Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-09-26
THE BUSINESS OF FARmINr

ny j. T. WAGGoazK. Of the I Il { Service Bure.u
A great deal has been said I'm a loo
ular way about the razor-ba hog and
his sun-splitting abilities, but it is a
very encouraging fact that he is RAD
luly becoming extinct. His happy
hunting grounds consist now of only
small part Of the total hog produc.
ing area He has been succeeded bv
The more domeSticated and mora
highly developed type of hog, which
someone has properly dubbed 1.-THE
mortgage raiser" Many farmers can
easily attribute the possession OF
MONIES, wealth and all that goes there
WIN TO the domesticated hog. Misplace
In the scheme Of industrial progress
mas been won not by any unusual trait
Out Is largely due TO the fact that his
prohtablenesS is a result of Instructive
economical habits. BY nature he
seems to fit into the whole scheme az
farming as utilizer, to the best nos
sloie advantage, OF many of the farm
products that would otherwise be a
total loss.
we can draw d very valuable lesson
from this all but artistic animal
whose only language is his squeal Of
dlsapproval and his sturdy grunt of
satisfaction. He saves where otberq
waste, and makes his living bv rootine,
aIounu sometimes in places where
wanted, sometimes not. If there is
ShyUhlng within reach that no likes
ne usually hnds it and proceeds to
make good use OF the opportunity
without any manifest concern or ex-
cl1ement. He seems to make it his
business to look after small things.
even the holes in the fence if the ont.
side looks more inviting.
Prohtable farming is becoming more
ana more a business proposition In
which 1T is necessary TO look after
The small things and to use to the best.
advantage every opportunity TO pro-
ouce more economically. The best
ana most proatable farmers have
adopted systems Of farm ACCOUNTING
or, in other words, they have become
Dookkeepers, have kept such COM
plete records as to enable them to de-
termine which fields were profitable
and which were not. To begin with
1t is not absolutely necessary to follow
up all little details, but it is a good
pan 10 90 so as completely as possible.
Ii we were to go into a manufacture
ing plant, one Of the first things to
impress us would be the system Of
doing things and the strict principles
OF economy that are followed. An
products that can be used for other
purposes are saved, properly stored.
and used when the time comes. Al
the end Of each month, and possibly
each day, the manager knows the
exact status of affairs-the amount Of
stock on hand, and the quantity oil
finished product ready for the market
Every part Of a great machine is
numbered and each must be accounted
for.
III the same unsystematic methods
were practiced In factories as are used
on some farms, they would soon lose
Jhelr Identity with the worlds pro-
gress, and become nothing but idle
monuments to some mans failure
On careful consideration It is plain to
see that with farming it is as import
ant, II not more so, to keep definite
ana strict records of all expenditures
OF time, money and labor.
The space allotted TO this article
Will not permit detailed explanation
of all the possibilities Of an account
ing system on the farm and what it
will accomplish, but carefully kent
records will be an index finger TO point
the farmer to loop holes through which
the profits are now slipping. He
would know which are the profitable
neldS; which are the most profit
producing crops; which cows were
boarders, that he might at the end of
the season sell such animals to paw
their board bills; he would know
whether he was utilizing his horse
power to the best possible ADVANTAGE
In this connection IL might be said
that one Of our foremost universities
has just found that'on I6O-acre farm.
equipped with six splendid head of
work stock, the average daily labor
per horse was only little over three
hours for the entire year "a very
small average labor record, indicating
lack of efficiency.
Well kept accounts would enable us
TO determine the most satisfactory
way Of utilizing our dairy products.
Experiment Stations have found that
the cream separator reduces the loss
OF butter fat per COW to one-eighth
that of the deep setting; one-twenty-
first of the shallow pan, and one
thirty-third of the water dilution
methods Of cream separation. This
shows that with the ordinary farmer
who is milking ten average cows,
figuring butter at the market price.
will save more than the price of a
separator in a single season. 1t not
only is economical from the stand
point of obtaining more Of the butter
fat from the milk and other methods
OF cream separation, but makes 1t
possible to utilize the milk before it
has undergone the action of detri-
mental bacteria, to which it is very
susceptible. Every farmer knows
that milk as it comes fresh from the
separator is in the most wholesome
condition for feeding young pigs and
young calves.
We hear a great deal said nowadays
oh a. ,fofx