No. 4.] FARM MANAGEMENT. 67 



would not approximate your conditions, but 1 must give some 

 figures to illustrate the principle. Upon my farm for the last 

 ten years, taken as an average, 55 baskets of ears of corn per 

 acre, together with the resulting corn stover, will just about 

 pay the cost of production. If I grow 4 baskets more, or 5J) 

 baskets per acre, I make 6 per cent upon my investment. If 

 I can grow 4 baskets more, or 63 baskets per acre, I will make 

 l:i per cent upon my investment. That is, under my condi- 

 tions, a 63-basket crop of corn is as good again as a 59-basket 

 crop. Let me illustrate this. My friend Mr. Smith here is 

 husking corn on one side of the fence, I on the other. You 

 come along and ask Mr. Smith how his corn is turning out. 

 He says, " 03 baskets per acre." You ask me. I say " 59." 

 Most of you would say there is not much difference in those 

 two crops of corn, but if my figures are true there is quite a 

 difference, for T must plow my land again, plant it again, care 

 for the crop and harvest it, and get another 59 baskets, then 

 I will have 8 baskets of corn profit in those two years ; but 

 ray friend Smith gained 8 baskets of profit in one year. I 

 jtut in two years to acconi|)]ish what my neighbor accom- 

 })lished in one year, which means that by simply growing 4 

 baskets more corn per acre than T grew he has doubled the 

 value of his time compared to mine. What is true in prin- 

 ciple regarding the corn, croj) is true of every crop we grow. 

 When we put in part of our lives growing crops, we should 

 strive to produce such crops in such a way as will return to us 

 the largest value ff)r the time we expend. 



I am reminded of a farmer in northern Michigan, who, 

 when asked to attend a farmers' institute, said, " If I have 

 good land, and the good Lord sends us the rain and sunshine, 

 I will get a crop ; if He does not send the rain and sunshine, 

 I cannot; and there is no use attending an institute." I sup- 

 pose the good Lord will send the same amount of rain upon 

 our fields whether we know the business of farming or not, 

 but whether the surface of our fields are so crusty that the 

 rain will run off to the hollows, or whether the surface will 

 permit the ])ercolating downward of the rain into the great 

 storehouse whore it can be (lr;i\\ii upon in time of need, de- 

 l)cnds upon the intelligent handling of the field. So many sun- 



