East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-11-01

Bankers of oregon have Joined the
"back-to- he-farm" movement. At
meeting of officers and directors of
the Oregon state Bankers association
held at the office of Hartman G.
Thompson in Portland Saturday, a
committee was named to devise the
best ways and methods of inducing
young men now on the farms to stay
on the farms and to urge young men
now in the cities to go to the farms.
L 1t is the purpose of the committee
to issue a booklet and other litera-
ture showing the advantages of farm
life in Oregon and the opportunities
for success and prosperity through
the practice of intelligent methods on
any Of the available land in the state
ut is our purpose to urge the young
men now on the farms to remain
there" said j. l.. Hartman, secretary
of the bankers association, in one
of the Portland papers. I'VE also
want to teach the youths in the cities
to go to the farms and take up farm
ing as a means of livelihood There
are more opportunities in farm life
in Oregon than there are in the cities
of any state.
1--WE believe that as soon as this
fact becomes thoroughly impressed
upon the rising generation, there will
be an exodus from the cities and towns
to the agricultural districts that will
aid materially in the rapid develop
ment of the backward regions.
Cultivation Goes Backward.
t.
farms are developed. Too much of
the land remains idle. 1t is known
that some land that has been under
cultivation for many years actually
has retrograded. Our association
wants to do all possible to awaken
interest in farm life and to assist in
the development of the idle and back
ward farming districts"
Apropos Of this "back to the soil"
movement Secretary j. E. Keefe, Jr.,
of the Pendleton Commercial associ-
alton has the following to say:
Very frequently there are COM
pared as the extremes in their meth
DDS, the business man and the farm
er. Although comparisons are said
to be odious, yet they are valuable
sometimes. The real difference, that
is said to exist. is that the business
man knows every detail of his busi-
ness, and the farmer is shy on details.
The difference is true in a great
measure, although there are many
clever and successful farmers whose
success can be attributed to the fact
that they do take the details of their
farming under very careful consider
iation. And, on the other hand, there
are many business men, who can not
tell you exactly what this depart
ment or that department contributes,
a loss or gain.
The really successful man is a man
of details. Nothing is too small to be
neglected. At the end of the year he
knows exactly what was paying and
what was not, where to increase the
effort. especially in the future, and
how to improve through the know
ledge he has gained.
The elimination of waste in his
business, economy of time and effort,
these receive his ever watchful con-
sideration. The business man is pic
tured as one, in our American life,
who must give every ounce of strength
to the problems of business. He is
keen, analytical, and painstaking.
New methods are studied by him as
soon as he receives information that
! new methods exist.
"On the other hand. the ordinary |
, farmer is not usually credited with |
very much acumen, an the word
farmer has come to mean in the ver-
nacular, one who is an easy mark |
{ for bunco men and sharpers. AL |
though the farm work calls for
great deal of details, the farmer eX-
ercises no particular concern for the !
most part, His farm is not bust |
ness to him.
| There is no question but that If !
the same amount of paintaking care
vas contributed to the management !
of the farm that is ordinarily given to /
| the business the farm would be as
profitable or more SO than the bus
mess. There are questions that every |
farmer should ask himself when he
comes to reckon his accounts. Which |
of the cows are paying? Which are
mot? Why is this one paying, why !
not that? What is the cost of this |
item, WHY lOp ldl w 4ANiS iN''N
my effort be placed this coming .
year. Why was the orchard less pro-
ductive than last year Why are the /
hogs a better proposition than bailed /
hay? What did the chickens do, pro-
ducc a gain or loss. Why? These !
are but a very few of the details that
the successful farmer attends to care
fully. He notes at the time, that he
should note, the amount of material /
that he used for this purpose or that /
and he observes and notes the effects /
of that method, as compared with the 1
results of his more recent venture.
How many of our farmers are
there. who are so careful in the man.
agement of their farms? How many |
I Of them are there, who are alive to /
he great and new methods of agri-
culture? 1t is true that they often
have better machinery than their .
fathers did, but oft times their meth
ods are no better than those Of their
lprogenitors. They are said to be con-
servative. Conservatism may be car
ried to such an extent that it may be ,
called arrested development and stag |
nation. 1t seems to take a long time
for the farmer as n class TO make !