Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, August 12, 1911, Page 13

TO FIGURE THE COSTS OF CROPS (Written Specially for The Bulletin.) Personally, 1 don’t think the business side of farming—the money making side—is half as important as the vitai side—the man making side. But it has to be considered. It cannot ne ignored. We have to eat to live, and Wwa must earn our dinner before we can eat it. Fortunately, or unfortu- nately—according as you look at it— there isn't much necessity for preach- ing this doctrine. Too many of ys farmers consider the money making side of our business as the first and only one worth thinking about. We see the material necessities which con- front us and allow ourselves to be- come wholly absorbed in them. Some of us get so we care more for our crops than our character; more for vur soils than for our selves. We are like all other men, likely to go 10 far in one direction when we get start- We are just as apt to get r ed along it. one-sided as lawyers or bankers or blacksmiths. doctors It does. seem to be averagely human for an of us to live perfectly balanced lives We must “lay our weight” on some one thing, letting other things go. But not all farmers are simply money “grubbers. Moreover, some of us who are just that are not working as Jjudgmatically as we might at our particular job. There is certainly need, among a large- proportion of us, for a clearer idea of the natural way 4n which to get money from- farming. ©Of course, I'm not going to write out in a single newspaper column a full essay on the way to maRe farming profitable. In ths first place it woulid take a volume instead of a column. 'n the second place every man-Jack of would begin reading my screed inct belief in your own | mind that you knew your own busi- ness better than I—or than any other man. (Wherein, let me admit, you would probably be pretty near right.) An the third place I'm not qualified. I haven't got rich farming. I mnever shall. I don’t want to. 1 haven't the time to waste on fthat rather unsatis- factory chase. There are so0 many other things more important—such as running on the same acre, or how to make my garden richer every yoar whila taking big crops off it, or how to make my dog respect me as weil as love me—there are so many such things of greater importance than the Shylockery of money grabbing that I'm not desirous to' pose as an expert in the matter. But we all have to know some of the 5 primary lessons in that study, just the same. We must go as far as the kin- dergarten course will carry us, any- ‘way. And it sometimes seems to me #as if a lot of my fellow farmers don't <omprehand at least one of the simple fundamentals of profit taking. Our business is to raise cereals or vegeta- bles or meats and sell them at a profit. If we get more for our produce than it has cost us to raise it, then we “make monay” to the extent of the difference between that cost of pro- and that selling price of the If we get less than it has to raise the stuff, then we st lose money Ir wa sell we must ordi- or the other of th Now, this suggests that there are two elements to be considered in any such deal. There is the price we are to get. That, as you know, if you've farmed it ary length of time, is some- vou've got mighty little to say The prices you get for your corn and pork and potatoes are fixed by somebody or something else. You'll what you can get—or you'll keep r stuff. I'm inclined to think that one-sided state of things isn't going to last forever, nor even very much longer. There are signs in the kv of a coming day when the farmer fix the > of corn as definitely E fixes the price of g just now, we most of us take what we can get and thank goodness it's as much as If is. The other element to be considered s the cost of producing the crops we 2im to sell. Assuming that the price £ in the barn, is $15 a_ tom, the auestion of cur profit in selling that hay at that price is answered by find- ing how much it costs us, per tom, to get it into the barn. That's the ele- ment about which we can have some- thing to say—if we *“figger”. correctly and manage shrewdly. If it costs us 315 to get that ton of hay into the barn, weTe not going to make any- thing selling it at $15. But if we can get it “mowed away” in the “bays” for %10 a ton, then there’'s a $5 bill com- ing our way for every ton we sell Ye: how many farmers are there in New England today who can tell witn anything like accuracy what the hay they've just parned has cost them? How many Know what price they must receive lo make twenty per cent. or forty per cent. profit? It's an exceedingly intricate question wiil celfeve these evidences of nature’s umeglect, stimu- - late the hair to a luxuriant gowth and prevent bald- nese—~8080. end $1.00, Ceke Liguld Shampoo thor- oughily cleansesand Is sooth- ing and refreshing to a tiredl scalp—Jdargs bottle 25c. A2 AR Druggists THE KEUS COMPANY. 