Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-10-03


Much has been written on this sub
ject and / must admit that there is
some need of prompting an occa-
sional farmer about the care of his
tools. Many people, however, have
critisized the farmer about his care
lessness in caring for his tools who do
not always seem to understand the
real conditions. On the train the
other day a travelling man noticed a
hay loader standing in the back field
on mans farm we passed. He at
once began TRADE about the shift
lessness of farmers in general, and
some in particular. There was no
wonder many of them did not meet
their obligations on time, etc. He
asserted that they lost enough from
leaving their tools out doors to make
good dividend on their farm invest
ment. l got interested, as l sat close
to him, and his remarks seemed to be
directed to me as much as to anyone,
and / rather took the farmers part.
He said: There is a hayloader that
cost that farmer $40 or $50, and it is
ruined. 1t will be out there all win
ter and probably can never be used
again. 1t is really an absolute loss"
But l reminded him that the loader
may have been useless, worn out, good
for nothing, and left there on that
account. Farm tools do not last for
ever. When they are used about so
much they, like everything else, are
not worth fixing up. 1t doesn't pay
the farmer to putter along with an
old loader that is getting out or ord
er every little while. Hay must be
got into the barn on time, some times
in short order, and if machinery is
worn, if it bothcrs, the farmer can
not afford to use it. One day with a
good tool might save the cost of the
tool. | told him that same farmer
probably had good loader in his tool
shed or barn, and this one had been
discarded as useless.
This was a new idea to this man.
He was talking about something he
knew nothing about. | argued that
not one farmer in one thousand would
leave good hayloader in the field
over winter. Farmers have to work
too hard, and figure too close to make
dividends on their investments to &C
tually throw away their tools. have
had an opportunity to observe what
farmers do more than some men and
/ never saw but few cases of wanton
destruction like that.
Every farm has a junk heap. You
can say, if you know nothing about
farming, that it is waste, but one who
knows from actual experience would
say that this junk heap represents
actual wear. The manufacturer would
call it expense, or overhead expense.
Many of these same men, however,
scold the farmer, (and many times 1T
is more than scold, it is downright
abuse), for laying aside worn-out
tools.
heard banker once deliver tir-
ade of abuse to farmers in general
because of their buying so many new
tools and not taking care of their old
ones. Yet that same banker had laid
aside an adding machine because 1T
got out of order and bothered him
when he wanted to use it, and / ven
ture to say farmer would have fix
ed up his machine and made 1T do a
while longer.
1t is easy and simple for business
men to criticize farmers, because
they have had little experience and
know but little of the wear and tear
Of farm machinery. Take as simple
a tool as the pillow. The manufactures
has perfected almost perfect tool.
He has made it so that the essential
parts, when worn or broken, can be
replaced by new ones, and yet there
comes time, if this tool is used con-
stantly. when il must be thrown into
the junk heap and be replaced by
new one. If this is true of the most
simple from of tool, what can be ex-