East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-08-22
EUROPEAN FARMERS
HAVE BEST METHODS
Prosperity, the Great Obstacle to Adj
option of Better System,
At Home

OREGON AGRICULTURAL COL
LEGE, Corvallis, Ore, Aug 22-Driv-
en- by grim necessity European farm
ers have adopted and are now practic-
ing system of scientific agriculture
ana cooperative credit and marketing
that has rescued them from abject
poverty and placed them on a plane
of prosperity. Although no Euro
pean country has anything like the
agricultural possibilities and oppor-
tunities for happy and prosperous ru-
raj homes that are to be found in Am
erica, yet cur crops are poorer, our
methods of finence more expensive, |
and our plan of marketing more ex-
travagant. than those of most Euro
pean countries. These are few OF |
the somewhat surprising conclusions |
/, reached by DR.. Macpherson, profess |
/ sor of political economy at the Ore
! gon Agricultural College, who, as a !
member of the American commission
to- investigate rural credit and organi- |
cation in European countries has re-
turned from a visit in which he trav-
eled more or less extensively over
thirteen European states. The fol- |
! lowing report of his own personal OBJ
seryation was given out Saturday for
the state press.
''The American commission, com
| posed of delegates from each of thir-
ty-five states and four Canadian pro-
vinces, which has been investigating
\ rural credit and organization or agri-
/ culture in European countries during
the past three months has now re-
turned. 1t is probable that no in
Vestigating body was ever accorded
such a reception as the commission
received from the different countries
OF Europe Officers of local cooper
atfve societies, leading educators. de-
partments of agriculture and the gov
ernment officials in general, freely
) offered their services in each of the
; countries visited. The result is that
, the commission has returned with a
: body of information and a fund of ex-
! perience which ought to be a force
in the betterment of American agri-
culture. The final report of the COM
mission will probably be ready for
distribution by the end of the year.
5 Whatever may be the outcome Oregon
| hAoI SOoAh HCiSCll AOhtdhdte III nav
ing been represented in a commission
to investigate agricultural conditions
9 in the old world. Delegates II. G..
Starkweather of oregon City, and
have returned full of enthusiasm for
the methods which have rescued the
European farmer from abject poverty
: and placed him in a condition of
prosperity. The commission, acting
either as whole or through sub-com-
e mittees, made an investigation of ru-
raj conditions in practically all Euro
: pean countries with the exception of
q the warning Balkan states. Among
t the countries visited were Italy, Aus
tria- Hungary Spain, Switzerland, Ger
: many, Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
= Holland. Belgian. England Scotland,
D. Wales and Ireland.
o $50 far as my observations go there
d is no country in Europe offering any
Is thing like the possibilities for agri-
a cultural production and happy rural
II homes that we find here in America,
l. At present our crops are poorer than
n those of most European countries. Our
II methods of marketing are more ex-
travagant and credit facilities more
: expensive than are to be met with
anywhere in Europe. Many countrie:
are also ahead of us in their meth
" eds of rural education. But not with
y standing these drawbacks, feel GER
M tain that there does not exist any
l. where In the old world higher aver
4 age native ability than Is to be foun:
n upon American farms. The middle
n. c.ass American farm home, especiall!
in our best settled sections, offers
T. higher degree of comfort and luxur!
n than Is to be found in the old word
t The farmers of Europe were forced
l. tn adopt scientific methods of farm
IN irc. ani cooperative systems for the
ar preparation and marketing of thei
l. products. They were also compellef
III to resort to cooperative institution
l. for the supply of credit on terms sult
~ ed to the needs of agriculture in al
most every country community I'M
J. small farmers had been reduced t.
ID the verge of starvation before CO
D. operative methods were adopted. I'M
s. result of this cooperation in racticali.
rs every case has been to place the sn'ai
n farmer on his feet Our prosperity
D. America has been the great obstacl
to :he adoption of the econ omic''
s. business methods which prevail II
a. most European countries. The motiv
IL force with us must be intelligert
IN rather than grim necessity. Whei
oy the time comes that American farm
ne ers are as careful in their method
OF cultivation as thoroughly organ'ze
for marketing, insurance and finance
: as are the small farmers OF Europf
american agriculture will have 90
,a;rad a prosperity exceeding any