Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-06-26
POTENTIAL LOSS
Large ON FARMS
Better Farming Expert Says
but so Per Cent Efficiency
in Crop System

One of the principal addresses de-
llVered at the recent convention OF
the North Dakota Bankers at James.
town was by Thomas Cooper, secre.
tary Of the North Dakota Better
Farming association. Mr.. Cooper
said in part:
1T has always been customary to
say that the farm was the basis OF
all wealth; but business interests have
never fully acknowledged the close
relationship that exists between agri-
culture and other forms of industry
until the economic changes of the
past ten years have shown that asri-
culture cannot be considered as an
Industry subsidiary to manufacturing,
transportation or trade. The signifi-
cant fact that the production of food
per capita of population has shown a
decrease, has focused the attention of
the business interests on agriculture.
The census of 1910 shows that the
agricultural wealth production of
North Dakota was over one hundred
sixty.one million dollars. This repre-
sents the gross value Of all products
of the soil and the value of grains,
rOughage, ETC., used in carrying on
farm operations The gross income
seems enormous when first consider
ed; however, when the size Of the
business, the amount invested, which
amounts to nine hundred seventy-fOur
millions OF dollars, or about one hun
dred times greater than the entire
banking capital Of the state, it is plain
that the cash income realized from
the sales is comparatively very small.
AS this figure indicates, North Dakota
has in it's farms a property OF great
value. The soils are extremely fertile
and are capable Of far greater devel-
opment than is obtained at the pres
ent time. Although the values have
increased very rapidly during the past
ten years, the rise has not been due
to greater crop production nor to ma
terially larger incomes per acre, but
to the fact that society here and else
where has been willing to pay higher
values for land.
"The fact remains that the gross
production from the capital invested
is still low, amounting to but one
sixth or Is per cent of the total,
which in an industry requiring the
extreme amount OF labor, feeds and
heavy expenses of operation that are
required in farming. is insufficient
from business point Of view. After
deducting the cost of operation, there
remains less than one hundred million
dollars to pay for the labor of the
farmer and his family and the interest
on the investment. This proportion
is much less than obtained in many
other agricultural states, no better
than North Dakota, and indicates that
from the point Of wealth production
our farmers have still much to learn.
'The value per acre of all cereals
combined is $l255 in this state. This
would je only fairly satisfactory if it
could be secured from the total acre
age Of improved farms. A group Of
farms in Minnesota shows a return of
SIS per acre. applicable to the entire
farm acreage, under conditions no bet
ter than those under which the ma
jority of our farmers operate.
"The greatest potential loss of the
wealth on the farms in this state is
due to the fact that 80 or 60 per cent
of the land actually in farms brings
ir little or no income The remain
ing 40 per cent brings in less than it
should. In other words our soils are
less than so per cent efficient under
present systems. Any system of az
riculture which is based largely upon
the production of single crop-and
which: fails to make use of grass
lands and roughage which may be
and cheaply produced,
will necessarily show a small produ.
ton.
"The Better Farming association !
commenced work in December, 1911.
Since that time eleven counties have !
organized for work within their bor