The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-24
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FU LToN s. WHITE

drawn by well-bred horses and mules. ren were well dressed and brought great
 baskets of the very best fruits and pro- ducts of their farms. Some of these farm CTS last year sold $50 worth of cotton per acre, others received $90 per acre for their alfalfa hay, others produced from fifty
 to ninety bushels of corn per acre, some were selling hogs al from to cents per pound, others selling butter fat for 2S cents per pound and besides these, there are numerous other farm products, all
 of which are bringing good prices, so that it would seem that only the song of grat- ttude should have been sung on an occa- sion of this kind.
 Now, these thrifty farmers thought It well to invite some one to address them. The speaker of the day happened to be
 one of these calamity howlers, who
 seemed to have an undue amount of sympathy for the poor down-trodden farmer He pictured the wretehed condi-
 tions of the farmers, attempted to show
 them how they were imposed upon by everyone they had any dealings with, | raved about the trusts and tried to im-
 press upon these farmers that the rail- roads, bankers and merchants were all organized for expressing the farmers. He
 went on to say that no doubt but that
 some of the farmers present had been compelled to sell the last one-horned COW or one-eyed work mule in order to get shoes and clothing respectable enough for them to appear at this gathering. Now, | this Is the same old thing we heard thirty | years ago and is only an insult to the in- ltelligence of the better class of farmers. I Is it possible that the farmers in this day of education and civilization will
 again try to build up great organization with such men as this to lead them? Let | us hope not, and try to believe that such | a case as this is the exception and not | the rule. Had I been addressing these people, I should have complimented them upon the fact that through their energy and intelligence they had brought about 1 a period of unprecedented agricultural
 prosperity, that in the last few years we had broken all records in the amount | of agricultural wealth produced in this | country, that there never was a time be- | fore when our farmers were as well paid ! for every intelligent effort applied to their | farms as they are today and would have | tried to give an outline by which the pres | ent prosperity might be maintained al-
 most indefinitely To the less fortunate
 I should have tried to give advice that
 would lead them to share in the prosperi- ! ty of their more fortunate neighbors. In 1 other words, I would try to build up and l conditions I would not try to pull him | down or to discourage him.
 1 But after all, is there not better plan
 whereby the farmers of our country may
 bring about this desired condition; that l of being able to control the prices of | their crops? Would not weil-regulated
 rotation of crops, a rotation that would enable the farmer to have something to | sell every week. do more to put the farm 1 i.1o
 agitation of conditions possibly would do? Suppose that we try cash system
 of farming, paying cash for all supplies used in producing our crops and see whether or not this will enable us to con
 trol the prices of our farm products. We should, however keep in mind the effect
 that the laws of supply and demand | have on our markets.
 | In this age of agriculture, a few hens,
 hogs and a few dairy cows on the farm, properly managed, will keep any farmer in an independent position, so far as go-
 ing in debt for supplies for producing his crops is concerned.
 l But a few more questions for the con- | sideration of the reader I would like tt
 ask what benefit does the farmer who | reads, thinks and acts for himself ex- | pect to gain from such organization l as is here outlined? There are certain | lines of crops that require organized ef. fort for growing and marketing. Where | truck farming, fruit and vegetable crops ] are made successful 1t requires some vel 1, organized effort to make such crops Q financial success, and 1t is only through such organization, cooperation and edu | cation that this class of farming may be made a success. I Yam not opposing or. ganization, for I have been teaching al the time that what our farmers needed was organization, cooperation and edu-
 cation in order that they might better their conditions. But it is the abuse oi