The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-07
RELATION OF AGRICULTURAL
PROGRESS TO BUSINESS. WORLD

Thomas Cooper, director OF the Bet
ter Farming association Of North Da-
kota, delivered an address before the
North Dakota Implement Dealers con-
vention this afternoon. Mr.. Cooper
said in part:
In the northwestern states all bust
ness IS dependent upon agriculture.
and its prosperity and growth are di-
rectly related to the prosperity Of the
farm. Applying this relation to bust
ness as a whole, IL may be expected
n a sales will increase in practically
the proportion that farm income in
creases.
II We study the farms income we
n that the constant tendency Is to
expend the larger proportion of II, and
tnat a relatively small proportion in
the form Of currency is saved. The
purchase of additional land, farm
equipment, livestock, ETC., absorbs the
bulk of the income above operating
expenses. Thus a farming population
Is invariably a spending population, in
SO far as it's income will allow-and
business enterprises which have to do
with the equipment n operation Of
the farm u invariably prosper in
well farmed areas.
What Does Better Farnins Meant
The gross value of the product of the
farms in North Dakota is probably
between $3.50, 00O,0 900 and $175, 900, 900
annually. At last one-third OF this
sum Is used In the processes Of pro-
auction. Hence the total possible ex-
penditure per year cannot greatly ex-
coed $500, 100000 to $780, 00, 900 under
present system of agriculture, or
$1,000 per farm family. Under the
single cropping system prevalent in
the state this income cannot be ma
terially increased. Better and more
diversified systems Of farming must be
olowed II greater incomes are to be
obtained. Better farming involves
making use of our resources that are
at present wasted or unutilized, and
obtaining income from them.
Under present conditions We are &C
tually utilizing less than so per cent
OF the farm and It's immediate re-
sources. Practically, the only portion
OF the farm producing income is the
acreage titled. Little or no income is
obtained from the roughages so album
dainty grown in nearly every farm in
the state, or from the b~y-products of
the grain farm. An even greater loss
exists because Of the fact that labor
necessarily loses a large proportion of
fits efficiency under any single cropping
system, not that the manag cement of
labor is inefficient but that the labor
expended does not bring the returns it
should because the soil Is not in con-
clifton to produce maximum returns and
the products therefrom are not fully
utilized.
Just Like Manufacturers.
At present we are IN the condition
of the manufacturer having a giant
plant capitalized at $974,S67, 1SO, and
using that plant to produce two or
three products, meanwhile paying no
attention to the utilization Of by-prod-
ucts produced from his plant. It is a
well known fact that in practically all
Of u large and most successful in
dustries the profit and often a major
portion Of the income have been secur-
ed through utilization of what was
once considered waste. OF course there
Is a wide difference between farming
and manufacturing, but sooner or lat
er the farmers Of this state must
adopt the principles of successful
business.
Better farming, then has for its
purpose the creation Of such sentiment
toward the agricultural industry that
in the near future this industry may be
operated at its maximum capacity.
This will require additional capital
additional immigration, and additions
equipment. Only slight returns may
be expected from increased immigra-
ton and investment unless better use
Is made Of u present labor, capita