Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-08-03
REDUCING COST
OF PRODUCTION
Making Meat Econ mical|y
Surest Way TO Get Best
Al The Markets
Farmers Who Put Finished
Stock on Market The Chea.
pest Get Profits

1t Is up to the farmer, the producer
Of the country, to get away from
the idea that his whole success or
failure depends on his getting high.
est prices for his products and to
change his present methods Of pro.
duction whereby 1t Is necessary for
him to get those prices In order to
realize a profit on his stuff. 1t Is
imperative that he turn his attention
to the other end Of the string-the
production end, and work an improve.
ment in that part Of the system. The
practice Of catering to the best OF
the trade Is to be commended only In
SO long as 1t Is profitable to do 81
and not longer. At the present high
levels, the prices obtained do not de-
termine the profits Of the farmer as
It might have done when everything
was figured on a lower basis and
there was less room for variation In
the cost of production.
The profits realized by selling a
commodity at all times is determined
by the difference between the actual
cost of producing that commodity on
the farm and the amount received for
IT. at the time of selling. The profit,
then, is not dependent entirely on
n factor, as many producers are
wont to believe but upon the two
and any varition in one is just as
effective in influencing the ultimate
profit as in the other. If the farmer
would quit studying the market re-
ports 80 z~ealously and set about in
PRODUCING some system of feeding,
whereby he can produce beef seventy
five cents cheaper on the hundred,
he is better off than If he had beaten
the regular market price by that
much, for his additional profits have
been realized through his W ef-
forts.
The selling pri -es of all farm prod
ucts have gone skyward within the
last year and the farmer who has
taken advantage of this and has made
a special effort to widen the margin
between the high selling price and
the cost of producing the goods is the
n who realizes the rewards of the
time. But If no intelligent effort Is
made to prevent the cost Of produc-
ing a bushel of corn, a pound of pork
or a ton of hay from keeping pace
with the advancing selling prices, the
relation between these two determin-
ing factors will remain undisturbed
in the main and the farmer will &C.
rue little benefit from the change.
The production side is the n that
is deserving the study now. The
markets are more or less stable ana
cannot be influenced by the individ-
ual, however much it may be to his
advantage to do SO. But he can
bring about the same results without
expending his gray matter outside his
own boundaries, by cutting down the
cost of growing the products. The silo
looms up conspicuously in this on.
nection for the feeder ana dairyman
and there is no question as to its
place on the stock farm, due entirely
to its ability to make cheaper meat
or butter. The use of forage crops,
properly balanced rations, intelligent
crop rotations, conserving of the
manures and fertilizers are all i'm
portant factors in getting ahead OF
the markets. now much will 1t cost
me to fatten my ~steers?" should be
attitude taken by the feeder and not
what will I get for my steers after
they are fat" for the price will prob.
ably be the same whether the process
of fattening cost the farmer five dol
lars or six dollars on the hundred
and consequently his ultimate prof
1t will depend on this.-Farmers'
Guide. .'...