Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1879 — How to Make Farming Profitable. [ARTICLE]

How to Make Farming Profitable.

In the present condition of the country, all classes of work, especially farming, requires the most judiqlous management and rigid economy that it may be made profitable. With this experience I wish to append a few rude rules for successful farming, and hopo that it may bo the means of benefiting at least a few of your many readers: 1. Have order and system in all your work. Lay your plans In advance of your work. During the winter months, .when there is but little that can be done on the farm, decide what crops you intend to grow, and provide-the seed; put the tools all in good order, so that no delay will occur when the time comes for sowing and planting, 2. Apply fertilizers to the land. Haul opt the manure before seeding commences, and do not let it accumulate around your barns until you can scarcely get in or out You must fcod your land if you expect if to feed you. The Quaker’s advice to his son was to “ never go in debt for anything except manuro. Make all the manure you can, and apply it to toltmd. for it will pay your notes, etc. 3. Hire only good help, for your profits will depend to a large extent on the kind of help vou employ. l)o not hire too many hands, and do not on any consideration hire, those that are in the habit of “telling yarns,” etc., for, beside being a great nuisance on the farm, they are very unprofitable. When you a man, tell him plainly you hire men to work, and not to spend their time in idleness or talking. 4. Work with your hands, for it is an almost undeniable fact that the ordinary run of farm hands will not do more than half a day’s work on a» average if you are easy with them, or let them work alone. Don’t desire tho name that “he is a good man to work for,” but rather the name that “ho is a hard man to work for, but good pay.” 1 mean by this that you require every man to do a reasonable day’s work, which hired men now call hard. 5. Fay your help promptly and willingly every cent you agree to, and, if you And that they are trustworthy and faithful, do not begriidgo them a few extra favors. Treat them kind and respectfully at all times, or, in other words, “do unto others as y° u would have others do unto you.” 6. Have the best of farm implements you can obtain, and plenty of them if possible, so that if one is broken while in the hurry of work, you can use some other implement until the broken one is repaired. To do good work requires good tools, and I would advise all those that can do so, to sell the old. tools and procure new ones. Yon can do more work in a day and do it better, with improved new tools, than you can with pltf rickety ones that some farmers use. 7. Keep all the stock you can keep well. The condition of your land will, to a great extent, depend on the amount of stock you keep, and the care you take of the manure, but do not keep more than you can keep well, for a thrifty animal in good condition does not require as much food as a poor lean one. 8. Carry a memorandum book, and note down the things that are wanted and want to be done. For instance your team is going to town. By referring to your memorandum book you And, “bolt fqr .mowing machine,” “ plow to be mended,” “ narness to be mended,” and probably several other things you would not have thought of if you had not noted them down in your book. By a little forethonght in this direction,-yen will not only save several dollars in the course of a year, but avoid loss of time and anxiety of mind when in a hurry with your work. 9. Do everything well. Keep this Armly Axed in your mind, for it is written that a slovenly farmer never

gets rich. It is a true saying that a good farmer may be known by his fences alone. Then if you are building a fence, barn or anything else, do it as if you intended it should stay for a thousand years. 10. Don’t borrow. This every farmer should heed, as it prevents his neighbors from becoming his enemies. Any farmer who has good implements would in many cases rather give his neighbor to dollar than lend the implement to him, for in most cases it would be returned to him injured or out of order, and he may consider himself fortunate if 1 he does not have to send for it. Every farmer should buy if possible all implements he will have occasion to use. There is an old adage that says “borrow brings sorrow. Therefore, I will say, don’t borrow, but buy what you need. 11. in autumn prepare for winter. Provide warm and comfortable places for your stock, and they will not require so much food. See that the cellar is in proper condition, and well protected, so that your winter store of vegetables may not be frozen. Procure a large supply of dry wood, and if possible have it' under a cover. Then you will have the smiles of your “ better half,” and not be compelled yourself to goout in cold, stormy weather to procure fuel. 12. Keep a journal and write in it every day. A great many have the idea that it is a hard and unprofitable task to keep a journal. If you note down the weather, when you sowed and harvested, the different kinds of grain; number of bushels raised ahd sold; prices received, etc., you will not only experience a’great pleasure in looking back to see what you received for grain, pork, etc., informer years, but very often it will prove quite profitable. The best time to write in a journal is in the evening. Keep your book in a handy place, and after supper write a plain account of the day's doings. If you have things properly arranged this need not take more than one uitnUte each day. Encourage the boys and girls to write in your journal. It will prove a first-class teacher of penmanship? and cultivate correct and concise expression. It is also good fractice in composition, spelling, etc. would also urge every farmer, to keep a strict account of all his bush ness transactions, and thereby save themselves much trouble that comes from neglect Nothing will give greater pleasure and satisfaction than to look over accounts at the end of the year, and see how much has been made or lost, if he has lost, he can see in what branch it has occurred, and lay his plans so as to avoid it in the future. On the contrary, if he had not kept an account, and the loss was small, he would not perceive it and so on in the old wav. In a few year's e would be astonished at the way he had gone behind! In conclusion, I woulcl earnestly urge all farmers to keep books,” and thereby stop a great many small leaks.--Cor. Western Ji tiral. ; -*- i — J r Send a well man and a scythe to cut yt»ur grass this summer, if you haven’t » scythe and a well man, a sickla do;-=> Jotion TYatUcript.