Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-03-31
Lend Your Money To Your Farm

banks will give them from tnree 10
four per cent. In most states these
savings bank deposits are taxable
though seldom taxed: but if taxed the
interest account is reduced by one
per cent, and, if the farmer lives in
town, possibly to two per cent. The
farmer in nearly all these western
states is handicapped in loanlng
money on mortgages. They are tax
able. 1t is difficult to get over hve
per cent for any considerable sum.
while the insurance companies, VINO
pay no taxes except in their own
states, can therefore underoid the
farmer by about one per cent.
A great many farmers are seeking
investments in semi-arid lands, very
risky proposition at the best, unless
he can secure couple Of sections and
have son or Snn-in-law who under
stands dry farming to move on IL.
They are tempted TO put their money
into investments and securities or
which they know little or nothing,
and which very often prove worth
less.
In view, the erefore. OF the risk in
these outside investments, we suggest
that the farmer who is forehanded
asked himself whether it would Dot
be better for him to lend his money
TO his own farm, and thus have 1t
com pletely under his own control.
For example, have you piece OF
land that needs drainage, swale or
slough or spouty place on the hill
side? Why not lend some OF your
money to that piece Of land? Will it
pay, you ask. That depends on you.
If YOU are sure of an outlet, have an
even fall, use hard burned clay or
first class cement tile, laid to an ex-
act grade, it will pay you, we will
not say how much, but at least thirty
per cent and no taxes. If you go at
it without having it surveyed, with
out having a proper outlet and grade,
without laying it to grade, if you use
poor tile, it will not pay you. That
will not be the fault of the land, but
your own. We have seen money
thrown away in tiling but only when
it was not properly laid or did not
have sufficient fall or proper outlet
Possibly we should make one excep-
tion: for we are not sure about the
profit in tiling very stiff, tenacious,
hardpan soils The best method OF
doing that is still matter of expert
ment: and the farmer should 90 slow
| in that line.
Is the cellar of your house damp
not properly ventilated? Is there any
way of lighting it when desirable? Ii
not. you had better lend II some
money. 1t may not pay you in dollars
directly but it viii pay you the big
gest kind Of interest in increasing
the health of your family and saving
doctor bills. II it is damp we mean
lust damp, not with water standing
in it, some time during the year drain
it by putting the drain two feet be-
low the the floor of your cellar. Then
cement it, and arrange for Yentilat-
ing and lighting. You can make good
use of your money in this way.
Has your house furnace? Is 1t
properly ventilated. particularly the
upper chambers? Is it so arranged
that your wife does her work with
the minimum of steps and labor? If it
is without furnace, without modern
convenienceS and not well arranged,
that's place TO put money Lend
some money to that house.
Is your farm properly fenced? We
do not mean now merely fences on
the roadside and on the lines. We
mean. is it croSS-renced, hog tight,
sheep-tight, bull-strong and horse
high? If not, here is a trst-class
place to invest some money. You can
not carry on a rational rotation with
out that: you can not maintain fert-
| ility without a rational rotation.
Why should you lose the benefit of
pastures? Why should you lose the
gleanings Of your wheat fields, and
your oats fields, il by having them
fenced separately you can gather
them up with hogs or sheep or cattle?
Why shonld you be bothered every
year by stomach worms in your at
uempts to raise lambs, when you can
have sound lambs instead of sick
ones if you will simply provide for a
change of pasture and get them off
these worm-infested fields in which
the old sheep have run?
Is your barn what it should be? Is
| it convenient, well-ventilated, we'll
| lighted, healthy for your livestocks
II not, there is 10 need for you to
look around for place TO put your
| money Put it in that barn. Are
you doing your feeding with the
minimum of steps and of labor. be-
cause your barn Is properly arranged?
1t is very important that you save
your wife's steps. 1t is less important
for you to save yours, but still OF
sufficient Importance to pay you to
think how you can do it. You are
no. going to live always You have
about so many steps TO take before
you die. Why not step to good pur-
pose by having these conveniences2
1 Whsn yoir are tenn pted 10 in vest in