The Green Forest tribune., 1909-11-12
BUSINESS METHODS ON FARM
New York Sun Makes Interesting Comparison Between Old and
 New Ways of Farming.
(From the New York sun.)


 A correspondent of the Sun admits 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 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- t1mated until that particular crop has been harvested" and that for this req son there is distinct difference be- tween farm and a store or factory in the computation of cost Of produc- tion.
 This argument carries 20 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 excess 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- d1vidual farmers in ever increasing number are adopting business meth ods, are making farming 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 1arm in South Carolina, bought in 1902. It was one of the old worn out farms of that section, worn out by so years of that alleged ''culti- vation" which is, in fact, only soil ex- haustion.
 Prior to it's purchase by it's 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, it yielded 37 bushels of corn to the acre and 750 pounds of cotton an acre. Last year, after five years of "business, the aver age yield was S5 bushels of corn 80 bushels of oats and 1,125 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, 29 bushels of oats and 200 pounds of cotton. It is perhaps impos- sible to obtain from the entire crIlti- vated 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 business enterprise"
 Naturally, this enterprising and business-like farmer could not have es- timated on the first day of last March the cost of bis 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 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 manufactur- ing lines, as there are floods and drought and insects and blight fn agricultural lines. The point introduc- ed by our correspondent begs the question. It is a little better than weak apology for carelessness or ir- difference. Are the climate and soils of Europe better adapted to agriculture than those of the United States? Are our boasted natural resources fake the fruit of a vigorous imagination? The department of agriculture sub 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 ..29.S 46 254 43.4 1879 U. S. .12.5 31.9 12.4 26.S 93
 Is there any natural or visible req son why American farmers should average only 93 bushels of potaties to the acre, while Belgium shows 244 bushels, Great Britain 220 bushels, Germany 193 bushels, and the Neither lands 21S bushels? France shows 21 bushels of wheat an acre, Germany 29 bushels, Great Britain 31 bushels, Ire land 34 bushels and Belgium 35 bush- els. Suppose our average yield in- creased by business methods by 50 per cent, would not the farmers make more money and the consumer buy more food products more cheaply?