The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-28
SUCCESS ON THE FARM.
Economy, Thrift and Intelligent
Methods Necessary.

men who dCrilOt believe in any SDecia
study of the business. nor in anything
but the hardest kind of work and a con
finual swearing that the business don
pay" It has been said by some one
that The only thing that can be solo
on the farm at a profit is skill and
think the more we consider this state
mont. the more we viii be impressed witt
its truthfulness.
TOO many farmers look upon the pro-
duct Of their farms, not as manufactured
goods but as so much raw material Now
This is ii great mistake, and the man who
manages his farm successfully must look
upon himself manufacturer, and the
beef pork, butter. cheese, or whatever
he may have to dispose of. as his finished
product. Then by endeavoring to keep
down the cost of production to the very
lowest possible point he will find his
profits very materially increased. A great
many farmers are constantly complaining
about the markets and the extremely low
prices that prevail for farm products.
Now II one man produces pound OF
butter for II cents and sells it for 20 cents
he has just as great a profit as his
neighbor would have who produces a
pound Of butter at a cost of 20 cents If
ne could market II at q cents. The mar
ket end of the business we cannot con-
tro. only in so far as we succeed in pro-
ducing an article of superior excellence.
and that Will ind a ready sale at the
very highest price; but the man who
gives his undivided attention to the home
end of his business. who practices the
close economy of the successful manu-
facturef. will find he has entered a more
profitable field of labor than endeavoring
10 boom the markets or to overthrow the
monopolists or combines that he fancies
are robbing him OF the product of his
toll.
Such a farmer will not leave his farm
implements lying about the fields where
last used exposed to all kinds of weather
and to wear but one-half the time they
would if properly housed and cared for.
but will practice habits of method and
order-will have a place for everything
and everything in its place No time viii
be lost hunting for tools that have been
carelessly thrown down and forgotten; no
money wasted buying new implements to
replace those that have rotted and be-
come useless through exposure or need
of a seasonabie coat of paint; every
minute and every dollar expended I'M
necessarily adds so much to the cost of
production and lessons the profits &C
cordingly.
thusastic one-he farms not from neceS-
sity. out because he loves his occupation.
Many men who have neither capital nor
experience adopt farming for business
and then wonder that they fail. Muscle
without brains oil the farm IS like a ship
at see without compass. The voyage,
certain and is usually attended
with humiliation and disaster. 1t is very
important that we should know what we
can Go best-what comes most natural
and easy for us and il is of no less i'm
portance that we know this at the start.
Begin right and then there viii be no
frequent changes from one business TO
another viii not succeed. Some men who
last year were in the dairy business this
year are going into raising hogs extern
sirely On account of the high prices that
have heen paid during the past season
for pork. By the time they get well
established in the hog business pork viii
be away down and then they VIII try
sheep raising with similar results. With
such men whenever it rains mush and
milk their dish is wrong side uD- He is
dill fa11D r1.af1 frer NV
perience. The longer We follow given
way the more familiar it becomes. To
change after this is to lose much of the
benefit Of our former experience. Hence
the necessity of right start A blunder
here may cost us the race
The prosperous farmer in these dun
tines must follow in the footsteps of the
successful manufacturer or merchant in
keeping strict account of his business.
The average farmer has no more idea of
what il costs him to produce buShel OF
wheat or oats pound OF beef or bacon
than the man in the moon. He breads
mental work. and perfers working 16
hours a day without knowing whether
he will get any returns for his labor, |
rather than devote a few minutes each |
day 20 keeping an accurate account of !
what il costs him to run each branch |
of his farm work so that at the end of |
the year he may be able to tell what !
branch of his farm operations has made !
him profit and wherein he has lost |
We know very well that the merchant |
who fails to keep strict account of his |
business will have the sheriff in charge |
in q very short time; and we are forced |
TO the conclusion that farming is the !
best business in the world or there would /
be more failures than there really are; |
but the farmer who for one year VIII |
keep an accurate account of his receipts /
and expenditures with his dairy, his |
wheat field or any special line of farm |
work that he may be engaged in, will /
find that the fund of information to be /
gained from such source Will enable him
TO farm more intelligently than he has
done hitherto and to cut off many. leaks
about He cannot stop a leak until he
has found 1t, and / cannot conceive of
any way of finding them except by keep
ing accurate accounts of his business.
Another thing that is of the utmost i'm
portance TO the man who wishes to sue
coed is the keeping up OF the fertility of
the soil Every farmer should try to put
into practice tie old maxim Feed the
soil and it will feed you Too many
farmers in this country have been acting
the part OF the prodlgal. and have been
drawing upon the fertility in the soil
year by year for the means of living
without making any returns. until their
The only remedy for these men is TO
quit selling the hay and grain off their
farms. and dispose of it through the
medium of the COW as beef or butter or
cheese. or through the hog as pork or
bacon. BY so doing a large percentage of /
the fertility of the soil will be left on
me farm 20 Ee again available as plant
food, and by growing leguminous crops,
such as peas, and clover, much can be
Gone 10 restore our exhausted farms TO
their wonted fertility But many farmers
who feed hay and grain on the farm do
rot seem to have clear estimate of their
losses N dollars and cents through not
taking prOpert care of the manure made
IN the farm Men who viii otherwise
save every grain and every nickel, throw
AWAY many dollars every year in the ,
shape of manure by letting the largest
and best part of il go to waste. How is
such waste to be prevented? Our Scient-
sts tell US that the liquid part of the
manure constitutes at least one-haf the
nanural value OF an animal. consequent
y our first aim should be to save that as
much as possible. The only place 10
ave If .,eifg the stables, the floors must
De made water tight to prevent the liquid 5
rom soaking into the ground. The next
thing is TO have an absorbent
1.art. plaster is very highly recommended |
or this purpose and helps TO retain the {
ammonia. Cut straw answers for this ]
surpose and where II can be readily OBJ I
ain,d dry muck is excellent. and small | /
he CT tile gives the liquid part of the {
manure enough consistency TO be easily J
AIKEN up Many people have practiced s
humping the manure in the barn yard I
Turing the winter and leaving it there to c
each until some time during the coming {
aImmer. This is also very waSteful, as S
10 best pssrt Of the manure will be t
cached away- The better plan would be (
0 take it directly 10 the field as made: [
here viii ne a great saving in time f
md labor in avoiding handling q second t
inc when there is more TO do and, IN O
ess spread on q side hill when the ground S
$ ffozen or covered with snow, there viii