Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-09-16
The Value of Right Idea of Things.

a Qualnb Olu 1 duh00 IL A0" ~ ~
when we were boys, used to have the
habit of saying: cit is mighty lmpor-
tant to have the right idea of things to
start with" One day young bull
tackled the old man in his barnyard.
Uncle Sam grabbed the bull by the tail
and gave him severe flashing with
black-snake whip, which he happened
to have in his hand. His bullship soon
gave up the fight and was glad enough
to get away. Uncle Sam said very
quitely: "He's sort o young and
foolish: you see he didn't have the
right idea of me an other things to
start with.
The corn crop is three weeks late in
the west, and there are hosts of dairy
farmers who wish now they had silo
to put good portion of their crop in.
for in that way they could secure the
full value of both ear and stalk, as
feed for their COWS next winter. They
have not had the right idea of this
matter to start with,
Three patrons Of the Hoard Cream
cries were talking on the street corner,
in Fort 5kinson the other day. They
all gree that they made big mis-
teke fe - years ago when they quit
keeping good registered dairy bull at
the head of their herds. Said one:
My heifers are not worth half as much
for milk as those I used to raise ten
years ago from Jersey bull. l paid
$50 for him, and I wish I had him
back again" Said another: This
idea of trying to put both beef and
milk into the same animal is humbug.
[ thought my Guernsey grade COWS
were not quite large enough, and so |
bought Short-horn bull and the COWS
he brought me, don't begin to bring as
much money as their mother mothers
did,
You see he bred downwards, and
not upwards; away from the pail and
churn and not towards them; wrong
ideas of dairy breeding to start with.
Said the third: eff had known as
much then as do now, l would have
built good barn and silo ten years
ago when lumber was cheap. [ had
the money, but I hated to call it in
from where it was loaned at six per
cent, and now I dread to start building
because everything is so high.'
This man has lost the use of good
barn ana silo for ten years, which
would have paid three times six per
cent. And he did not have the right
idea of things to start with.
These three men are typical of g
great host of men who are keeping
COWS. They are constantly at cross
purpose with the right idea of dairy
management. The right start in
everything is right idea of what we
want to do. A neighbor, who had
fought the idea of a silo for fifteen
years, sent his boy to the Short Course
one winter. at the Wisconsin Agricul-
tural College. The boy came home
and stirred the fater up to build sio.
Now he say s he don't see how he ever
got along without one. Lots of men
are as afraid as death of new idea,
Some men make progress in ideas and
the doing of things backward, the
same as does a cat that is pulled by the
tail. It is better. cheaper, and much
more profitable to keep our face to the
front.
It is the character and quality of our
ideas of our work that tells the story
for or against us. Bad luck generally
comes from adopting wrong idea, or
using wrong method. But the great
point for every man, whatever his oc-
cupation may be, is to carry constantly
with him the thought that he and he
alone is responsible for the IDEAS he
has.
Every man must be his own school
master. II must direct his own mind
If he 'efus to. make provision for
himself whereby he can secure supply
of good ideas. then he is to blame.
Too many of us feed our hogs to the
verge of cholera, and starve our minds.
We must have contact with ideas If we
expect to secure them. We must come
near to the fire if we expect to be
warmed. Again we are reminded of
the old proverb: GAS a man thinketh
(has ideas), so is he. :" Hoard S Dairy
man.