FARM NOTES.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 604, 1 February 1921, Page 6

FARM NOTES.

HIS SON A PARTNER. The old practice of a father keeping all authority and revenues in his own hands until he dies or is forced by illness to turn it over to someone else, is slowly becoming a thing of the past (says the Canadian Norwest Farmer). Farm fathers are awakening to the fact that if they want a boy to be contented and to stay on the farm, they can help by giving him a shai’e of its responsibilities and profits as well as a share in the work.

A farmer whom we have just heard of recently accepted this modern principle in an effective way. He bought a space in the home town paper to use in telling the people of the district that he had taken his youthful son into partnership with him. The announcement told also how many acres the firm was farming. what the main products of the firm were and what plans were being made.

The farmer then arranged with the local printer for new stationery, on the letterheads of which appeared the pictures and names of the two partners, the firm name, the farm name and a list of main products.

The two partners talk over their plans together. Knowing that, his opinions are seriously considered, the youth takes a big interest in the conferences.

Last winter the firm decided in one of the evening conferences that new' blood was needed yr the pig yard. The son recalled that the agricultural papers that week announced an auction sale of purebred gilts that offered the opportunity to acquire the stock, needed by the firm. On the day of the sale the -father handed the firm’s cheque book to his son and sent him as a purchasing agent to the auction sale. “ Use your own judgment in buying what we need/’ was the father’s parting word. ■ - „

When an uncommonly good gilt was brought into the ring at .the auction sale the boy ran the bids up to 200 dollars. Eventually this pig was sold for 300 dollars. Though he was disappointed in not obtaining the gilt he most wanted, the boy stayed in the game and outbid his competitors for gilts that looked good to him. At the conclusion of the sale he wrote a cheque for 530 dollars, signed the firm’s name and drove home with his purchase. When neighbours afterwards asked if such methods weren’t pretty risky, the senior member of the firm replied: “Come and look at the pigs, If you are as good judges of pig value as my boy is you’ll say that he made a good investment. I’m mighty well satisfied myself. Even if he had made a little mistake in buying I would not have been angry. I’ve made mistakes, and so have you. I know that my boy will make mistakes sometimes,, but you can just bet that his old dad is going to ‘back him every time. I want to grow something besides 40-bushel wheat and purebred Berkshires and Herefords; I wa«nt to develop the best farmer in this section of the country. It is safe to say that the false glamour of city life will ne er attract that boy away from the farm. His prospects for a happy, prosperous successful life are definite. Because of bis father’s wise methods, he will be a real asset to bis firm, to the community and to the nation. We know of another farmer, located near Calgary, Alberta, who nad two boys, and took them into partnership. This happened six or seven years ago. The' father died, and the boys have a full grip on the business and are making good. They had acquired a deep interest in things when they had to take over the burden and they were ready for it.'

An experienced farmer assured a Ivlana watu Times representative that owing to the -persistent recurrence of small daisies, buttercups and dandelions in the pastures, the local farmers who have ploughable land which may become liable to these pests should sow a mixture of Italian rye. cowgrass, etc., as a temporary pasture, and re plough every four years, taking a crop of turnips or rape before sowing. This plan has nearly doubled the carrying capacity of his land, and is well worthy of consideration.