Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-11-19
BUSINESS METHODS on FARM
New York Sun Makes interesting
Comparison Between Old and
New Ways Of Farming.
From the New York Sun !

that much can be done to improve
conditions by better business meth.
ods,' but regard as doubtful the ar.
rival OF the time predicted by the
Sun when the farm will be as much
OF a business enterprise as the store
or factory" He holds that because of
such incidents as insect pests,
drought and excessive moisture the
cost OF any given crop cannot be es.
timated until that particular crop has
been harvested and that for this rea-
son there is a distinct difference be.
tween a farm and a store or a factory
in the computation of cost of produc.
ton.
This argument carries no excuse
whatever for the condition to which
the Sun has called attention, namely.
the general lack of business methods
on the farm, with a resultant exces-
sive If not actually exorbitant, cost of
products and an indefensible en-
hancement of cost of living for the
great army Of consumers. The force
Of the assertions made by our cor
respondent is quite destroyed by the
fact that throughout the country in
dividual farmers in ever increasing
number are adopting business meth
DDS, are making farming a business
enterprise" An interesting illustra-
ton is furnished by a pamphlet re-
Gently issued by the department Of
agriculture. The story is told of a
farm in South Carolina, bought in
1902. 1t was one Of the old worn
out" farms of that section, worn out
by so years of that alleged cult.
walton" which is, in fact, only soil ex-
haustion.
Prior to its purchase by its present
owner, this farm had been yielding
less than ten bushels Of corn to the
acre and about 300 pounds of cotton
to the acre. In 1903, the first year
under the ownership, 1t yielded 81
bushels Of corn to the acre and $50
pounds Of cotton an acre. Last year,
after five years of business" the aver
age yield was IS bushels Of corn so
bushels Of oats and LIPS pounds of
cotton. That is business" The aver
age yield an acre on these crops
throughout the United States for the
last five years has been 26 bushels of
corn, 30 bushels of oats and 200
pounds of cotton. II is perhaps impos.
sible to obtain from the entire culti-
waited area of the United States such
results as are shown In this particular
instance, but the case shows the diff.
ference between the old method of
farming for living" and farming
for a business enterprise.
Naturally, this enterprising and
business-like farmer could not have es-
timated on the first day Of last March
the cost Of his cotton, his corn or his
oats, nor could he have determined at
that time his profit for the year. No
more could the storekeeper or a mill
owner There are accidents in all
lines Of trade or industry. There are
fires and strikes and panics and trade
losses in commercial and manufacture
ing lines, as there are floods and
drought and insects and blight in
agricultural lines. The point introduc-
ed by our correspondent begs the
question. II Is little better than a
weak apology for carelessness or in.
difference. Are the climate and soils Of
Europe better adapted to agriculture
than those of the United States? Are
our boasted natural resources a fake,
the fruit of a vigorous imagination?
The department of agriculture SUBJ
mitted recently the following table Of
yield an acre in this country and in
Europe, including Great Britain:
Bar Pota.
Wheat. Oats. Rye. ley. toes.
Europe ...29S 46 25.4 434 1879
U. s. .12.5 31.9 12.4 PCS SO
Is there any natural or visible rea.
son why American farmers should
average only SO bushels of potaties to
the acre, while Belgium shows 244
bushels, Great Britain 220 bushels,
Germany 1913 bushels, and the Neither
lands 21S bushels? France shows 81
bushels of wheat an acre, Germany 20
bushels. Great Britain 81 bushels. Ire
land "a bushels and Belgium 35 bush
els. Suppose our average yield in
creased by business methods by so per
cent, would not the farmers make
more money and the consumer buy
more food products more cheaply?