The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-16

E y a lGA AM ~
and impoverished. Any system ~
farm management, therefore, that Q
not admit OF thorough CULTIVATION AM
the production of abundance OF ma
nure necessarily lowers the prouustl
vitv of the land with every crop tina
ia nroduced. Not only that, but G
succeeding crop is produced Win IN
creasing uncertainty. FOL opFlouS
reasons, the older any state
under a system of farm
that constantly impoyerishes the SOIL
The smaller will become the average
Weld of grain and other crops. Farm
IL q large way-farming with power
machinery on a big scale-unless am
Div compensated for with ltvestock
SMELLS exploitation by the present lano
owner, and results in ultimate empower
ishynent of the soil which future gen.
erations must occupy.
Commercial Bodies Interested.
The cities and towns also are inter
ested in soil conservation. InelI
prosperity depends upon increasine
Yields of grain and animal
as well as the farming communities
Commercial bodies, therefore, shoul
paw more attention TO l~ncreaSihs
the population OF the country as
tficts and less to bringing IN
creased s nuIlDCLS W h'S
The towns will take care OF them
selves. Double the population of the
country and improve the efficiency OF
farming methods and the increased
wealth produced, in consequence, VIII
proye a s~uficient stimulus for urban
population, Moreover, 1t viii prove
a healthy, permanent growth Tor both
town and country.
with the present limited rural pop
ulation and the correspondingly large
acreage under cultivation, but llttle
improvement in farming methods can
be expected. There are not families
enough engaged in farming to Guilt
xate the acreage already under the
niovy except in an extensive way,
which always invites disaster during
the seasons when the weather con-
ditions are not reasonably satisfactory
or when farm laborers r not immed-
lately available to care for the crop.
The past season fully demonstrated
the handicap farmers suffer from on
account of their dependence upon in
eficient unreliable transient labor.
''More farmers and fewer hoboes, OBJ
yiously, is the best and perhaps the
only permanent solution of the farm
labor problem.
The Insurance Feature.
Moreover. good farming is the best
insurance against crop failure. The
causes that produce crop failures are
not difficult to observe by expert farm
ers. but precautions necessary to mod
ify or destroy their influence cannot be
taken with any degree of certainty
where a man aims entirely at large
acreage and trusts in providence for
timely rains and other things upon
which profitable crops depend-and up
on hoboes to care for the crop during
the harvesting and threshing season.
Business Of Farming.
Farming is a business. 1t requires a
better business head-a man of broader
vision-to farm scientifically than to
practice in any of the popular profess
sions. The farmer, therefore, must ac-
quire business habits. He should rank
as a business man.
The shrewd business men of this
generation are ever on the alert to in
crease their profits. Otherwise, they
would not be classed as business men.
Only. however, by curtailing needless
expense and attaining greater effic-
iency can business men honestly in
crease their annual income.
The manufacturer is governed by the
same laws. Captains of industry are
ever on the alert to lessen the cost of
production. This may be accomplished
by utilizing b~y-products eliminating
waste of raw material. by the installa-
tion OF improved machinery, and more
especially, by promoting the efficiency
OF the labor they employ.
Small savings made in this way ag-
gregate tremendous totals and materi-
ally increase the dividends of stock
holders. What was formerly wasted
in many important industries is nov
relied upon as the principal ource OF
profits. In short, how to avoid waste
is given quite as much concern as the
Improvement Of la~bor-saving machin-
cry.
"A Few Exceptions.
A few exceptions only need now be
considered. Where an industry deals
exclusively with coarse, raw materia
found in great abundance, such rs sol
fertility, standing timber, coal, iron
petroleum and natural gas, the tenden-
cy toward proffigate waste is a dis.
graceful and continuing fact. Those
having large use or a monopoly o.
these natural resources seem possessed
with a mania to quickly amass ire.
mendous private fortunes regardless o.
what is wasted. The selfish desire II
accumulate large bank accounts, os.
tensibly for their children Ca very con.
venient excuse, by the way, to Veneer
the coarsest form of greed) seems more
desirable than to provide possibly less
opulent fortunes for them, which coulC
ba done by practicing something Xix,
reasonable economy in their opera.
tons, and at the same time, leave what
they now waste, especially Of coal ane
timber, for the benefit of future genert
erations. More likely, however, TIL,
greed for gain-the pure lust of con,
quest-exerts a. far greater infiuenc,
with men of that stamp than any de,
sire to provide a competence for thei
children. Under any circumstances
the waste OF the country's natural re
sources goes on unchecked, either b,
p~rohibitory laws or the restraint o
public dlsapproyal.
The final and inevitable result mus
be the conversion of what, by natura
right, belongs to all the people into
limited number Of swollen fortunes. I
fortunes created out of the country
natural resources, such as coal, timber
petroleum. ETC., resulted from econom
fcaI1y utilizing all the material, that is
without such tremendous and needless
waste, then the sins they commi
against the people would not seem s,
~grievous. But the waste continues.
Agriculture Also Wasteful.
Agriculture also has been exceeding
~ wasteful. The spirit of waste still
abounds. This is more especially tru,
0f i state during the period Of its Pic
neer development. But as every sec,
ton OF our great country at some peri
Cd has experienced pioneer conditions
the evil effects Of exploitation are ey
erywhere more or less apparent. Ans
what is worse. the habit OF wastefuI
ness thus contracted is most difficul
tt restrain OF overcome.
As population swept westwara
across the continent, the virgin soil
we're everywhere exploited with sinfu
,~sr6safualffv. Like 81 swarm Df locust