EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X. 661 



expense of investment, pay roll, etc., but does double the capacity of 

 the plant. 



Sufficient acreage for a full season's run must be assured; the financial 

 success of the business depends upon a large output, since the margin of 

 profit is small. There are not many mixed canning factories in Iowa, 

 because the Iowa farmer and his high-priced hired man do not take 

 kindly to raising tomatoes, peas, beans and other truck. Sweet corn 

 must be the main canning crop in most localities, perhaps supplemented 

 in a small way by some of the other canned products. The hearty 

 co-operation of the growers is vitally essential. 



Careful management and efficient and abundant labor is essential. The 

 Grimes factory employs 200 to 300 hands, and that in a small town 

 means a lot of folks for a month's business each year. Here the farmers' 

 families and the townsfolk all turn out and earn spending money and 

 money for school supplies and winter clothes. It is "fashionable" to 

 work at the factory, and young and old lend a willing hand. Wages 

 vary from 10 to 40 cents an hour for time work, depending on the work, 

 and the piece workers are paid good wages. This factory has been 

 operating five years and the school children and dozens of others look 

 forward each year to the "run" to earn a tidy sum. School begins when 

 the "run" is over. Not every town will give a canning factory that kind 

 of support. There is always employment outside the "run" for a few 

 steady hands in making up boxes, labeling, shipping, unloading crates 

 and cans, repairing, and other odd jobs. 



THE CARE OF FARM MACHINERY. 

 H. M. Bainer, Colorado Agricultural College, in Wallaces' Farmer. 



There is perhaps no other source of loss so great to the average 

 farmer as that produced by lack of the proper care of farm machinery. 

 As a general rule, the prosperity of a farmer may be estimated by the 

 way he cares for his machinery. Poor care indicates shiftlessness, waste, 

 lack of energy, and that the owner must necessarily buy more tools and 

 implements in a short time. Good care, on the other hand, indicates 

 prosperity, development, bank deposits and the buying of less machinery. 



The American farmer buys annually $100,000,000 worth of farm 

 machinery. According to statements made by different manufacturing 

 companies, the farmer would not have to buy over one-half this amount of 

 machinery, provided it received the proper care. A season without shelter 

 detracts more from the value of farm machinery than the wear caused by 

 its use during the same season. 



Every owner of farm machinery should be able to understand and 

 properly adjust it. Every implement should be looked over carefully 

 before it is used, to see that all bolts are tightened and all moving parts 

 work freely. 



Moving parts on new machinery frequently run hard on account of 

 paint in the bearings. This paint can be easily removed by the use of 

 kerosene or one-half kerosene and one-half machine oil mixed. New 



