The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-07-30
APPRECIATE THE
VALUE OF TINE
BY CAPT. T. f. PECK,
Commissioner Of Agriculture.

e. OOuiuilSSluheI W agriculture.
We have discussed this subject be-
ofre, but when you suggest better
methods in farming, better prepare
ton of the land, better care of the
live stock and farm machinery, you
are told that they cannot find time.
Yet the same persons lose much
more time than would be required to
do all the things suggested, and do
them when they should de done.
Too many of us do not appreciate
the value of time or plan our work
ahead. Last week 1 saw lot of land
intended for corn this year that had
not been touched, and now the people
intending to cultivate it are waiting
for rain so they can pillow it. We have
had an unusually favorable time since
last fall to pillow land in preparation
for crops, and this land in question
had nothing on it to prevent its being
plowed At first there was plenty of
time, yet the favorable opportunity
passed, then something else came up
staining attention. political meet
ing or some attraction in town. Time
slipped by and the land is untouched.
If the farmer who is always MAX
ing the excuse that he has not time
to do the things that mean the differ
ence between nice profit on his
farming operations and bare sub
stance, and that means the difference
between his farm improving and get
ting poorer each year, will be honest
with himself and keep a record of
every day he puts in during the year
that he would be willing to pay an
other for if he were hiring the work
done, he will find at the end of the
year that he has lost more time than
he has actually put in proftably.
Many of us do not realize how much
time we lose. have known this
tried out, with record of $50 days
actually worked during the year.
Still some farmers-the majority of
them, in fact-imagine they work
harder and longer hours than people
doing other kinds of work. | have
known farmers to get crop very well
under way, but when the sun began to
shine warm they would quit the crop
too soon and cut by half the yield |
that could have been made
| have seen crops harvested in the |
shock and then allowed to stay in the
field until seriously injured. have
seen serious loss from neglect to live |
stock on the farm, and then l have /
heard farmers blame the weather and /
the land for their poor success, when
the fault was altogether their own,
and largely result of their utter dis
regard of the value of time.
With many men their time consti-
tutes the majority of their working
capital. They owe to themselves and
those dependent upon them the obi
cation of providing the necessities,
comforts and some of the luxuries of
life, and their failure to do falls heav-
lest upon the dependent ones.
These observations are moi written
for the sake alone of being critical,
but with the hope that the farmer
may be induced to realize that so
many things he would like to have,
would be possible If he would only
employ intelligently so much VARIABLE
time that heretofore he has allowed
to pass unimproyed.
All who have reached maturity have
lived long enough to have observed
that some men start with nothing hut
good health and clear brain, and by /
employing all their time
have acquired a competency; while
others have started in life with "sil-
yer spoons in their mouths" and by b
Indifference to the value of time and
opportunity have let the property
they started with get away from them.
The changed conditions in their for
tunes was largely due to appreciation
Or want of appreciation of the value
Of time