Show FAHM there seems to be it a general onisim or of the term overhead ox ex especially too often farmers roii rense se jail fall to see where the term can anil and should be applied to their operations la ii plain words wards it means the cost of upkeep and operation firms regard the overhead seriously anil and very every means are taken to keep keel tl this is I 1 item of expense at a mini minimum muni every farmer or machine operator should take the lie same precaution the american farmer leads the world in crop production other countries may grow a greater yield per acre but when it comes to per capita production that ls Is the amount produced by each man actively engaged in farming fanning we have the alie world beaten this is dir directly icily due to the labor sav ing machinery used on oil american farms arms virtually our farms are a huge manufacturing plant producing ro p by power stettin steam gas andI and alee lec trie power 0 icae have come coad into common use and it la is these poyer power factors that should turn our eyes toward the cc cost t of production and therefore the possible lessening of operating cost ali this i a means much io the individual directly concerned as well as to the individual who in all pr probability 0 babi lity lias has never seen a aarm farm L lowered ered cost cost of brodu production action should mak elower the cost of this individuals necessities of life but howe however the average farmer may ivay go about lessening the ca cost t or of producing crops the care and management of the machinery used will play an important part implement manufacturers manufacturer S state that machinery used in ill tobacco growing diseri districts CIS has a long life tills this is not because of jot any extraordinary quality of the ma chinery nor because of the climate or conditions under which it is used but to the fact that the large tobacco sheds serve to protect the machinery N when lien not in use good sheds are a main item in cutting the overhead paint is I 1 another item of importance imparlance machinery kept protected I 1 acted from the elements and well painted will last at least twice as long lone as that unprotected paint protects both wood and metal and is easily and cheaply cheaply implied ip plied it is not surprising that proper C r machinery maintenance is neglected when shenone wh enone one takes into consideration the fact that farm machinery is used during rush seasons machinery is bought when need is urgent it is worked hard for a short season then perhaps perli aps left in the field because some other machine and some other rush work demand attention good sheds rectify this to a certain stent the roan man with a dry roomy machine shed may repair or paint liis its binder or mower at his leisure and that is the only time to do work work of a this kind it is wasteful to do repair work in the held field two thresher thre shermen nien of my acquaintance acquaint ence were competitors for the same threshing job A got st it U B was disgruntled and endeavored to discover why the other man had the preference when both had machines of the same siz size e and equal ability one of ills his friends ventured to suggest a reason A does ills his repair vork A ork in the shed lie he said we ex pi ct to thresh when it Is time to tl resli and cannot spend the time helping to repair or waiting for repairs to a machine nothing adds more to the overhead expense than costly repair work done in the field during the threshing season oi of course breaks cannot always be voided avoided a no machine operator can foretell the exact conditions under which lie he must at all times work but lie i 6 can at least have every part inor in or iier er by thornly overhauling his 0 outfit U fi talt 11 in advance of use y another tiling thing that adds to the overhead is buying and using implements and ali machines after some one has had the best ot of their life because a bill binder d mower or a cultivator can call be bought at a public sale for practically i athing is no indication that it is a gcoy investment it may be ind and often is the worst of false economy nothing Js more discouraging to the average farmer than to have a machine go wrong when lie is doing his level best to take advantage of the season and have several hired men drawing on oil liis ills pocketbook while liel he tinkers once out of ten or a dozen times a machine bought as a bargain turns out to be a profitable investment put the profit on one is overshadowed by the loss on the other nine a 0 eleven economy suggests buying good machinery and keeping it in repair adjustment and oil mean about as aluch toward lessening of overhead expense as sheds and paint A machine kept adjusted and well oiled is vot not going to wear itself to death un I 1 necessarily the hired engineer with the th threshing crew is regarded as el A poor nian man if lie he allows liis engine to round pound and knock pew owners would keep him long yet it iii just as reasonable to allow an ail engine to pound it belf to pieces as it is to allow the binder or the hay loader to do the same sam e thing and just as expensive when the range of work that any machine mac lilus can call cover Is taken into consideration cne farm machine Is just about as expensive as another and deserves like attention in power plants in groc grocery ery stores factories on railroads in ill offices there is a watchful eye constantly on the lookout for inefficiency it is always on the trall trail of the unnecessary overhead so why should not more attention be paid to this item of expense en cn the farm why nol noi recognize its full full 1 importance mp ortance and work accordingly the enormous investment la in term ferin implements to operate our farms represents progress figured in dollars and cents and we can only allow pro giess its full measure after the head is cut to the bone W C smith in farm engineering |