The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1914-09-03

to have them start in some country
farther on, or else raise the bank de-
posts in your own locality sufficiently
so that they can earn a competency
by engaging with you in your business
at home; and l have got to do the
same thing with my boys on the farm.
Now, how are we going to do this ?
You fellows started in and helped or
game this Better Farming Associa-
ton. You have done a wonderful
work. 1t has been grand thing, and
is doing more for North Dakota than
anything else, and if you have got q
pitcher here or some other trophy you
have won, | am glad and proud l am
a citizen of state where the Bankers
Association has won that, for | be-
lieve you are honestly worthy OF it.
(Applause).
Now, l have recited to you some OF
the reasons why we have got to change
our methods of farming. / don't know
as my talk will apply to you fellows
of the Slope country. Where | live,
in country where it is wheat or grain
land, che improved farm land is worth
as rule about $50 an acre and be-
lieve that the farmer should farm his
land SO as to secure a legitimate rate
of interest from the value thereof.
Now, there il no business ON earth
/ would swap farming for; no, would
MT care to swap my farm for bank
ing business, but if I was compelled to
change, banking is the only line of
business operated in town that would
attract me for q minute. You may
think that is strange, but it isn't. You
probably have an idea that you, by
honesty and integrity, are going to in
crease the credit and honor of your
banking house until in the matter of
credit and honesty, at least, it shall
equal the banking house Of the Roth
childs, but still you will be no prouder
then Of your profession than am of
mine as farmer. (Applause).
For twenty years last past have
operated my farm myself with hired
help wholly, in the house and out
side, and have tried to make that
farm pay per cent interest, because
/ know / could loan the money out on
real estate at that and believe it
shows a little lack of good sound bust
farms pay that much. You fellows
aim to make certain rate of interest
on the money invested in your bust
ness and when you find that some line
Of the work is being operated at a
loss instead Of a profit, you cut it out;
but does the farmer do that? No, not
one out Of twenty knows what it costs
to produce bushel of wheat, oats or
barley, or what it costs to raise a colt
steer, or a pig. Now, if should tell
la farmer today in my locality that
barley was worth from seventy to
eighty cents bushel to feed to sew
enty-five pound hog, if fed by the
right man, he wouldn't believe it. No.
Got to haul it to the elevator and take
thirty-twO cents or thirty-five cents a
bushel for it. If should tell you gen
tlemen that you could put 20 per cent
Of a steers rations Of wheat, the bal
ance of it corn and barley and pigeon
grass seed that you are shipping to
Minneapolis and giving away, and tell
you you could get better than seventy
five cents bushel by putting it into
the steer, you wouldn't believe me be-
cause you haven't tried it out; but it
has been my business to do that. /
know and know. don't tell you you
can turn bunch Of cattle into field
of wheat and that they are going to
eat it at . profit over the elevator. No,
they have got to have care, plenty Of
water, and the wheat fed in the shape
Of balanced ration, and il you can
gradually get your depositors to work
into the live stock business, get them
interested in it enough SO that they
will take pride in it, they will have no
doubt Of the value Of these grains
when fed to the right kind Of a steer
by the right man, and after q young
man has gone into Chicago with a
bunch Of this class Of cattle, as many
of you fellows on the slope have, and
rubbed up against the cattle feeders
from Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, who
have made themselves rich feeding
steers, you come home feeling a good
deal prouder Of your stock business;
and if any Of you gentlemen should
engage in the cattle business, want
you to let your boys 20 once in al
while with the cattle to the market.
There isn't i brighter, bigger-hearted
or er-headed bunch Of men in the
country than the stock men Of the
United States; il doesn't make any