The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-03-14
PLAN FARM WORK 4.
DURING the WINTER
EXECUTE IN SPRING
THE PLANNING is THE MOST I'M
PoRTANT BUT EXECUTION
IS ESSENTIAL.
THOROUGH ATTENTION AT NIGHT
When Times Comes for Work There
THOROUGH ATTENTION AT NIGHT
When Times Comes for Work There
is NJ Time for Working on Plans,
But Active Labor is Necessary for
Results.
(By Capt. T. F. Peck, Commissioner
of Agriculture.)

There are two essential things in
carrying out any line of endeavor;
First, to plan it, and, second, to exc
cute the plan. No man ever under
take to build a railroad line until he
has surveyed it. He then locates or
stakes out the line, and, furthermore,
ascertains where the money to build
it comes from. No lawyer pleads a
case until he has planned carefully
the course that should be followed
with the testimony, and has made a
skeleton or plan of his argument. No
wise minister breaches a sermon un-
til he has first carefully planned his
outline. The planning is the impor-
tant thing. The execution is impor-
tant also; for without execution the
plan is worthless; but without plan
ming the execution will be fruitless.
Farming is no exception. The
farmer must plan his operations for
the entire year. In fact, his plans
usually reach years ahead-the rota-
ton, the various crops to be gorwn,
the bearing of these crops ON his live
stock operations, and also their bear
ing on the maintenance of soil fer
tility. There are few lines of bust
ness that require more careful plan
ming than tina. of farming.
Winter is the time to do the liam
ming summer is the time for axecu-
ton. The winter is not the only
time to plan the entire years cam
paign, but the farmer has the time
necessary for the planning. In the
summer he can think only of the
execution and such notifications of
his plans as unforeseen conditions
may require In winter all plant
growth is suspended, insect life is
dormant, and the marketing of the
summers crop, in the form of live
stock or otherwise, is the main bust
ness, Work is not pressing, the
nights are long, there is plenty of
time for attending institutes, discus
sing farm problems with the neigh i
bors, reading agricultural books and
papers, and getting full under
standing of the principles and rrac-
tees, for which he has no time in |
the busy summer season.
In making his plans the farmer
must provide for unforeseen coatin-
gencies. Farm business can not be
planned with the same accuracy, GER
tainty and thoroughness that can be
used in other lines of business. The |
farmer cannot tell whether the |
spring will be early or late, whether
it will be wet or dry, warm or cold.
He can only figure on the normal
temperature and moisture. it may
be necessary to change his pans in
minor details; but these possible con-
tingencies should be thought out be- !
forehand and plans laid as to how
to meet them,
He must determine in advance
what he will do in certain contin.
gencies He cannot safely plan for
every day to be dry day, but he can
plan for a certain normal number Of
dry days and wet days.
The point we wish to impress upon
our readers is that now is the time
to do the planning There will not /
be time to do 1t in the summer.
Plan your work carefully and thor
oughly this winter and then give the
summer up to execution.