Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-07-07
Continued Next Week. }
Making the Farmer Better Credit
Risk.
tBy Philip S. Bates, before the Idaho
States Bankers Association,
June A.


June IA.
An idea, thought, suggestion -
If its kernel be the truth and its
growth means the betterment of hu-
man kind when intelligently and
actively cultivated and dissem mated
by those in whom the beneficiary has
confidence will ripen, fruitify and be-
come priceless benefaction. Ig-
norance and superstition go hand in
hand and it behoves those of us who
can, to broaden the viewpoint of
those whose surroundings have not
been as fortunate as our own and to
place such material before them as
will cause a desire for further in
yestigation which eventually results
in a broadened viewpoint and a bet
terment of conditions. A man thor
Oughly cOnversant with a given sub
ject is too apt to think those stupid
who do not Immediately understand
him. Successful teaching requires
that degree of patience that will not
only declare proposition, but will
iterate and reiterate it in different
and attractive forms until the unini-
tiated thoroughly understand, and
put into operation the great prin-
ciples advocated. The farmer does
not like to be patronized or advised
any better than anybody else, and
you cannot drive him. The leading
farmers in every community are bust
ness men and they want to be treated
as business men What they want
to know is how to get the best re-
turns out of their work and their soil
and this can be done best by demon
stration. Now, why should the
bankers of the Pacific Northwest Gull
tiyate the farmer and make him a
better credit risk?
The population of Europe and Am e.
erlma at the beginning of the 18th
century was about 1870 Million it Is
now over $50 million. The popula-
ton of the United States in 1900 was
1000, 1000; it is now almost 100000
600. The opening of this
new country with it's rich soil, so
cheapened food production, that the
population increased by leaps and
bounds, and despite the Civil War
with its incalculable destruction of
life and property and its paralyzing
effect upon progress, our population
has grown from 10000, 900
in 1860 to 100000 in I910-3OO
per cent in fifty years. At the same
rate of increase we will have 1885,
100000 people to feed in 1860. In
this connection it is well to remem-
Der that despite the fact that within
the past forty years we have put into
cultivation the major part of the
great prairie plains, one Of the rich
est bodies of land of like fertility on
the face Of the earth and notwith-
standing the fact that. great improve
ments have been made in agricul-
tural implements of all kinds for Gull
tYating and harvesting crops and
great advance has been made in seed
selection, and some improvement in
cultural methodist little has been
done to conserve the fertility of the
earth, so constantly have we mineG
rather than farmed it, subtracting
from it without adding to it, that
the average crop of corn and wheat
combined per acre in the United
States is less than it was forty years
ago. The population is increasing at
a terrific rate and production Is con-
stantly decreasing. The grain acre
age increase for the past ten years
has been about % per cent; the pro-
duction has increased about So per