1 JOHNES ST. NEWBURGH, N. Y. . D | mower learning how to raise corn 20 years —this of the producing cost of a crop. Jt won’t do to assess against the crop merely the money you've paid for labor wnd fertilizer, and call everything above that profit. There arc scores other charges against every crop. some of these other charges run over from year to year, so that it takes fine figuring to decide what proportion any single year’s product shall bear. Take, for instance, that field of tim- othy. It was in corn four years ago, |in potatces three years ago, in oats two years ago, bore mostly clover last r, You manured and cultivated for corn; you manured and cultivated for potatoes; you probably drilled in some | fertilizer for oats. Some of that ma- nure and some of the results of those cultivations are brcught forward into your this year's timothy crops. You know, yourself, that you wouldn’t have had the bunkum crop of hay you did, if you hadn't manured and cultivated the rreceding crops. The timothy ought to pay its share of these fer- tilizing and cultivating costs, just as the corn and potatoes should have paid their share. It wants pretty sound judsment and a sharp-pointed pencil to figure out these proportions, now let me tell you. Then there’s the taxes. Your crops, including your timothy, must pay them. The hay must be charged its just are. Also your insurance. The house and barns aren't paying the in- surance on them. Your crops must pay that, too. The timothy must be charged with its just share of this bill. Also fencing cost. The field had tion by pasturing animals, and each i year’s crop must be charged with each yea just shars of this expense. The hay inust pay for needed repairs and for a proportionate part of the natural detericration of the fences. Then there's the wear and tear on your tools, your mower and tedder and horse rake and wagon and rigging and harnesses, etc. They've all had something taken out of them by the work, an1i that soreething is more than the immediate repair bills for a few ~ections or a mnew rake-tooth. And so on and so on. When you've got together all the charges which that acre of timcthy hay properly should bear, you'll have found that the wages vou paid for hired labor in cutting and curing and hauling it are only a part of what it has actually cost you. > T And, if you charge a dollar a day for the time it will take you to work out to ultimate decimals all these and other proper charges, it will have cost quite a bit more, yet! Nevertheless, it's right in this line that there is a field for the exercise of scientific management in farming. rhaps you have read how a scien- udy of the methods empioyed by bricklayers and modifications of those methids to eliminate waste of time and effort has resulted in the reduc- tion of the cost of laying a thousand bri by more than one-half. There are mul(l\-h today putting up brick wal here the me workmen using similar bricks and mortar and work- ing the same number of hours lay re than twice as many bricks in a s they laid two vears ago. If we he cost of raising farmers can redice ay and our corn and our pork, ‘an make more money than now, h we get no bette: prices. The very first thing to do, along this line, is to find out what such crops now cost us. We must have that knowledge to start from. It must be knowledge, too; not guesswork. The agricultural department of Nebraska has been working for two vears to find out what it costs Nebraska farmers to produce certain crops. It announces that an_average of reporis for two years indicates that it has cost about thirty cents a bushel to produce corn; about thirty-two cents a bushel to pro- duce oats; apout fifty-five cents a bushel to produce wheat, and $4.18 a ton to produce clover hay. It is ex- plained that these figures are based on relurns “from the best farmers in various communiti also that the yields are “higher than the average in the state’ also that the cost of marketing is not included. You bet it isn't! Nor a whole lot of other costs which I have heretofore suggested. Why, with me, at the rate of wages I have to pay, the labor cost alone of a ton .of clover hay, properly cured in the average “ca‘zh weather and properly stored, is more than $4.18, I mean the cost for cutting and stir- ring and cocking and shaking out and raking and drawing and “mowing” away.” I know, for I've just got through my own haying, and there isn’t a ton in my barn but has cost me more than $5 for labor, alone, and everybody knows that the curing of clover takes more labor and time than any other sort of hay. When I shall have added to this labor cost all the other proper charges against my hay crop, I should want more than $10 a ton for it, in the barn. to get all my money back—if I were to sell it. Probably there isn’t a single one of these Nebraska figures which is really accurate. I don’t believe that the av erage farmer on the average farm in an average year can raise corn for thirty cents a bushei. nor wheat for fifty-five cents. Exceptional cases can, doubtless, be quoted where on chosen farms in selected ars particular farmers may have raised single crops for less. But most