The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-12-09
FARMERS MUST
PRODUCE PROFIT
EDITOR or FARM PAPER POINTED
our FALLAcY OF uNREsTRicT-
ED CROP PRopucTioN-ctTED
THE RESULTS IN cAss COUNTY
THIS YEAR.

Hugh J. Hughes, editor of Farm,
stock & Home. speaking before the
Dry Land Farming congress In ses-
sion at Dickinson, yesterday, asserted
that the farmer must pay more atten-
ton to the cost of production Editor
Hughes said in part:
at IS popular to cry for greater pro-
duction of crops by the farmers as
though that were an unmixed blessing
Ia agriculture want to point out
10 YOU that this is not true. Take
the case Of Cass county, N. D., this
wear. as an example. Due to the corn
r,ropa ganda preached by the agricul-
tiiral colleges and farm papers,
bumper crop of corn was planted and
brought to ripening. With what re-
suit? No adequate provision had been
made for its use md have 1t on
the authority OF one Of the most care
full observers in the state, that enough
corn went to waste In that county
alone to have fattened 5000 steers.
"Let us see for moment what
that means. If we allow gross gain
Of $50 pounds per steer at cents we
have absolutely lost to the farmers OF
Cass county. $4,000, which their la
bor had produced. but which lack OF
attention to business had thrown
away.
Nor is this all We in the cities
complain bitterly of the high cose of
living. And ii is high. Yet in the rot
ting fields of Cass county there lies
enough beef, reckoned at 10 cents per
pound, dressed weight, to have given
the eaters of meat 100000 worth OF
that food-which they did not get be-
cause we have not as yet mastered
the art of using what we produce.
1--WE may talk until we are black
in the face about increasing production
and we shall fail to achieve lasting
results until we get down to facts and
saw to the farmer: Produce nothing
that does not give you a profit. When
we put farming on a business OASIS
we will have larger crops because the
farmer will better direct his labor,
and a larger part of our crop total
will find a final protit-making place
or else be abandoned.
"The two great needs of the north
western farmer are money and credit.
lust as soon as we cut loose from
the notion that all we can raise Is
wheat and fax, and begin to farm so
as TO play safe in the off years, just
So soon will our credit strengthen
lust so soon will we begin to have
money with which to carry on bus
mess. At the present time we have
too much money tied up in land, ma
chinery and teams. anG not enough
IN dairy cows, other live stock, build
ings. and the measurable comforts OF
life.
"The result is that we are land and
machinery poor. We owe so much that
when a good opportunity comes along
we cannot get the cash to swing the
deal. We are playing such a risky
game that the bankers charge us rates
of interest high enough to cover the
risk. A good proportion fail, and those
fortunate enough to succeed pay the
debts of the losers.
Now we can stop this drain only in
one way, and that is to quit grain
gambling and go to farming as BUSH
ness proposition. Quit dreaming about
the profits to be made by selling out,
and plan to make good living and
good home here and now. Get out
from under the load of debt. If neces-
sary, sell off part of the farm in order
to get working capital. Talk things
over with your banker and your mer-
chant, and show them that you are
looking at farming from their stand
point-purely as a business PROPOSE
ton.
This will give you their confidence
and their credit.
~'eThe day Of the land-skinner is
over The man who does not farm with
an eye to the balance sheet is going to
the wall. Declaim as we may against
the extortion of the railways and the
robbery done by the middlemen. the
fact remains that unguided production
and wasted energy entail loss upon
the farmers greater by far than all the
other factors put together. When you