The Springfield herald., 1913-07-25
AID II / COOPERATIVE MOVE
Time Rapidly Passing When Farmer
CAM Compete Sing Handed
Against Organized Enoft. "

cBy 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 be-
ginning to realize that farming Is a
business of the most diversified type.
AS business man the farmer has no
hope of success without the vapplica-
tton of business principles and scien-
tific 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-
edly 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 70 make
a mixture of brains. seed and soil.
Merely increasing the yields per Aefe,
however. is not enough, The goal, To-
ward which all farmers must cQntipps
to strive Is greater MT 4ncome 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 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 ia
accomplished by organized effort.
The operations Of marketing are
practically the same for every man in
a given section. and can. therefore, be
more effectively handled in coopera-
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 indiyidualism 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-sufficient, 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
u 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 fiat.
The time Is rapidly passing when a
farmer can continue 'tO4compete sin
gle-handed against organized effort.
No other agency is 80 powerful in
bringing about better farming, better
methods of handling the industry.
greater met returns per. acre. and bet:
ter community life than a groyp of
farmers well organized to protect and
develop their agrictural interests.,cps,
q. The American farmer is beginning
to. realize the powerful influence that
concentrated effort and combined cnpI
'itai ia exerting Oh the tfHemenddus m
distrihl progress tof the present day.
He Is beginning to take deep inter
est. in the possibilities of cooperative
! action when applied to his own prob
lens. .'.., ..... ,.-, ..- p.
The new movement in agricultural
extension work known as Farm Man
agement or County Agent work is one
Of cooperation. The dena rtment 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 its nature.
The agent works with the farmer him.
self in the endeavor to solve the prob
lens that exist on the farmers own
farm.