The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-01
Shows Where Farmer Fails
From a Business Standpoint

SEDALLA, Mo-, Sept Is. NJ. Jor-
der the state board of agriculture. was
introduced to the convention of the
Central Missouri Industrial and Com
mercial Association as the man who
had doubled the corn crop of Missouri
this year by telling the farmers of the
state how to dry farm the corn during
the drought and save it until the rains
came.
Mr.. Jordan began by saying that
the farmers must get together as the
fruit growers of California did and
market their product where and when
it was more needed. He said that in
1910 a million acres more of corn
was planted in Missouri than in 1909
but the entire crop was sold for ST.
100000 less than in 1909. That was
"a monster problem.
No Method in Marketing.
The market reports any day would
show that the hog market in one city
would be overstocked and in another
it would be undersupplied. The rea-
son was that the products of the
farm were going to market without
any intelligent head. Fluctuation in
price, uncertainty in markets is what
hurts the farmer. If a farmer could
have a uniform market that he could
count on he would be prosperous all
the time. In 1907 the hog market was
SO demoralized that farmers in Mis-
souri, killed their little pigs and threw
them away.
You go into any town now and you
can buy California fruit for less than
you can buy Missouri apples" he said.
You can buy California fruit for less
than ever before. The reason is that
the California fruit growers have or
ganized and now ship their products
where the market demands it, They
make more money now from their Or
chards than they ever did and we buy
for less.
THE same plan must be worked out
by the farmers. They must organize
under intelligent direction to market
their product where and when it is
needed.
An Example in Trees.
Last fall a Spectator paid a widow
in St. Joseph $4,000 for three thousand
barrels of apples on the trees. He
shipped them to Michigan, put them
in cold storage for a while and sold
them for $3.50 and 81 barrel. If St.
Joseph had a marketing organization
the widow would have got $1,000 more
for her crop and the profit would have
been kept in st. Joseph instead of 60
ing to Michigan"
MIR. Jordan told the association that
it must not make the mistake of try
ing to entice the farmer to- the town.
1t must try and induce the farmer to
stay on the farm and teach him how
to produce more and then try to find
better market. The farmers of Mis-
souri, must get over their standpat
ideas. 1t was fact that makers of
farming implements shipped their old
fashioned implements to Missouri be-
cause the majority of the farmers in
this state stood pat on the kind Of
tools their fathers used. The farmers
of Missouri must be taught to use more
modern machinery.
Where the State Loses.
MIR. Morgan urged that the agricul-
tural department of the state universe
ty be given more money. The univer-
sites of other states and private en-
terprises were enticing the experts OF
the Missouri university away as soon
as they showed extra talent. PROBES,
son Demaree had just gone into the
service on an implement house for
double the money the university could
pay him. Another professor who was
getting $500 at the university had
been offered $4,000 to go to New
Mexico. Missouri was practicing