Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-30

Can the Profits of Farming be Increased?
An agricultural writer in Texas has
been giving some attention to the crop
productions in his state, and the infor-
nation which he has given out as the
result of his Investigations is worth
thinking about by the farmers of this
country He says that some farmers
raise from 60 to 80 bushels of corn TO
the acre and that occasionally two bales
of cotton are grown to the acre, but the
average for the state is but IA bushels
of corn and but one-third of a bale of
cotton to the acre. 1t can be seen read
lily that if the latter yields will barely
pay the expense of producing the crops,
there must be good profit in the first.
Is there not a significant hint here for
good many men who today are not
making the farm pay? And are there
not great many farmers who fail to
obtain any profit from farming simIIy
because they are not making their land
produce as much as it should? Ii 60
bushels of corr are grown on one acre,
the net profit is many times what it
would be if it required three acres to
produce the same amount. The truth
is that average" farming no longer
pays in any section of the country. 1t
is only those who produce crops which
are considerably above the average,
who find farming to be profitable. And
so it will continue to be. Those who
thoroughly equip themselves for their
business and who wisely adapt them
selves to these conditions reap success
and profit from their labors Those
who, on the other hand, are content to
continue as they have been doing for
years.. producing only ordinary crops,
will find their profits diminishing from
year to year. The situation is by no
means encouraging to that class of rnen,
but it is better that they should under
stand it and endeavor to change their
methods so as to meet its requirements
than to regret that conditions are be-
coming harder for them. 1t may be
argued by some that if all the farmers
were to do this, the result would be q
great OverprOductiOn of farm products
and ruinous fall in their prices, thus
making the situation worse, perhaps,
than it is now. But this condition does
not confront them yet, and there is no
prospect that it will for some time to
come. So 1t is needless to anticipate or
WORRY on this account There is still
room at the top for great many of
those who have always been content to
be simply average farmers. When all
of that class become first-class farmers
and produce maximum crops, it will be
soon enough to think about what the
effect will be, but that will not be for
many years to come. The average
farmer who wishes to better his condi-
ton must improve his methods, in
crease the fertility of his soil, produce
greater amount on each acre, by this
means reducing the cost of production
and thus increasing the net profits.
The question of prices has passed be-
yond their control, except that by
producing superior article and care
fully studying the market, they can
command for it the highest price which
is paid. But the matter of production
is still in their own hands. and they
must lit themselves up by applying
brains and skill to that part of their
work.--South Bend Times.