Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1906-12-14
This ]. is the Yearly Waste
BY American | arRllse:rs
EXPERIMENTING WITH MACHINERY
An Agricultural Paper Suggests 1
Remedy For This Extrayiganee
That viii Pay to Heed


Gently, the startling statemen was
made BY him that the farmers Of
America were paying over 81, 600
lO0, 600 8 year more for their farm
machinery than they need to do.
This excess Of cost is due to the
fact that farmers require 90 muck
individual and personal instrnc-
tioa before they can decide on the
choice Of even the most standard
machines, and then after they
have made the selection they re-
gquire 30 much personal and ex-
pensive tutoring before they learn
to operate the machine. Many
farmers are not even satisfied to
have one machine sent out to
their farms en- trial but delibera-
|tely order all makes OF the ma
chimes desired sent out, with ex-i
perts to operate them. although Of
course they can not buy but one.
Do farmers realize that they
are paying for that unreasonable
demand IN the added price they
must pay Take amachiue which
costs Sis or $40 \ to make at the
factory which turns out several
hundred q, day. What ID the re.
tail price necessary 70 give the
manufactured a living profit on its
IFS III $50 OF $$35 !? No, IL III more
than $50, yet the margin between
1870 factory cost and the $50 re.
tail price, ii not an excessive one
lin view of the wastefnl methods 81
selling on trial &
Expert cree ors and demonstra.
ltors cost the factory not less than
II$$3 81 day wages, besi&ies So Of So So
Ia day railroad fare, So or So q da1
4 hotel bills and So or So d day livery
hire to drive out To the farm
There il daily expense 81 from
l$$9 to $l2 for the expert, and vel
farmers buying q SIS or $50 ma.
Ichine will calmly ask several firms
lite send their mac hines ont will
Ian expert and often more than ons
Iday for each machine is required
q total cost perhaps of $40 81
1850 expert service on q deal for II
Imachine which at the factory cos
Hess than $40 to5 prod nee. II
Even then If the fool killer,
isn's alert. the expert will hardly
Iget Of tho farm before the farm.
fer's chill dren have begun playing
4 with the new machine and Der
lhaps taking It's delicate parts Of
and nlislaying Or damaging them
The business of ag riculture Ii
becoming every year lilore aud
mere Of machinery and the waste 81
:$400, 900. 100 d PEAR Id the buying
lot that machinery ii 8 national
disgrace.
% is up to tie farmers to learn
more clearly the ruGiments 81
mechanics, so chat they will know
mot only which Of the standard
Imachines To buy but also, through
seeing similar machines at their
neigh ors, they will know how to
Iadjnst and care for them.
teach how To handle harvest
lers thresheTs, reapers. grind ers,
cream separat tors. gasoline engines,
||etc the agricultural colleges
should own specimens Of all The
standard lsea aud there should
be classes of instruction and
|proctice ith such machines.
These classes should BIS ii, both
the full courses aud Ia the short
terms
Farther than Shat, IL would IS
very helpful to all farm cornrnuni.
ties u OH farmers iii & neigh boz
hood would organize ID local
clubs tss inset - each otheys
homes Wees u, during wintsf. and
then not only hold disc sionp on
farm cgops but also oil farm DID
chine 81 using HE aciual ii Il.
ehint on the respective farms
wlt NJ hich ID demons rate Less
ehe machines Be all taken aDart1
srd ave prices for The inan who
can ad JUST them perfectly iii slael
least sipaes While tlls Others stand
By I'd Iitiicisa Of to- Learn: S tntlS
4 Il ~ y. u x i q " ~ :