Proceedt]\-gs of the Farmers' Club, 383 



Moderation in Estimates. 



Mr. B. Summers, Vermilliun, Erie Co., Ohio. — Being an outside 

 member of the Club, I wish to criticise some estimates iiuule by your 

 correspondents from abroad. 



Mr. II. B, Gruif, of Iowa, estimating proiits of farming, reckons : 



I)k. 



Eent of 150 acres 8150 00 



50 steers 2 , 500 00 



100 hogs 500 00 



$3,150 00 



Ck. 



50 steers for market $-1,200 00 



100 hogs 1 , 750 00 



25 tons millet , 125 00 



1.000 bushels oats 300 00 



Profit $3,225 00 



ITow, admitting his figures and facts, is not this a fallacious show- 



ing 



My father pioneered in this county, and one of his rules in measu- 

 ring rail cuts was to allow two inches at the sixth measure so as to 

 be sure " all the rails would he long cnouyhy They surely were long 

 enough, but I could never make out they were nearer of one length 

 than if measured without the allowance. ISTeither can I see what is 

 gained by making such loose estimates as this of Mr. Groff"; the two 

 and six inch margin would be better. The truth may l;e so colored 

 as to mislead equally with a falsehood. Xow, I submit, would it 

 not be getting nearer the whole truth to say that the fullowin"- 

 should be added to the debit side : 



Interest on, say $1,000 invested, including teams, tools, 



stock, c%c . .". $4:00 00 



Labor, and wear and tear, and seed to cultivate 150 acres 1.500 00 



Salt, care of stock, Arc 300 oO 



Losses by sickness and death, 400 00 



$2, GOO 00 



This deducted from $3,225, leaves $('.25 00 



All the renter aiul liis family does of the work is of course theirs 

 by right, but is not profit, as they could have earned elsewhere as 



