The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-20
TESTS
APPLIED TO FARM
STUDY OF COSTS OF PRODUCTS
LEADS TO IMPROVED
LIZ 81
AS OTHER BUSINESSES
DIR. M. L. FISHER, OF PURDUE UNI
vERsITY, INDIANA. GIVES
TIPS TO FARMERS, IN
~
LECTURE.
--r,zF gsAss

tention OF the American farmer is the
subject Of efficiency In farm opera
tons, said DIR. M. L. Fisher. of Purdue
university. Indiana, In ala address at
the recent convention of North Car
olina farmers. He continued:
1--WE have heard much OF efficiency
in manufacturing and commercial
opefations, and the farmer has been
quick to see the application Of busi-
ness management to his own opera
tons 1t Is true that farmers do work
too much with their hands and not
enough with their brains. In many
cases where an accident has incapa-
citated the farmer from carrying on
his work actively and he has been COM
PEELED to direct It. his success has
been greater than when he formerly
did the work with his own hands.
skilfui direction of labor and careful
planning OF the work are two of
the most needed reforms In our farm
operations. A study of the cost of
producing a farm product leads TO
/ improved methods.
Both man and horse labor on the
farm are expensive. The successful
farmer will study how TO occupy this
labor most fully. Farm labor is, in
| the nature OF things rather peculiar
In that 1t does not extend uniformly
throughout the year. There are the
busy seasons and then there are the
slack seasons. When labor must be
hired by the day or 70, but few
months during the year 1t is much
higher priced than when II can be
contracted for by the year. Horse
labor which is occupie1 but a few
months of the year becomes very ex-
pEnsive. The progressive farmer
studies how he can double UP his
teams and have one man drive them
so as to economize IN man labor.
Much is being said about the substi-
, tuition OF motor power for horse pow
er. Such Is usually economical only
| when 1t does away with the keep
ing of number of horses.
The successful manager studies the
best disposition of his crops. The
policy of feeding everything grown
on the land may be good policy, and
+, II may not. 1t is not good economy
to feed a crop when Its market value
unfed is greater than the market
value of the finished product AS a
rule, II is better to concentrate the
products of the farm into flesh, milk.
!
t do not admit of such disposition.
at is significant that so per cent OF
the improved land of the United
States Is represented in farms rang
Ing In area from 100 to 500 acres. II
Is also significant that In the grain
growing sections the farms OF this
size are increasing in rcmber at the
expense of larger areas and smaller
areas. The size Of the farm is all de-
pendent upon the character OF opera
lions. Where the crops grown per-
NIT of horse cultivation the area OF
the farms is usually large and there
IL tendency for them to increase in
size. Where the crops grown require
great deal of hand labor farm
areas are small and there Is ten
dency for them to decrease In size.
An general the size Of the farm af-
fects the economy Of labor On large
farms both. man and team labor can
be more economically employed. On
large farms there In also economy In
the use Of machinery. The same
equipment OF machinery will care for
100 acres OF land al we'll as II will 40
acres of land. On 4 large farm the
distribution OF capital invested In
buildings, machinery and livestock Is
much less per acre than II Ia on small
farms On a large area tho proper
ton Of crop which may ~ sold or fed
to fattening animals above that need
ed for the maintenance o: the farm
er's family. his work stock, and for
seed Is larger than on tho small farm.
On large farms the opportunity for
large labor income Il better than on
small farms.
Another problem which farms have
to contend with II that OF marketing
Marketing shouid not b Z farmers
proposition. Tho farmer IL primarily
q producer and not salesman, Much
remains to be dono In the working
out Of satisfactory farm marketing,
Much has already been accomplished
by cooperative organizations. The flu
turs will see larger results In this
direction. Tho distribution OF per-
ishablot products to consumers re-
mains TO be successfully worked out.
There are within our own borders
sufiicient consumers for all the pro-
ducts which We produne II the pro-
duet can only be brought to tho con-
sumner. The elimination Of the costly
handling OF the product between the
producer and the consumer must be
solved"
Shamrock Damask Mills, IAndrum,
q, c., Ia now in full operation, with
twenty looms on tho production OF
damask. This $4,000 company has a
100xeS-foot building Of brick mill
construction, costing $500, and an
equipment Of machinery cost $4,000.
FITS organization and plans were here
tofors detailed.
Pennsylvania Railroad has ordered
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