Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-06-12
BuYinr and SelIino

1t is not all Of farming to learn to pro-
duce from the soil. Nor is this the point
in which farmers are most apt to fail.
The cultivation, management and harvest
ing of crops are subjects that may be
taught in a general way but even with
these matters sound judgment will be re-
quired to apply the instructions and make
it effective. This is still more necessary
in the Incidental operations of farming.
| including the buying and selling of stock
and implements and marketing of crops.
If any of these are misdirected, as they are
sure to be, unless the farmer has good
judgment it is not possible for the best
crop growing to make farming successful
This is probably the basis OF much of the
popular prejudice against book farming.
The man who by reading has obtained
theoretical knowledge Of farm methods,
and snpposes that he knows it all, will al
most cert ainly make a failure. He will
be imposed on on every side and the capital
he puts into the business of farming will
be absorbed by those with whom he deals
1t demands first class business talent in
these times to succeed in farming, and es-
pecially in large way.
This accounts, perhaps, for the proven
bal conservatism of the great majority of
farmers in buying new things. Conscious,
as many of them are, that they are ex-
tremely liable to be cheated. they make it
a rule to draw into their shells, and only go
out when necessary. But farming is
necessarily more business of buying and
selling than ever before The plan of
drawing into ones shell does not answer
as it once did, and the only practical
method for farmers in these days is to so
I'd,
as to be always able to get the worth of
This must be mainly the result of expert
be valuable suggestions.
Whenever anything is bought consider
not only its present but it's prospective
value. It is said sometimes that money
grows under some mems hands, while it
as surely wastes away under the hands of
others. This only means that some men
have the faculty of distinguishing in their
purchases in favor of what is increasing
rather than favor what remains stationary
or is decreasing in value. Cheapness, as
cost little money, has little or nothing to
do with the question of profit Generally
what cost little has less profit in it than
what cost more The former the poor man
buys and it helps to keep him poor. The
latter is bought by the rich and it increases
their wealth. 1t is the unbusiness like
habits of many farmers that most units
them for properly estimating values
Fully one-half of our present farm stock is
kept at loss. Under business like view
of the case it would not be kept at ALL 1t
is the practice of good farmers to sell stock
that becomes improbable, and is likely to
to become more so, but who ever knew the
time when such animals would not find
purchasers, because, as compared with
profitable animals their prices seemed
cheap
Every farmer should know what he is
doing how much he is feeding, and with
what result. The farm scales are invalu-
able for this purpose. They serve an
other end, also, in so educating the farm
er's powers of estimating weights, that in
guess the weight or approximate the value
OF any animal In his own yard or another S
as soon as ne sees it. This is an ability
worth good deal of money to any man
| who wishes to use it in that way. But
the chief benefit to the farmer who proper
| ly uses farm scales is the Indictment they
| furnish towards improving his stock so as
to put it on profitable basis. The farmer
who has advanced to the point of knowing
what he is feeding to each animal will not
long be satisfied with wasting good feed
on inferior stock The train Of thought
that his own figures will suggest will
oblige him to secure the best he can COM
mand.
Here again he will do well to proceed
cautiously. For ordinary farmers. high
bred grades may be more profitable than
thoroughbreds. 1t requires skill, capital
and influence to make a market for the
pure bred stock which not all farmers can
command. Crossing by procuring
thoroughbred males, and breeding up un-
til the stock is three-quarters or seven
eighths of the desired strain, will cost COM
paratively little, and will pay as he goes
along. By practicing for time in this
way farmer will acquire the experience
necessary to enable him to feed and handle
thoroughbred animals with profit 1t is tc
this end that all farmers efforts should
tend.-American Cultivator.
| WATT ON YOTPSETE