Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-10-25
UNCLE SAM CONDUCTS INQUIRY
INTO FINANCIAL END OF AG-
RIcuLTURE.
PROFITS SELDOM LARGE,
WORK is NOT ALL ENJOYABLE
Automobile on tho Farm Does Not
Represent a chattei Mortsase-Gov-
ernments System Of Agricultural
Accounting Matter Of Slow and
Careful Growth-Baek to the Farm.


the back to the farm" movement, 1t
Isn't anxious to encourage this moves
ment in the face of probable failure. 1t
! is pointed out that not every city per-
| son will make a good farmer; that the
/ farmer of today who succeeds is the
man who knows his business. and at
,ends to 1t patiently and carefully; that
| the back 10 the farm cry has al
ready brought about great many fall
| ures. and doubtless will bring about
many more; and that such a movement
j in order TO accomplish the desired emu
| must be movement which Will BRING
! 10 the land men and women VINO nave
Ia natural aptitude for the work ana
some technical knowledge OF us re-
lquirements.
! some Of the most Interesting and i'm
portant Investigations Whlch 'ne ae
nar+ment of agriculture is now making
have to do with this greatly 10 De ue
sired end of getting people pointed
coun-rvward and not cityward These
investigations have been made IN an
nar,s Of the country, and under widely
| different conditions. Take the farmer
With the autom obile, about whom so
much has been heard as PROOF Oh
nrosnerity in agriculture Experts OF
,ha denar,ment have been looking ,hls
man m Here is a common type VI
euch farmer: A farmer IN ne"
| Hamnshire who nets IS year OWNS
an AUTOMOBILES, and he is accounted one
of the most prosperous men III ms
community. Agents of the department.
made an economic survey OF the pa'
| OF New Hampshire in which THIS Iarii'-
| ar lives. They inquired in town VINO
was the most prosperous farmer III .iie
,,a,,,horhood The universal opinion
,,as that this automobile farmer win
monav in the bank was the fellow. 30
~ a~narte vent TO work on this farm
er.s bnsiness. with view of deterlnih-
ing lust how much he mace. ihes
/ 4onnd that the products OF ms p'ae
Maid per cent interest on ms sio'oVo
| investment, gave his family p!eAsa',
and cheap place in which TO ENe' a'iu
! rewarded him to the extent OF 20 yea
| for his own labor and aoillty as q i'i"'i
ager
| About this time you are pioo
wondering whether the autoihooiie va
chiefly chattel mortgage. II was ny
| II came to the farmer IN the Same
&C great many autos have come 70
other farmers. He saved 'he 49, -.
hitch renresented interest on MS IN
.s+nsrt and put it into an automonlie.
ua also saved some of 1t and put IL ''so
! - hapL Farmers are feeling pretty
al, these DAYS because they can gen
,.ai,. wake interest on their invest
,. and have little left over 20
NV for their own time. me ioose
Sow with farm finances has usuaiN
nean that the farmer forgot 10 con-
-,aar his investment and the aiiiouiie
,,.t,ich. i. would earn if put out a. M
.ares. Ordinarily he CONSIDERS hili-
so,e ual,s off II he has cash lett ai.ei
,.,ne axnenses. This was. say the
aar;cu,tural experts, when ne ffao "
xork 70 make interest on the a'eras
rha office of farm management
,aaded nv Prof. William j. Spiilm an
;s making a strong effor, TO get d. 'ne
hottom Of farm finance. The parucu-
lar aim is to find just what the larihei
makes from his labor. after al o,ie.
nroner charges have been maze against
bis gross income. Thus far their con-
clusion Is that farmers on the a'erAs
make interest on their investment anu
lust about $25 month for tneir own
work Many MAKE lesS Than eAAiNt 500
make much more.
Profits Not Large.
These figures indicate that farming
10 sin what It used 20 be-a hard row
to hoe. with large profits only to the
exceptional man. 1t is easier now than
it used to be. but 1t is not so easy
as many recent publications would lead
one to suppose. The trouble is that
the conspicuous successes attract much
attention Unusually successful farm
ers are talked about because they have
done something worth while Their
| methods are worth bringing before the
public, because the average farmer may
thereby be stirred to become farmer
better than the average. But for very
conspicuous success on the farm there
are still several who count themselves
lucky II they make an amount equiva-
lent to the interest on their investment
and, in addition, s25 a month for their
own work
It is only recently that 1T has been
possible to secure any accurate figures
about farm profits. The trouble had al
| ways been that farming was without
that careful analysis which has charac-
terized the development Of business