Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-06-12
AN OBJECT LESSON.
WHAT ruE NARkErSEN TEAcii
riiE FARMERS ABOUT BUSINESS
PRINCIPLES.

Not many months ago the wholesaler.
had been advancing the price OF bcef and
the marketmen In one Of the MAssachu'
sctts manufacturing cities felt that there
was little or no profit In retailing bcef nj
the customary prices.
Other writers besides myself have
urged farmers to conduct their farms on
business principles, and We have been
asked what We meant by "buslness prin-
ciples." Well, these marketmen acted
upon business principles. They wished
to ascertain II there MAS any proht In
furnishing meat to customers at present
prices, and " there Was not, how much
of an advance In price would be neccs-
sary to make their business profitable.
To get the desired Information they
held meeting and bought q certain
amount ~ beef at the Wholesale price.
They cut this up a. they would II a Gus
toner was waiting for each piece. Zach
piece Was weighed and the amount II
would come To at the regular selling
price Was recorded. When the operation
Was completed the totals were ascertain
ed aud Il Was found that the beef cost
more about three dollars, I think than
Il would come to.
As no class Of men do business for fun.
except farmers who do not keep accounts
aud consequently do not know What
their products cos, IL was decided tn ad-
vance the price of meat q sufficient
amount per pound to make the business
profitable again. There was talk OF adj
ysnclng the price of steak 10 cents per
pound, etc. Hut wisdom prevailed and
the price scaled up gradually until the
business was profitable and the demand
wss not lessened a. u would be u the
advance Was made at one time.
Now We farmers as we'll as those mar
k.tmen want to act on business princi-
pies. We must ascertain first whether
the difference between the cost aud SELL
Ing price of our produce IL sufficient to
give VI the reward Ia which We are en-
Titled. To do this LEI u meet together,
talk together and work together, aud
where better can Ne do Il than In the
granges IN the profits are not satisfsc-
tory let us act together and gradually adj
vance the pilce of our products until they
can be prohtably produced.
The farmers of to-day know how To
grow large crops. What they want To
learn Il how to sell them at profit.
They need education that ~ill enable
them Ia cooperate. No one man, nor
any i've men, can advance the price of
farm produce, but II every farmer In the
town would stand by his brother a. these
marketmen In this city stood by each
other, the demand would be- general and
would H. granted.
Brother farmers, keep Informed of the
Wholesale price 81 beef aud when your
local meat dealer tries Ia advance the
price of beef sufficiently 10 give him the
same profit be has been securing, just
tell him that you ha,, made little study
Of the meat business and don't propose Ia
paw him much over slO per steer Tor
cutting up yoar beef aud delivering " AZ
wanted. When YOU 20 to him to sell a
calf, a COW or steer he tells YOU What he
will give per pound. When be comes Ia
YOU why l. IL not Just a. fair for YOU 10
do the samei lie will tell you he has
but one price; never mind. he Will make
another before he will lose your trade.
I have always advocated the plan prac-
tlced by cur fathers of nelghbors club
bling together and first one aud then an-
other killing a sheep, hog or becf ani-
nal and exchanging the meat, but this
plan I. not feasible la the summer unless
a refrigerator can be secured. In the
summer when there are twenty or morc
oi us on the farm Ne often dress lamb
aud use Il W In the thr,e families. lndi-
siduAls In all other occupations labor to
help each other, let Va do the same. The
grange teaChe. Us how.--New England
Farmer.