The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-10-18
THE FARMERS PROBLEMS

tribute from time to time items of
interest to farmers. He does not
pass as an agricultural expert but
only as student studying with his
brother farmers to find the solution
OF the practice problems that are
constantly arising in our work.
These problems arrange them
selves under two heads. /. Those of
production. 2. Those of market
ing the product. The former state
and section are helping to solve in
school and college, experiment sta
ton and demonstration farm, and
given freely as far as possible to
everyone who seeks it intelligently.
The press ard platform are helping
as never before to solve these prob
lens, so that the farmers of the
next generation will have no ex-
cuse for want of success in produc-
ton. Indeed, he who has brains
and energy has little excuse now.
Problems of production have to do
with soil and climate conditions
with insect pests and fungus growths,
with the perfecting of the plant, the
grain or the fruit, in productivity,
in quality, in beauty, with tn e
things that lend themselves to in
vestigations in the labratory or the
experiment station. And the pro-
gress made toward the solution of
these problems during the ]ast gen.
Grafton is marvellous.
But the problems of marketing
are not so near solution. Here we
have to do with another set of fac
tors. Here are financial, economic
and social questions to answer. Here
we confront mans selfshness, his
avarice, his greed, and our moral
resolutions are involved. The gov
eminent is trying to regulate one
element, that of transportation.
The other elements of the problem
must he met and solved by the farmer
himself. Experienc has shown
that the middleman will not solve
it. He has failed thus far and hu-
man nature being what it is he will
continue to fail to find satisfactory
solution.
AS the problems of the first class
have been or are being solved by
the cooperation of all the people
through the agency of the state, so
the problems of the second class
must be solved by organization, by
cooperation. From every direc-
ton the call comes. Editors and
politicians and commercial bodies
are saying that farmers must orga-
nize. But the American farmer is
the most independent being on earth.
After he is organized he will not
stay so. He is 10th to pool his in
terest with the other fellows at a
seeming financial loss. The logic
of events, however will bring about
soon the right conditions. Intelli-
gent farmers are getting together.
Their cooperative associations have
already passed the experimental
stage and solution of the problem
of marketing seems to be in sight,
if we can only be patient and hang
together.
Leaf mould is among the best OF
fertilizers. Run burrows through
your orchard and keep the leaves
from going on the wings of the wind
to enrich your neighbours farm.
Now is the time to gather the
farm implements and store them
away in the tool shed. Proper care
of tools is one of the marks of the
intelligent and successful farmer.
Many have told me that tomatoes
cannot be raised here. The exhi-
bits at the Carnival disproved the
assertion. If the soil has been prop
erly subdued and fertilized, toma-
toes will grow we'll if protected from