Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-31
Ten commandments for Farmers.

the announcement that agriculture is
the handspring of all industries. While
this Is an original way of expressing
the meaning, it is, nevertheless, quite
true Stagnation in crops means a
damper on business. our Western
friend remarks:
Agriculture sows the seed from
which springs up trade and manufac-
| turing enterprises, all commerce. All
business is, directly or indirectly, the
fruits of agriculture. The thousands OF
| wheels which are revolving in the coun-
| try to-day, whether moved by water
| or steam, are engaged in remolding the
| products of the earth into some useful
| form, and the thousands of ships which
| are traversing the oceans and rivers of
| the world are merely transporting
| these products, either in a raw or man
/ ufactured state, to market. The mill
| lions of money deposited in our banks
| represent the capital accumulated from
| these products.
"Our costly and eommodious public
buildings, our beautiful private resi-
dences, our splendid turnouts, all the
| representatives of value are ultimate
| results of the crops of the earth. When
| crops fail, stagnation in all lines of
| business takes place. The whirlins
| spindles and fying shuttles OF oul
| manufactures would also cease, our
| ships would rot at the wharves, and
| cur banks would have no demand for
discounts were il not for the crops pro-
duced from mother earth
But this Westerner confines himself
10 diagnosis of and prescription for the
| Southwestern case. He talks to the
| cotton growers. while his logic is APP
| plicable to the corn growers and wheat
| growers and potatoe growers. Oyerpro-
duction proves more costly to the farm
err, he says, than a short crop. but he
fails to admit that Gods bounty may
be meant in some degree for consumers
who are not producers. The fact that
one bale of cotton at Is cents is worth
more to the planter than three bales at
. cents does not consider the fortunes
of the consumer.
This farm expert complains that
farmers, unlike business men, lack
confidence in each other; that while
one reduces his acreage another raises
TO the same extent; that farmers hold
| meetings and pass resolutions. and
after adjournment are like a bag of
| feathers in a whirlwind.
To an extent his doctrine is true.
Farmers should get together to the ex-
tent of wiping out the exorbitant pro-
fits of middIemen. but combination to
the extent of eliminating competition
would be classification as dangerous as
that now so bitterly assailed in big
business" An agricultural trust would
be the most deplorable of all trusts
The doctrine of regulation should be
given as careful consideration when
applied to farming monopoly as to steel
and oil and railways.
We hope, some day, to see agricul-
turalists and bankers working hand in
hand for mutual reward and public
good We hope to see the leakage
which is draining the agricultural bar
rel into the bottles of the middleman,
stopped.
Meanwhile, the Ten Command
ments' promulgated by our Western
friend are worth study and a large de-
gree of application. as to local condi-
tons. Here they are:
BY observing the following ten
commandments success will crown
your efforts and you will not lose
! any sleep:
First COMMUNICATIVE
ton is the antidote to be applied.
Second Commandment-Sy
ic organization is essential TO sue
cess.
Third COMMUNICATIVE at
home; sell what you raise to the
dealer and don't buy from the deal
or what you can produce yourself.
Fourth Commandment = Make
T your cotton your assets.
Fifth COMMUNICATIVE until
prices justify selling; feed it to the
spinner in moderation in creating
a a demand you advance the price.
s Sixth Communications out
a shipping. Big fish live or minnows;
r look 10 your home banker for finan-
cial assistance.
Seventh Commandment - Avoid
debt, high rates of interest and Civ
ing mortgages.
Eighth Commandment - Reduce
acreage, as oyerproduction places
the spinner in control.
VI Ninth Commandment-Be frugal,
FL industrious and economical in your
I expenditures.
Tenth commandment-Giv strict
I attention to all the details of your
business, and beware taking too
! much advice from the man who has
. his own ak to grind.
BY keeping these ten command
ments In sight and making it your
daily study. success is certain TO
crown your efforts.
y Utilizing the Mirror.
A dentist was filling lady pa