The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-04

There is a general impression that
farmers have more severe labor to per-
form than men Of equal capital in other
occupations After many years expert
ence on the farm and of observation of
others ways. the writer is very sure that
two facts can be established that need
our attention. The first is that the la
Dor of the farmer is no more severe than
that of most other men of equal capital.
The story is being told of a farmers boy
who went into large business house for
employment After few days had
passed the boy gave up his new position.
AT home" said he. I'VE thrash only
two or three days in the year. Here you
thrash every day" All was push and
rush. from manager to errand boy. Our
expressive word hustle" applies to the
movements of all successful mep in cities.
The ten-hour system does not apply to
the work of the business man. Study,
work, push, from morning until bedtime.
The man in. an office wears out faster
than the farmer. The strain is continu-
Gus where competition is keen. Holi-
days are few and hours Of labor are long.
Our farm boys should understand this
we'll. The owner of few thousand dol
lars-the value of an average farm
cannot live I'm the city unless he is will
ing TO give nearly all waking hours to
thoughts of business. The evenings,
usually. cannot be given to the family
and home. Only the fortunate few with
big accommodations can hope for leisure,
and then often hope in vain.
Ptf az fir11a xya would nSnppia llV
emphasize our second point, to-wit: The
average farmer performs more hard
manual labor than is necessary to the
welfare of his business. We mean by
this statement that fewer hours of labor
would accomplish just as much good re-
suits if the remainder of the time was
employed i'm keeping thoroughly posted
in regard to markets, supply and de-
mand. new methods of farming and in
planning the work to the best advantage.
Absolute drudgery never pays very
big wage. Hard work must be per-
formed. of course, but our plea is for
sufficient rest from ii TO keep up with the
times in every way affecting the farm
income
Work and think. If we cannot do
let us be sure to do the thinking, the
planning and the watching, that all the
labor on the farm be made as remunera-
tive as possible, and that we do the reap
ing where we have sown instead of let
ting others get all the advantage. In a
word. we need more business in our oc-
cupation. 1t pays. The Sentinel is seek
ing to be helpfU1 by giving its readers the
safest crop statistics and the best prac-
teal suggestions of the leading farm
writer's of this country.
We do not believe that the old eight
hour rule-eight hours in the forenoon
and eight hours in the afternoons any
longer profitable to the farmer. A fail
ure to keep posted so that he may always
get full prices for what he sells and pay
no more than what is just for what he
buys: to plan laborsaving methods: TO
vary crop quotations so as to get the
best income from his fields, such fail
ure loses any farmer ten-fold more than
he can hope to make by extra hours of
manual labor. Good. honest, hard work
is honorable. but an excess that Grip
pies us in a business way by depriving
us of opportunities for using our heads
to the best advantage is never COM
mendable