The Raymer enterprise., 1912-12-19
COOPERATION MEANS SPEED
Iowa Township Teaches Lesson I'm.
portant In More Ways Than One
Work Done systematically.

portant In More Ways Than One
Work Done Systematically.
There is an important lesson to be
learned from the story Of an Iowa
township. That lesson is important
in more ways than one. The story is
very brief and very simple, writes H.
A. Williams in the Farm and Nreside.
1t is this:
The township is located in a section
OF the state that produces great deal
OF very high.class live stock, corn and
other crops. In fact, 1t is township
OF mixed farming done by well-to-do,
successful farmers.
In that township there are six
thrashing outfits owned by partner
ships Of four to eight farmers. Each
outfit consists of fully equipped
grain-separator and steam thrashing
engine with water.tank. That is all
that is owned in the partnership. The
outfit is used only to do the thrash
Ing on the farms owned or operated
by the members Of the partnership.
One man operates the engine and two
others operate the separator during
the whole round Of the various farms.
These men. Of course, are either those
members Of the partnership most ex-
perienced at such work, or are expert
enced men hired by them for the
thrashing season.
The plan for distributing the costs
Of the outfit for the season, among
the various members OF the partner
ship, vary more or less in different
instances. But In each case a care
ful attempt is made to 60 divide these
costs that each member shall pay &C.
cording to the amount and the variety
Of the work which was done for him.
The routine OF the work done each
year is arranged Systematically SO
that in the end. each member shall
have Jared alike. Various details in
the original purchase of the machine
the care, management, operation
charges for various kinds OF thrash
ing done, and so forth. vary somewhat
in the various partnership, l under
stand.
One Of the interesting lessons to be
learned Is the fact that farmers can
cooperate. AS now look back upon
the days and years / was a lad on
the old home farm, am much i'm
pressed with the lack OF mutual conf
dence and trust, and the inability ol
any two or more OF us to get together
on mutually satisfactory basis fol
doing anything. One remarkable ex
ception was the instance of one man
who spent nineteen years on rented
farm, and after the first year or sc
there was not even written lease In
existence. The renter lived across the
road from his landlord. They agreed;
both accounted his own and the 9th
ers' word as good as his bond. so they
got along well.
But there Is growing spirit Of CO
operation among us farmers. We art
rapidly realizing that our Interest,"
are mutual. This is good; good fol
us, good for our business and goot
for the world at large. And this spiri
OF cooperation and mutual trust viii
grow only as we forget little things
overlook small faults and eccentri
cities End remember to look at onl!
the larger. more important, mort
fundamental, things In each other.
A great deal Of expensive machin
cry can be owned and operated in thi!
way. II separators and thrashing en-
gines can be successfully owned ant
operated in partnership, then othe
traction machinery can be owned ant
operated In the same way. And here
In lies an important opportunity which
these different partnerships failed t
grasp.
With but very little, II any. add
tional cost, the engines which wer'
purchased could have been general
purpose tractors instead OF the oil
fashioned single-purpose thrashin,
engine fitted to do only bel
work. Such an engine will d.
the various kinds Of belt work Jus
as successfully as will the single-pur
pose machines. And In addition t
this, 1t will do all kinds of field worl
and hauling.
The additional expense for a trac
ton gang plow would have equipped
a partnership for doing traction farm
ing on each Of the farms represented
The plowing could be arranged for fl
the same routine. and paid for in tn
same way. as was the thrashing. TIL
binders owned by the members coul'
be clubbed together and put behin'
the tractor to do the harvesting: AM
J It would be done better and quicke
than It could be done In the old wa.
| ,,,ttS horoau