Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-09-09
HOW FARMING PAYS.

ers' Voice, makes some obser, a
tious Oh the prevalence of un'n-
telligent farming that reveals
startling waste of potential
wealth, says the st, Paul Pioneer
Press. The basis of its COM
1nents il the following paragraph |
from the reccut issue Of Bfad-
streets:
s'Roughly stated, manufacture
on capital of $40, 900, 900, 900
produces $13, 1000, 100000 worth
of products. Agriculture, with
a capital of $40, 900, 900, 900, pro-
duces only 81, 700, 900, 900 OF pro-
ducts, or, in other words, every
dollar of manufacturing capital
produces 81. 20 worth Of product,
while agricultural capital pro,
duces less than IS cents worth"
While Farmers Voice grants
that the greater mobility of man
ufacturing capital, permitting 1t
to be turned over more frequent
"a 1yl accounts for part of this dis
: &repancv, and that floods, drouth,
rain, hail and frost affect results
to no small degree, it does not
think that these agencies afford
sufficient explanation. 1t points
out that when one finds one
farmer making net income OF
$40 an acre while his neighbors
in the same district, working un-
der the same conditions of soil
and climate, don't average IS an
acre, the conclusion is inevitable
that there is something wrong
with the methods employed.
Farmers who produce a good
deal more than 81. 80 worth OF
products on every dollar invested
are not unknown, and i'll this
connection the editor refers to a
farm in his own knowledge that
could easily be duplicated for
$40, 900, the yearly products OF
which reach 81 5, 900, or 81. 50 on
every dollar invested. The IN
stance, he admits, is extraord1-
nary, but he suggests that the
difference between 81. so aud the
25 cents which is the average
product cf every dollar invested
is "altogether too bad"
In the opinion of Farmers
Voice the cause OF this poor show
ing is the failure of the average
farmer to make intelligent use O
the knowledge and experience o
others, of which he could avail
himself for the asking. Thi
lack of progressiveuess is indicat
ed in the fact that while there
are 5,739,657 farms in the Unit
ed States and presumably almos
that number of farmers, "only
200, 600 farmers have asked to
those storehouses OF experience
and information, the farmers
bulletins, issued by the depart
msnt of agriculture" Anothe
opportunity that is comparativel.
neglected is that afforded by th'
experiment stations, the agricul
tural colleges and the agricultur
al press. The manufacturers
success lies in his constant searcl
for the results of the experience
of others. careful studies of hi:
own methods and experiments
and the prompt adoption of th'
best methods. The average
manufacturer is, in short, pro
gressive; .tke average farmer i
not, and he pays the penalty II
dollars and cents.
What the general adoption o
progressive methods would NEAR
to the farmers and to the country
can be seen at a glance. Thai
a few farmers manage to secure
81. so or even 81. 80 OH every dol
lar invested, does not mean tina
this result is attainable on ths
average, soil, climate and wealth
er taken into account. But t.
suppose that an average return
of IS cents or even 81 on thu
dollar is attainablc, is not out o
reason. In the latter case th'
annual yield of the farms of th'
country would be $40, 700, 900,
ooo and in the former ST :, 900,
900, 900, Instead of less than S.,
900, 900, 900, and most of thes
larger gross returns would go in
to the pockets of the farmers tt
find their way into all othe
branches of business. 1t woul'
mean more to the country thar
the trebling and quadrupling O
its farm acreage and farming pop