PROFITS OF FARMING. 43 



extent as there, where the man who mows the grass, or manages 

 the plough, or digs the ditch, often understands no other branch 

 of farm labor. But most of our New England farmers may 

 learn that if they cannot afford to employ paid labor for each 

 distinct branch of tlieir art, they may accomplish much toward 

 the same end, by finishing one operation which is to be perma- 

 nent in its character before another is commenced ; and since 

 the outgoes for labor constitute one of the largest drains' upon 

 the farmer's income, it is essential to successful farming that 

 none shall be wasted upon undertakings which are not pretty 

 certain to pay a profit upon the investment. In order, liowever, 

 to insure an economical employment of labor, two things are 

 essentially necessary. 



First, that the farmer perform as much of the labor himself 

 as a proper regard to health and physical ability enable him to 

 do, and that he should have a watchful personal supervision over 

 all the operations carried on by the hired laborers, taking care 

 that in all cases the result shall be that which he has planned 

 rather than something uncertain in its character, resulting from 

 the imperfect plans of the laborer himself. 



I suppose that no class of farmers sink so much money 

 annually, as those who, having accumulated wealth in other 

 pursuits, enter upon agriculture as a source of amusement to 

 which they give a slight personal attention for a few weeks in 

 the year, leaving important improvements to be carried out by 

 others who have no personal interest in their success. This 

 would be of little consequence if farmers of smaller means did 

 not too often from such examples commence changes in their 

 own system, dazzled by a few large crops, without at the same 

 time seeing their cost. The second point which I consider 

 essential to the economical employment of labor is, that every 

 farmer should so far keep an account of expenses, that he may 

 be able to determine with tolerable accuracy the out-go and 

 profit upon every crop raised upon his farm. I know that to 

 many minds, this appears to be a gigantic undertaking. But a 

 very few minutes, each evening after the labors of the day were 

 finished, would suffice to enter all the important minutes in the 

 farmer's book, to enable him to form an estimate which should 

 be a very near approximation to correct results. 



