Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1912-10-31
B;g Business And The Farmer.


that the farmer needs instruction III
the matter Of farming The bank
ers, the manufacturers, the railroads
and the real estate boosters are
forming organizations and employ
ing experts to instruct the farmer
how To till the soil. The latest de-
velopment in this missionary work
among the heather farmers is the
scheme Of a big mail order house,
that has accumulated millions farm
ing the farmers, to devote some Of
its profits to the instruction Of the
farmer and. incidentally to adyer-
tise its business.
But this scheme a. we'll a. others
Of its kind has met with Indifferent
success and the reasons are apparent
to anyone who viii take few mo-
ments to analyze the situation
THE THEORY Is WRONG
That the average farmer should
know and apply better and more
scientific methods we all admit.
There il no question about it. But
the farmer il no more ignorant re-
garding his work and profession
than is the average business and pro-
fessional man regarding his work
and profession. In fact. the average
farmer j. more successful than the
average business man. 1t il well
known fact that over 90 per cent Of
men in business fail. Everyone
knows that the average business is
conducted on anything but business
principles, We know that the aver
age business man Is in sore need of
instruction regarding his own bust
ness. But-n listen suppose the
farmers should organize and raise a
fund for the purpose of instructi1g
business men in the ethics and prac-
tice Of their particular business, and
in carrying this out, suppose they
should select from the business col
leges and the universities nice, clean,
bright young men and send them
out to instruct the banker, the mer-
chant and other so-called business
men how to handle their affairs,
would the movement become howl
ing success? How many Of these
bright, young business instructors
would get 50 far as the inner office
of bank, d manufacturing concern
or into even the sanctum Of a news
paper office? And yet this is just
what these self appointed missionar-
les to the farmers propose to do.
They propose TO select from the ag-
rlcultural colleges bright. young
men who have made good records
in school and establish them in yari.
Gus counties as keepers of the agri-
cultural conscience Of that particular
vicinity.
The agricultural colleges and the
agricultural department at Wash.
ington, by experimenting with farm
problems and publishing the result:
Of these experiments in bulletins
for distribution among the farmers,
have exerted decided influence II
favor Of better farming The dis
cussion of new ideas in farmers in
stitutes has also been effective in i'm
proving farming methods.
But the farmer is conservative
He il even more conservative thar
the business man; moreover, he i:
more "sot'' in his ways. and he re
sents the patronizing attitude Of tn,
professional agriculturist. He vii
listen. but he will follow the advice
Of those men only who have mad,
good in the actual field Of expert
ence. 1t, therefore. has been AM
will be waste OF money to attemp
to bring about any marked chang
in the agricultural methods BY TIL
means above outlined.
The movement for better farming
methods that j. being advocate
and pushed by the great industria
companies. including some Of tn
railroads. vii! have its effect. but
will be through the slow process B
assimilation.
The farmer is q great reader, an
il the result of scientific investigs
ton can be placed before him in lar
guage that he readily understand:
and If the idea is expressed in such
xsyav that hp ran sap tho onr1rso