The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-07-14
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/ ARRlERS GREAIESI
TAX is NEGLECT
FARM MACHINERY DEPRECI-
ATES WHEN LEFT IN FIELD
Many Taxes Could Be Avoided If
Farmers Would Use More Care and
ThOught-Use Poor Judgment in
Doing Work at Proper Time-No
Other Vocation Provides Comforts
AS Does Farming.
(By 7. F. Peck, Commissioner Of
Agriculture.l

(By 7. F. Peck, Commissioner Of
Agriculture.)
One subject that is of vital impOr-
lance to every citizen of Une state
and one about which much discussion
is centered, is that OF taxation. We
near the question discussed every day
-taxes-state and county, municipal,
income, special school and automobile,
There is no question about these
taxes being burdensome, but they
must be paid
AND yet we are paying other taxes
that are even greater drain on our
resources, and taxes that we do not
give sufficient thought, Tor we could
avoid their payment without violating
any law and with direct benefit to
ourselves. Let us enumerate a few
OF the taxes the farmer is paying that
he could easily avoid.
You can go TO the majority of
farms and find farm machinery de-
preclaung because OF neglect. Ma
chinery is lett out in the weather,
proper adjustment is neglected, oil
IS not used wnen needed. This de-
probation amounts to more than the
cost Of the machinery plus natural
wear ana tear WlGa proper attention.
Inns is a useless tax.
Some farmers will tell YOU that
they work longer hours and harder
than anybody. persuaded one VINO
GoId me tnat to keep an accurate
record Ut every Gay he WORKED rnat
ne would be willing to pay for ii ne
were hiring it done. / believe he was
honest, for he reported so days, ana
ne now admits CAAL wasted tile was
the biggest tax that he had been
paying
Let the man in the city, whose time
is MS capital and who mas to buy all
las 1ood, clothing, fuel and pay his
rent, work only 80 days in the year
at the rate of pay he gets, and ne viii
come out badly in debt. No other |
vocation will provide as many com
sorts at the same expenditure of La
Joe as does farming.
! have seen much waste in feeding
OF farm animals for the lack Of
knowledge how to feed a balanced
ration. With some farmers feed is
.eel, and just so their animals get
fed it is immaterial whether it will
make heat, fat or build up muscle
~ intelligent feeding one-half Of the
tonnage would have given better re-
suits it properly proportional. The
other half was an unnecessary tax
paid, due either to ignorance or indif-
ference.
have seen farmers, when they
were ready to plant corn, go to their
cribs and shell their seed corn With
but any effort at selection. when
everyone who keeps in touch with the
work that has been done in seed corn
selection knows that by proper Sc
ection of seed the yield can be
doubled. Is not that rather heavy
AK to pay for neglect?
have seen men pretend to farm
without any definite plan about their ,
work. have seen their ground in
splendid shape for working but they
would do something else that could
AVE been done when the ground was
either too wet or to dry to pillow, and
here was a chance that it woulo
lave to lie idle a whole season be-
ause of this neglect-a heavy tax to
Jay for lack of intelligent manage
nent It is always better to push
our work than to have your work
lush you.
Farmers pay heavy penalties in
PISS Of crops by not taking care Of
hem at the proper time. / have
nown hay crops to depreciate one
alf by letting stand too long before
utting. have known wheat and
ats to almost ruin in the field by
citing them stand in the shock after
eady for the barn or stack.
Taxes imposed on the farmer by
NV are heavy, but there are numerous
avs he pays heavier taxes through
eglect. Of course, in spite Of all
recaution, farmers suffer losses. but
lany losses they incur are prevent
BILE. Losses can be minimized by
ystematizing farm operations and
eeping up with the work-beino
sady to the right work az +ba ,;rLf