of us are in the average class, and must take average returns. Some years ago, | kept a fairly close account, with several of my own crops for two year It simply astonished me to find how much stuff T was work- ing hard to raise—for the sake of giv ing it away for less than it had cost me. ’'Most any farmer can give him self a similar surprise party if he will undertake a similar investigation. But, if any of you undertake it, for goodness’ sake be henest with your- selve: Try to find out the exact truth, no matter what you think heforehand it ought to be, and no tter what youwd like it to be. Don’'t guess at anything, and don’t play funny with the figures if they seem to controvert your life-long beliefs or your most stubborn prejudices. Self-delusion is often sentimentally defended, but, practically, it never pay. THE FARMER. Pigs is Pork. If it is true that the Chicago pack- contributed some “lar@™ to the elec- tion of Senator Lorimer, they probably understood that he would help them save their bacon.—Dallas News. 16-to-1 Shot, There are those who contend that Willlam J. Brvan will have a look-in for president next year.—Pi*~burg Ga- zeite Times. 10 he inclosed to prevent its destruc- - Norwich Preacher at })Mon Service— Games Scheduled Todsy—Death of Former Postmaster Marshall P. Dowe—Borough Small Notes. Rev. C. A, Northrop of Norwich will preach at the union service Sunday. The park service will be conducted by Rev. W. H. Raymond. George C. Bishop of Hampden was in Danielson Friday. Visited State Prison. Representative Frank P. Warren, Sheriff P. B. Sibley and Judge Harr: E. Back were among a party of east- ern Connecticut men who visited the state prison at Wethersfield Thursday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Thayer and Mr. and Mrs. J. A. P. Gagne enter- tained a party of friends from Dun son and Putnam at Knotty Oak camp, Alexander’s lake. Thursday evening. Senate Concurs. The act amending the act creating the town court of Killingly, removing from future appointment all but one of the assistant prosecuting attorneys; has been passed by the senate in con- currence. A business meeting and social of_ the Epworth league was held at the church Friday evening. Members of the Pentecostal church are planning for a picnic to be held at Orient Heights, east of the borough, Thursday next. Eye Trouble Continues. Peter Bourigault, who has been 4 patient at St. Francig' hospital in Hartford with an injured eye for about a month, will be obliged to remain at the institution for several weeks lonz- er. The eye trouble does not eld readily to treatment and it is expected that an oparation will be necessary. Flower Mission Needs Flowers. The W. C. T. U. flower mission is to meet with Mrs. Join A. Puiine next Tuesday. Mrs. Frank P. Warren and Mrs. Almon Bartlett will be the as- sistants. The committee is always pleased to receive flowers. The stone crusher of the town of Killingly, located near the .Dayville Four Corners, is grinding up rock to be used on state highway work that is to be done in the town during the next few weeks. - Unclaimed Letters. Letters addressed as follows remain unclaimed at the Danielson postoffice: Mrs. Claus Duport, Mrs. O. W. Lyman, Anyelain Rousell. Mrs. Francis Ster- ling, Clarence Cunsack, Mrs. John Sherey, Joseph B. Rousell. Charles Olin Makes Good in Boston. Charles Olin, private secretary io the editor of a Boston paper, returned to that ci Friday after visit of several days with his mother, Mrs Myra Olin, of Danielson, where Mr. Olin spent his boyhood. Mr. Olin has & ed a reputation in Boston as a very pleasing entertainer, his specialty being ventriloguism. Today’s Games. Games scheduled in the Eastern Connecticut leagfie for today (Satur- day )are as follows: Wduregan t Moosup, Norwich at Jewett City, Tri- Village at Taftville. The league season Is drawing near the end. To Take Steamer to Putnam. Permission will be sought of the borough officials to take the steamer General Putnam to Putnam for the pa- rade and contests that have been ac- ranged in connection with the big fire- men’s muster that is to be held thera on Oct. 12. Rev. A. C. Coburn to Preach. Rev. Aaron C. Coburn of Grace church, New York, is to officiate at the service at Trinity church in Brookl.m on Sunday. Rev. Mr. Coburn is tiu son of ex-Mayor Coburn of Bridgeport and spent his boyhood in Brooklyn, where his father, a physician, was then located. OBITUARY. Marshall P. Dowe. Marshall Prouty Dowe, postmasier at Dani2lson during President Cleve- land’s first term, died at his home here Friday at 11.45 a. m. Mr. Dowe has been an invalid for the past decade and during that length of time has taken no active part in local affairs in which he was prominent for many vears, though he has at times spent a few hours in the store which he con- ducted for many years. Mr. Dowe's invalidism has dated from the time ol his suffering a paralytic shock, from which he never recovered, only in such a degree as allowed him to make his way about with difficulty. Mr. Dowe was born