New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1910-12-10
PRACTICAL NEl0NnoRHooD
COOPERATION.

when they work with each other
for common end. Such working
together is coming more and more
to be necessity, although the
fact remains that farmers have
learned irs advantages and profit
! ed by them to a less degree, per
haps, than any other class. The
reasons for this are plain to the
man who studies the subject
little; but it y becoming PLAIN,
too. to thinking men that it IS time
to change this polcy-tlme for
Farmers to begin working togeth-
err. both as individuals and class,
to bring about things that will be
of benefit to all Of them.
II is part of our creed, how
ever. that before farmers can sue
cpssfully cooperate as q eiass. or
in great bodies, they must learn
to cooperate as individuals, or IN
small groups. For this reason,
while believing in and urging co
Operation of the farming class as
a whole. we have stressed the
primary need of local cooperation
of the farmer s learning to work
with his Immediate neighbors. so as
to help them and be helped by
them. When man has learned
to Join forces and to get along
with the other farmers who live
right around him. it will be easy
for him to work well when he be
comes member of larger body
Of co-opcrators while, on the other
hand. the man who can not work
in harmony with his neighbors,
though he may preach organlza-
ton and cooperation ever so
loudly. is not likely to add much
Strength to any ASSOCIATION or or
der to which he may belong.
Right now the fall blowing sea
son is on hand If Farmer A has
one horse and Farmer b one horse,
and both wish to do better plow
ing than they have been IN the
habit of doing let them combine
forces; put the two horses i'll to-
gether and let A do some sure
enough blowing while b digs up
the briers and bushes, cleans off
ditch banks. or something of the
kind. Then next day. if wished,
change jobs. Both will be better
off. by having better work done
and by saving the labor of one
man. and the spirit of neighborly
helpfuless and interest will be
worth much to each.
| Then suppose A has three or
fur acres of stumpy land b. four
or five acres c. just over the hill,
a half dozen acres. and all ofthem
feel the need of getting rid of these
stumps so that they can do better
work at less cost. No one of the
three may feel able to bly, stump
puller for his little patch of land;
but if they all 60 in together they
can get the machine easily, join
teams and forces. and alfost make
a picnic out of what would be a
hard job for any one of them
alone.
Then. that little strip of swamp
land that runs down from Brown s
farm into Smith s: Brown cant
drain his part without having an
outlet ON Smith land; and Smith
finds his field frequently flooded
by the water coming down from
Brown s farm. Wouldn t it be the
sensible thing for them to go in
together and drain the whole
patch. and be done with it,
These are obvious ways of co.
operat ng with ones neigalbors ;
but there are others which most |
farmers seem never to think OF. +,
but which are well worth while |
For example. a man in neigh
horhood has a good variety of |
corn. one which he has bred up
with care and which gives UNI
formly good crops. 1t will pay |
this man to give his neighborS
seed of this corn. So that he cab
more easily keep his own strain
pure; aud it will pay his neighbors
to plant this corn. and TO help keep
the strain pure and true to type. Il
Then. if the originator of the corn
advert SEES his seed and creates a
demand for It. every one of them
viii profit by it, aud the nefghbor-
hood will soon get reputation
for the production of good seed
ern and every man wild easily be
able to get more for his crop than
ae otherwise would.
Learning to cooperate with
,ne's neighbors in t&se plain mat
ters of business at first. the spiri, Il
# mutual helpfulness will soon Il
.xtend to other things; and one
NALL fmd himself joining IN, with
lis neighbors TO buy staple goods /
n larger quantities and so at bet .
erprices. to market his crops more I
Idvantageously. to make better
'oads and better schools. to estab- II
ISL local reading rooms. to hold Z
ocal farmers Institutes. and so Is
IN and on in a hundred different {
ields of activity. Is
And SO, having learned how I
much ones neishbors are really
gorth when rightly used. the pec- ,
lie of such community may be j;
ounted on when they are co-ope- Il
ating with farmers as a class. |,
rhen they are working for a State 0
r National reform, when members .
any organization trying to bring :
n farmers into harmonious rela- q
onS1ip and SO to uplift farming