The Delta independent., 1914-12-25

labors for the past year. and are Yen
satisfied? ! feel assured that many
OF you will answer no. and to the
E.Any who answer thus, will you ask
yourself ttis quCstion-Why? 1t has
Teen an average year for production,
to say the least, and all our crops.
except possibly the potato crop, n
some instances. have been normal CT
above, and yet our people we're never
harder pushed for money than they
are at the present time. and that TOO.
when all Europe is at war and pro-
ducing nothing. and their needs for
foodstuffs greater than ever. Yet
our onions and late potatoes brought
on the home market little more than
the cost Of production. and the aver
age farmer, except those who have
bunch OF stock OF some kind, has
realized little or nothing from his
years labor. But have you noticed
that as soon as the crop is out OF the
farmers hands and being stored pre-
paratory to delivery to the consumer.
that there is marked advance in
price,? In other words the farmer is
relieved OF his produce at little
above the cost OF production and the
consumer Is relieved OF enough OF his
earnings to pay not legitimate ad-
vance over and above the cost of pro-
duction. but enough more 20 allow a
class called Middlemen. to live in
luxury and ease for the nine months
in the year while they lie in wait for
the harvest. in the production OF
which they have never taken the least
chance, turned a hand or donated a
dollar. This condition OF affairs can
not long continue. for taxes and in
terest must be met. and met with
cash
Many OF our best farmers are dis
couraged, some are moving out and
others are trying to do so. and II takes
about all OF the little cash they may
have left to make the change. and
wherever they land they must start
anew.
Now. is II not true that 1t would
be far better to stay right where We
are and make new start by direct
ing our intelligece and energy in pro
ducing those things best adapted to
our market conditions? | say market
conditions. for IL is my belief that is
where our chief trouble lies. as our
climate and soil conditions are favor
able TO all crops raised In this lati-
tude, but our location with reference
to marketing is such that by the tine
the railroads and commission men get
teir toll. there is little left for the pro
ducer, and often he meets with def.
icit.
Much could be said right herr re-
garding these conditions. but space
forbids: however. we have all had
experiences enough in this line to
satisfy ourselves that Tie time is ripe
to seek relief in some t.rm.
These conditions considered. would
8, not look to an outsider that we mad
not used our intelligence and mcens
OF command in the way to produ e
'ne best possible results'
Our country Is by nature especially
favored for the production OF meats.
cattle. sheep. hogs, dairy products
and poultry: and the sooner we real
ize this and get into the collar and
produce these as our staples. letting
fruit spuds. onions, etc. come in as
secondary. the sooner we will start off
on the right footing TO make this one
of the richest sections in the Union.
II any of you want an eye opener
get the Encyclopedia britannica and
read little of the history OF Denmark
and you will realize something of
what can be done here.
The average tiller of the soil
among us is a miner and not a farmer
for we have continued to gather our
harvests and haul them off to market
thereby robbing the soil of Its fertii
ity and giving nothing back in return.
and we are all wise enough to know
what the ultimate outcome of 1t will
he The old Flemish adage was:
mo stock, no manure. no manure. no
crops" and nothing is truer. Our
position here with regard to these In
dustries has been made many times
more secure by the proven worth OF
the silo and II is this phase OF the
proposition to which ] wish to call
your attention particularly
A silo is large. air tight. cylindric-
nj shaped tank. for the preservation
of green and succulent forage. Silos
and silage have been used since the