shall
ever remain the immovable foundation
of this the only Republic whose en-
pire has not been rapidly undermined.
Feeding Horses.
I'M.