Oxford Democrat., 1914-08-11
A Farm That Paid for Itself.

We often hear the plant that farming
doesn't pay, that the middlsman is get
ting all the profit, that he sucks the
orange dry and the producer gets the bit
ter peel, that the farmer is crushed be-
tween the neither and the upper millstones
of production and distribution. When
success is attained 10 dairy farming, II ia
frequently asserted 1t is only attained by
the breeder Of fancy stock. Because OF
this, and because it is 80 convenient and
easy to pick the most apparent reason
for failure to succeed in the price re-
ceived for the product of the farm instead
Of looking for 1t in ourselves, 1T Is re-
freshing to hear story on the other side
Of the shield; story OF success and not
of complaint, OF success won on farm on
a straight production basis.
Two young men, brothers, were at
tending the university some thirteen
years ago, with no thought of ever re
turning to live on the farm home that
vas located in one of the older and we'll
settled dairy sections Of Wisconsin. The
elder brother broke down in health and
came home to stay for few weeks to
recuperate. His father was getting on 10
years aud he found that the farm was
just about breaking even, possibly not
quite doing that. After some thought,
he proposed that he and his brother take
over the farm and run it on stipulated
cash rent. The proposition was accepted
aud at the end of three years the young
men were so we'll satisfied with the re-
suits that they approached the father
with the statement that they wished to
buv the farm, that If he did not care tn
srll they would buy elsewhere. The
father acceded to the request aud ar
rangemeuts were concluded for the pur-
chase of the l60-acre farm, which of
necessity was to be paid for out OF profits
ou its operation; and somewhat later an
additional so acres were purchased.
What has been the result ? This 24O-
acre farm, together with the improve
ments made and the increase in live
stock, in another year will have been
paid for in full from the farm profits
alone; and all this will have been &C.
complisbed in eleven years. time by
straight farming. The young men have
accumulated a good working herd OF
grade and pure-bred Guersneys, but the
type of farming and conditions have been
neither unusual nor spectacular. They
have not been breeders of fancy stock.
and the principal income has come from
the production and sale of milk.
The point We desire to make is that
these young men have paid for their
farm on straight production basis, that
there have been no unusual conditions,
and the income of the farm has not come
from any appreciation in the value of the
land, for no land has been sold. Count
ing the increase in the value of the land,
and this increase has not been excessive,
these men have each made net income
Of over thousand dollars a year. 1t
would be untrue to state that these re-
suits are ordinary. but 1t does 60 to show
that intelligence plus industry and thrift
can make profitable business of farming
on a straight production basis alone; the
milk in the pail has paid for the farm
and not any fancy live stock prices or
other unusual conditions.
vste our own little garden, clean out the
weeds Of ignorance and sloth before we
attack the other problems that current
opinion sometimes classes as of larger
Importance. The fact is, the matter of
greatest importance to each farmer is his
own farm and his own methods. These
are largely under his own control and ia
solving them he will be in better position
to help in solving those other questions
which are now so prominently agitated
in public debate. Let each farmer first
devote himself to the problem Of eco
nomical production, for he can directly
affect this, and it will bring him both
immediate and future profit.-Hoard's
Dairymau.