The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-08-02
AID IN COOPERATIVE MOVE
Time Rapidly Passing Whep Farmer
Can Compete sinaieHanded
Against Organized Effort.

CBy a. E, BOWMAN. Assistant State
Leader. Wyoming Farm Manage
ment.1
In the new awakening in agricul-
ture many things are demanding the
attention of the farmer. He is be-
/ ginning to realize that farming Is
business Of the most diversified type.
AS business man the farmer has no
hope of success without the appilca-
ton of business principles and scien-
tific methods. The time has passed
when "a man can farm il 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
q mixture of brains, seed and soil.
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 by
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 we'll 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
q given section, and can, therefore, be
more effectively handled in a 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 self-suf1cfent, refus-
ing to unite in any way with his
neighbors. He follows the tradition Of
his forefathers. They got along; they
did not cooperate; then 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
it to be fiat.
The time is rapidly passing when .
farmer can continue to compete sin
gle-handed against organized effort.
No other agency is SO powerful in
bringing about better farming, better
methods of handling the industry.
greater net returns per acre, and bet
ter community life than group Of
farmers well organized to protect and
develop their agrictural interests,
The American farmer Is beginning
to realize the powerful influence that
concentrated effort and combined cap
ttal is exerting on the tremendous in
dustrial progress OF the present day.
He is beginning to take deep inter
est In the possibilities of cooperative
action when applied to his own prob
Iems
The new movement In agricultural
extension work known as Farm Man
agement or County Agent work is one
of cooperation The denartment Of
agriculture, railroads, banks, business
houses and individuals. give material
aid In the great cooperative move
ment. The actual work of the County
Agent Is cooperative in It's nature.
The agent works with the farmer him
self in the endeavor to solve the prob
lens that exist on the farmers OVID
farm.