The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-02
ARE NOT
LONELY And POOR
DEAN WOOD REFuTEs STATE
MENTs or PROFESSORS AT
MEETING OF THE SCIENTISTS
some FARMS CLEAR 20 PER,
CENT.

ST. Paul Pioneer Press: Dean A. f.
Wood of the state agricultural coll
lege, does not share DR.. w. w. Fol
wells belief that farm life IL unre-
muneratiye and lonely; does not go
with Prof. Thomas Cooper when he
says that farming in Minnesota has
yielded mere pittance to the agri-
culturalist; neither doesethe view with
alarm the statement of B. w. Holt OF a
New York land. investment company,
made yesterday that farm land prices
are due to slump. The disquieting opin-
ions developed within the last two
days at the meeting of the American
society for the advancement of science
at the university. Without attempt
ing comprehensive reply and discus
sing the matters off hand, Dean Wood
declared, so far as farm values are
concerned, there is no cause for ap-
prehension. In fact he said the north
west and the middle west states would
experience raise in form values, and
that this raise would be permanent
Says Farmers are Lonely
In his paper Thursday DR.. Folwell
former president of the university,
said farming was unremuneratiye,
which coupled with loneliness, caused
the movement from the country to the
city. In his paper yesterday Prof.
Cooper declared that Minnesota farm
ers received but 4 per cent. year on
their investment. In discussing these
matters, Dean Wood said last night:
cdr. FolweH is looking at the hard
side of agriculture he bases his
statements on the fact that a majority
Of farmers do not know their business
Both he and Prof. Cooper must re-
member that 80 per cent Of the farm
ers are following old and unscientific
as we'll as unbusiness like methods
They are not up to date The other 20
per cent, constituting the educated
farmers, who own RICH bred stock, ro-
tate their crops and study the mar
kets, are probably making as high a
return on the money Invested as any
other class of business men. Some
know personally are making 10 and
20 per cent on their capital, and in
many instances on record this per
cent runs surprisingly higher.
Higher STANDARD Needed
"It is true many farmers are not SO
prosperous as they should be. The
problem is to bring them to the higher
standard, and that problem gives
promise of certain solution more and
more every day through our agricul-
ture school and the extension courses.
II want to say this much, however,
/ am confident the ratio of successful
men employed in agriculture is just as
high as the ratio of men following
any other pursuits-grocers, butchers,
lawyers and SO on.
In regard to Mr.. Hollis dreary pic
ture Dean Wood said:
"Emphattcally l believe Mr.. Holt is
incorrect when he says the farm lands
are likely to drop in value and that al
panic will ensue. Without having
read his paper thoroughly, / can only
say from my own investigations and
knowledge of farm land values such a
thing in most of the states is not to
be thought of. West of the 100 merid-
ian it is possible there is some infla-
ton of farm values which comes from
assuming that the climate in the So
called great plane has changed so that
the greater precipitation is expected.
Two successive years of drouth may
cause a drop in the prices Of such
lands, but even then it will be only
temporarily.
Farm Values Will Increase
Taking North and South Dakota,
Minnesota, Wisconsin Michigan. the
western half of Nebraska and Kansas
and other middle-west states. it IL safe
to forecast that farm values will in
crease surely, with no marked or gem
eral drop. At the present time in
Minnesota farm lands are not capital
lied at what they can be made to pay
interest on.
'To return to the subject OF loneli-
ness on farms, l may say the personal
equation Of temperament is entirely
responsible for pleasant or unpleasant
conditions. If farmer, or a farming
community, doesn't care for good
roads, good schools and good farms, it
is perfectly plain why his existence is
a drudge to himself and his family
In an up-to- date farming community,
however, with good roads, schools, etc,
there Is little to complain Of The
most lonely nerson I ever kneW lived 4