in Providence R. I., June 20, 1835. He was the son of Amasa and Harriet S. (Adams) Dowe He came to Danielson in October, 18 and his death marks the passing of the last of business and tradesmen that were on tha street as his contempora- ries. Previous to coming to Danielson Mr. Dowe had resided in Leicester and Oxford, Mass., Middletown, Conn., and Manchester, N. H. His education was obtained in the public schools and was completed in the old west Killingly school, whicn stood on the site now occupied by St Alban’s, Episcopal church, on Broad street. In 1854 he entered the jewelrv store of his father in the old Bates block, continuing there until a year or. two later,when the business was moved into the Webb blo¢k. The next year he leased a store next to the Olive Branch hotel, which stood on the site on Main street now occupied by the Phoenix block, and for the next seven years occupied it jointly with his fa- ther as a book store and a news room, his father retaining one side of the store for his watch and jewelry busi- ness. About 1870 -his business was moved to the store whera it has since been located and now conducted by his daughter-in-law. Mrs. Helen S. Dowe, widow of Mr. Dowe's son, John, who died a few years ago. Mr. Dowe pur- chased this property in 1873. Aside from his business activity, Mr. Dowe tas actively interested in the public affairs of the town and bor- ough and was honored by election to fill various important offices within the gift of the electors. He wus a mem- ber of the school committee for sev- eral terms and in 1882 was warden of the borough. He was town clerk and treasurer from 1869 to 1871. M. Dowe was a démocrat of the old school and he was recognized through the st as a power within his party. Pre: dent Cleveland namad him as post- master for Danielson for the term ex- tending from January, 1887, to Febru- jary, 1891, and he filled the office with due efficiency. . Dowe took an active part in in- troducing a city water syvstem for Danielson and was elected and for some time served as a director in the Crystal-Water company, for which he alsn acted as superintendent and col- lector for a number of years. Hz was at one time a director of the Windl- ham County Savings bank. From the time that the telephone service was introrduced in Daniels:n in 1882 up to the time that the new central office was built here a few years ago the central switchboard was located in a room in the rear of his book and periodical store, and from the small beginning in this easy meais of communication th made the local business gradually grew to its present preportions. In 1856 he married Emily Davis, who survives him, with a son, Charles A, resident in Danielson. The Party’s Hope. Now is the time for all good parties to come to tke aid of the dlnmat,e Consumer.—Providence Journal s A3 Accepted Charter Amendments Await Governor's Signature—110th Anni- ersary of Woodstock Academy Today —Barbers’ Big Outing—City's Stw'r System Nears Completion. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Botham: of New York are visiting with Mr. Botham's parents, Mr. and Mrs. T. P. Botham. Mr. and Mrs. M. M Dwyer d chil- dren will return tomorrow unday) from a stay of one week at Ocean Beach Mr, and Mrs. J. A. P. Gagne are en- tertaining” Miss Ducharme of Provi- dence, v ‘Manager Edward Morrill of the Brad- ley theater has returned to Putnam, after a vacation of about one month. Frank R. Rathbone of Worcester was g visitor with friends in Putnam Fri- ay. Kenneth Hamilton of Danielson is at the Dayv-Kimball hospital for surgical treatment. Henry Cotter of Providence was a visitor with friends in Putnam KTri- day. Clever Imitator. Billy Sheets, the bird imitator, who has been at the Bradley theater this week, has the ability to make the or- dinary feathered songster envious. Miss Anna Arnold is spending two weeks with her aunt, Mrs. Walter Phillips, in New London. Awaijts Governor’s Signature. The amendments to the charter of the city of Putnam have now passed both branches of the general assem- bly, and . the bill is ready for the sig- nature of the governor. Edwin S. Thomas, executive secre- tary to Governor Baldwin, spent a por- tion of kis Foyhood in Woodstock, and has many friends and acquaintances in that town and Putnam. 110th Anniversary of Woodstock Acad- emy. The 110th anniversary of the found- ing of Woodstock Academy, one of the oldest educational institutions in ‘Windham coun'y, will be observed to- day (Saturday). An Oppressive Day. The temperature did not degrees in Putnam on Friday did on Thursday, but ncvertheless it was one of the humanity-exhausting days of the summer. Handsome Residence. The residence heing erected for Wil- liam S, Johnson, the shoe manufactur- er, on Church street, will be one of the fines{ ir Putnam. Track Altering Completed. Tne work of altering the alignment of tracks on the Worcester branch, south of the lccal station, has been completed, and the improvement is a very satisfactory one. Firemen Increasing Muster Fund. Members of the finance