The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-07-26
AID IN CO.OrthAiivc mosE
Time Rapidly Passing When Farmer
Can Compete Sinsle-Handed
Against Organized Effort.

By A. E. BOWMAN. Assistant State
Leader. Wyoming Farm Manage
ment)
In the new awakening in agricul-
ture many things are demanding the
attention of the farmer. He Is De-
ginning to realize that farming Is
business of the most diversified type.
AS "a business man the farmer has no
hope of success without the appiica-
ton OF business principles and seen
tifc methods. The time has passed
when "a man can farm If he has failed
at everything else"
There is a great stir through the
country-for which there is undoubt-
eddy much need-to increase by prop
er methods the crop yield per acre
We need greater yields and can get
them If we stop long enough TO make
a mixture of brains, seed and sell.
Merely increasing the yields per acre.
however, is not enough. The goal TO-
ward which all farmers must continue
to strive is greater net income per
acre per man. Therein lies the PROB
lem. Every acre of an entire farm
may be made to yield more. but Oy
poor management in marketing the
produce the net income may not be IN
creased A farmer must not only be
able to produce well, but he must also
be able to sell well and buy well.
Thus the business of farming becomes
complex.
These problems lose much OF their
formidable aspect when the farmer
makes them community problems in
stead Of individual problems. This Is
accomplished by organized effort.
The operations Of marketing are
practically the same for every man In
| a given section, and can, therefore. De
more effectively handled in co-opera-
tive way. The one great obstacle that
has always stood in the way OF CO.
operation In the past and still obtains
to an unfavorable degree at present Is
the individualism Of the American
farmer. (His European cousins have
long since learned the lesson OF CO
operation.) BY reason Of his position
he has become selfsufficient, refus'
ing to unite IN any way with his
neighbors. He follows the tradition oil
his forefathers. They got along; they
did not cooperate; thSn why should
he?
Thus by such argument the farmer
has derided the efforts Of cooperation
BY the same argument, also. he may
as well refuse to believe the earth Is
round because his ancestors believed
1t to be fat.
The time is rapidly passing when
farmer can continue to compete sin
gle-handed against organized /e1ort
No other agency is SO powerful II
bringing about better farming, bettel
methods of handling the industry
greater net returns per acre, and bet
ter community life than a group o
farmers we'll organized to protect ant
develop their agrictural interests.
The American Mariner is beginninl
to realize the powerful influence tina
concentrated effort and combined car
ital is exerting on the tremendous In
dustrial progress Of the present day
He is beginning to take a deep inter
| est In the possibilities Of cooperative
I action when applied to his own prot
! lens.
3 The new movement in agriculture
r extension work known as Farm Mar
: agement or County Agent work is on
= Of cooperation The derartment c
agriculture. railroads. banks. bushes
q hohses and individuals. give materia
: aid in the great cooperative mov'
r ment. The actual work Of the Count
q Agent is cooperative in its nature
o The agent works with the farmer hin
t self in the endeavor to solve the pro-
e lens that exist on the farmers ow
II farm.