Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-12-27

to their varying capacities. HI
should compute the cost of man anC
horse labor and whether each depart
ment of the farm was profitable, OF
abandoned on account of their MOI
whether some of them should bt
yielding satisfactory returns. In q
word. every operation attempted
should be as rigidly reported in the
farm daybook or journal as in the
case of every item of labor perform
ed in the modern factory or other
commercial enterprise.
Accurate breeding records should
be kept, embracing the name of the
sire, the name of the dam, the date
of service, and the date on which the
dam Is due to calye. In case pure
bred or high grade animals are bred
for sale on any considerable scale it
is good plan to ear tag each young
animal with a serial number, and to
keep IA book with the name, breed
ing, gate of birth, and parentage of
the youngling opposite it's number.
Then when the prospective purchaser
inquiyes about certain calf, all the
owner or herdsman has to do is to
ascertain the animals number, to re-
fer I'd his book, and then he has the
entire history right before him. A
simple sales book is also valuable, in
which should be entered the names
of all the stock disposed of and the
prices that they brought. Then at
the close of the year detailed in
ventory should be taken of all the
resources and liabilities of the farm.
Allowance should be made for insur-
ance, depreciation, taxes, and inter-
est on the investment; If the farm
balance sheet still indicates a decid-
ed profit the farmer may well feel
gratified with his work and conscious
that he is on the uphill footpath
which leads to ultimate success and
prosperity.
The next step in the forward move
ment for farmers is the efficient de-
velopment of community co-opera-
ton in their localities. Wherever
there exists any prediction towards
monopolistic charges on the part 81
the local stock buyer, the local
creamery or cheese factory, a coop
erative organization on the part of
the countrymen usually forestalls
any Of these unhealthy tendencies.
The cooperative society Is usually of
a material social benefit to the coun-
try place; it is the clearing place for
the ideas of the countryman and his
neighbors, a sort of protective ex-
change In which "I'll give you good
tip il you will do likewise by me, as
my misfortune may prove your sal
vation." This cooperative endeavor
lends itself to q wide range of 0per-
from The fostering of the local breed
ers'2 club. marketing associations,
poultry organizations and silo cir
cults to the promotion of better
roads, better. churches, better schools
and an all around uplift of rural So
cial conditions. The scope of Coop
Grafton is practically as unlimited,
and at the same time as necessary as
that Of systematic business manage
ment and it suffices to say that the
locality which appreciates and backs
one of these propositions is soon
clamoring for the other. The chang
ing and unstable condition of the
farm help problem alone is sufficient
to force men into cooperative en-
deavor,s because in union of effort
along this line there is undoubted
strength Instead of getting soured
over the help situation, as is the case
in many instances, the best ability
will, in the future, be directed to-
ward solving this problem by coop
erative effort. This may be done
without any man being called upon
to sacrifice his real independence.