The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-05-04
CAN'T AFFORD 1T.
Interesting Hints to Farmers-Some
Things He Can't Afford.

When farm products are low in price
and business generally has been suffering
from depression, all occupations act ana
react upon each other. The farmer ceases
to be the liberal buyer of the products of
others that he is when the prices ne Is
receiving for his own ere satisfactory, and
those in other pursuits finding the demand
for their own labors declining. become in
turn less liberal purchasers Of the prod
ucts of the farm. Systematic economy as
expressed in the words cant afford II,
then becomes the rule. 1t is wise economy
for the individual, although the general
practice intensiiies the necessity Tor 1t on
the pare of the whole community. IL grows
by what it feeds on. The farmer finds
that he can't afford to build the addition
to his house that the family have Doen
contemplating. The now parlOr carpet has
to be postponed another year. Mary can
not have her now piano, nor Johnny MS
bicycle. New machines believed 10 bQ
needed the farm mUss wait and new
outbdildngs that would he advantageous
TO the work must keep them company.
Cant Jrd it, stiles many generous
impulse AMI necessitates many Il piece OF
sclf-denial. In such times a few farmers
even doubt whether they can afford their
agricultural paper. We have our own
opinion about thist. which we do not hesi-
tate to express ana it is that an agricul-
tural paper that is not found helpful ought
helpful there is all the more reason for
taking it at n time when the farmer most
needs hello. namely. at the time when de-
served rewards for his labor are least
adequate We do not press the point be
cause our own experience leads ms to be
lcve that there are not many farmers so
short-sightcd as tc, need much emphasis
laid upon it.
There arc some Kinds of false economy.
however. about w,rch something might
wei he aid because there does seem to
bc temptation 20 practice them during
periods when the prices of farm products
are low. No farmer can afford TO raise
Twenty-Five bushels Of corn to the acre,
but he can better afford 70 do it wnon
corn is so cents than when it is 20. Econ
omy i'm culture that produces a low aver
age crop rs always out of place, but most
Of all when the price of the crop is low.
lie cana afford 70 keep COWS that make
l25 pounds Of butter year. lie cannot af-
ford the kind OF economy that makes ~
cent butter tie cannot afford to let the
calves become stunted $50 that they viii
never make lrst-class steers. and VIII
make what beef they do furnish at high
cost per pound. lie cannot afford TO keep
scrub stock. Notwithstanding some recent
limitations TO the effect that scrub cattle
ana western range sheep when fed regard
less of cost sai as wei as pure bred beef
and mutton breeds and that the Florida
''razor-bacx" is a valuable outcross. lie
cannot afford 70 use indifferent bulls iu
breeding and let the western ranges take
an the best animals that are offered for
sale. The farmers of the northwest are
doing this to TOO great a degree. They
are making a mistake i'm doing it. our
readers would be surprised If they could
know the extent Of the range demand for
good bulls as compared VITA their own.
There is danger that they win find it out
too late. that is 10 say. there is danger
that they win find il ont when the progeny
Of tho good bulls that have gone west
bcgif. TO como TO tla-kct We Ia "A season
last year of which one OF the marked
features was the unusually excellent quail
ity of range cattle The market reports
We're constantly impressing the lesson that
wei bred steers, grown upon the western
ranges. were trcadiug hard on the heels
Of good native cattle. The proper response
10 such lesson on the part of every grow
or Of market cattle. wise enough to heed it,
should Doe The purchase of the best bun of
the breed hc prefers that his means viii
permit. There are Il good many things
for which low prices Of farm products af-
ford "a Justification for saying. 81 can't
AFFORD H." and thcn. again, there are a good
many false economies for which low prices
arc made ,he Is cuse when tEoy are in fact
tho very reverse Of au excuse This MAJ
ter Of indifferent breeding is one Of them.
Poor stock may make a little prOht in.
flush ,mes. u is almost certain to Eet "a
loss during periods If low prices.