committee of the general committee in charge of the arrangements for the firemen's are conducting a diligent canvass to increase the fund to the peint that is necessal to meet the heavy expense of entertaining many out of town com- panies. Will Sing at Woodstock Hili. Albert B, Hosmer, who is visiting in this city, is to sing at the service at the church on Wogodstock Hill Sunday. Mr. Hosmer, formerly a resident of Woodstock, is now at the head of the music department of an Ohio ccllege. Lake Cries “Next!” to All the Barbers. About ever er in Putnam will be at Philli erove, Alexand for the outing that h been arranged by the Putnam Barbers’ union for next ‘This local union_includes the ious places in the town To Play at Clayville. The Dayville baseball t to Yellow Pine grove, (lay tomorrow. (Sunday) to play the fast traveling Howard Hill team. A num- ber from this city will go down ‘0 see the game. Webster Bout of Local Interest. Knockout Brown, the well known New . York boxing star, is booked to appear at the Lakeside A. C. in Web- ster next week in with Battling Down This affair will probably be what the New York sporting writers call a lem- twelve-round go on - icking for Danny Morgan's pet, but the Webster fight fans will at least get an opportunity to look at the Blonde Knockout in action. Bullard Family Reunion. Wednesday, August 16, has been se- lected as,the date for the annual re- union of the Bullard family, and Nich- ols' grove in West Thompson as the place. Representatives of the family from Maine to California will be at the gathering, which, if it other years, will be very affair. Getting on With New Sewers. ck sections of Putnam’s new $90,- 000 sewer system -as it was planned much of an to comstruct this year are practically completed, the section running through the ledge between the Quinebaug river reet being the most diffieult and Elm to install, pleted. Extending Lighting Service. Lines of the Putnam Light and Paw- er company have been extended Pomfret toward the Brooklyn line, supply patrons in that section. but this also is about com- The Bridgeport Telegram says: Charl P. Kennedy' of Putnam was the guest of his brothe N. Waldo Kennedy, national organizer of the Loyal Order of Moose, at Walnut Beach Sunday and Monda Restful Sleep comes to peevish, wakeful children when bathed with warm water and It lessens irritation — quiets the nerves. Best for skin diseases — invaluable in the nursery. Sold by all druggists. Hill's Hair and Whisker Dye, black or brown, 50c. Good For You ‘You can’t have a clear brain, active muscles and firm nerves, if your bowels are sluggishi; but see what a help to you will be a few doses of is like those of from | to Su bsti 'utes nid Imltatlons of “Mushroom Growth.” s« for HORLICK’! Obfess o The Food-Drink Rich milk,malted grain,in powdered form. For mfams, invalids and growing children. Pure nutrition, up‘mlldmg the whole body. Invigorates nursing mothers and the aged. Get the best. It means the Original and Genuine MALTED MILK for all Ages. More hea'lthfv:lh than tea or coffee. Agrees with eakest digesti Keep it on yometi:ebwd ‘:tmhm A quick lunch prepared in a minute, druggists. §®F Take no substitute. Ask for HORLICK'S. In 220 Comnbine o T Developments of the Week. covered in The Commercial Record for the past week and for the months of July, one wonders where the idea of ny foundation, for particular most sub- every stantjal increases are shown In the matter of bank clearings, for instance, what could be more enceu aging than a gain of nearly 16 per cent, in New Haven and 10 per cent. h\ Hartford for the week, and an increase | | of 11 per cent. in New Haven ana 2 per cent. in Hartford for the month of July? These figures show no lagging | behind in trade. | estate also shows continued | activity all along the line. For the | week the number of sales in the larger | towns numbered 336. as agzainst 291 | Signatu.e of | 1 last year, with mortgages only slightly 5 vion e |1ess than 1910. The record for the 5 If‘ the face of the progress ‘i”‘“h 18 | month, however, makes even a better indicated in all the lines of industry |showing, the total sales during July being 1,620, which comparés with 1,230 in July, the same time the mortgages, totaling | just about five millions of dollars, are far and aw: | ous 1910, and 1,315 in 1909. At v ahead of the two previ- years.—Commercial Record, CASTORIA For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the 3 , v STAT!GN FOR THE BUSINESS MAN, club-like in its hospitality. FOR THE TOURIST or sight-seeker, luxury, comfort and entertainment, the day’s outing. FOR THE FAMILY, home-like*environ- ments with seclusion or the opportunity of ex- periencing the fascination of public gatherings. THE HOLLAND HOUSE WHERE CENTERS HOTEL LIFE 30fh Street and Sth Avenue IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY Where Centers Commercial Activity and the Attractions that Draw Visitors From Every Quarter of the Globe FROM 10¢ or 3 i E. F. 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