United labor bulletin., 1914-01-10
GOOD WAY TO HELP FARMERS
Cattle, Sheep or Hoss VIII Build Up
and Help Conserve and Retain
the Richness Of the Soil.

am preaching the gospel of live
stock on the farms and ranches. My
text is emblazoned on every dilapidat-
ed ranch building and fence; In every
grain field with its soil crying for
mercy; on every wagon-load of grain
headed for market; on every grain ele-
vator in the towns and in the note
case in every bank, especially the
case holding for collection, farmers
notes given in payment for machinery.
writes w. E. Briggs in the Denver
Field and Farm. Each fall after the
harvest. be 1t good or poor. the farmer
takes a mental inventory of his condi-
tion. II he has had good crop. he
wishes he had live stock to fatten on
the cheap grain and the roughage that
is left in the stubble and corn fields.
If the season was dry and the crop
eat the standing grain that did not
pay to cut and which, II not fed, rep
resents total loss Of seed and labor.
AS another spring opens he. with
the optimism common to US all at
that season of the year and that seems
part of natures plan, sees In the
bright suns rays as 1t shines on his
fields of growing grain a mirage Of
bountiful crops and good prices and
begins to plan on how to spend the
money. The harvest is not up to ex-
pectations and the mirage disappears.
On his wagon box filled with part of
his light crop a sign should be tackled
reading: Another victim of disap-
pointed hopes. am wondering II
there Is not some safe way to guar
antee fair returns for seasons hard
work putting In crop? My land Is
good and l work hard. My manage
ment is economical and have fair
ability. Must all these be staked on
the flip of a coin, heads represent
Ing favorable climatic conditions. I
win: tails, representing the opposite.
/ lose.
Right here want to say word to
the country banker. Ask such a man
into your back room to talk It over.
Show him that there Is an insurance
against crop failures and that you
will write and carry the policy. You.
and you only can do 1t. The policy IL
live stock and the premium is credit
Have faith in this kind of insurance
and push it. Select the MN and
somchow. by some means. get cattle
and hogs or sheep for him. Take his
note and security on live stock sold
to him. Such notes will look good to
you all through the season. for you
know that they were given for some
thing that will build up and help con-
serve and retain the richness OF the
soil
No matter how unfavorable the sea-
son for the the grain crop, there is
enough feed for the stock and that the
weekly creamery check or the fatted
stock in the fall is going to prevent
loss under the policy you have issued.
Best of all is the idea that you are
doing something worth while. That
you are the means of putting this
man on his feet and starting him on
the road to success and that you have
been a factor in the betterment OF
your community. Incidental to this.
and no less satisfactory. will be the
growth OF individual and general
wealth reflected in increased deposits
and business in your bank.
Let me give an illustration that
has come under my personal obser-
walton. In the town where l was
born were two grain elevators twen-
ty-five years ago and very little live
stock was raised. Twenty years ago
the last elevator was closed. since
which time not bushel of grain has
been shipped from that town. Every
year quite a number of cars Of corn
are shipped in to supply the cattle
feeders, for not enough corn is raised
for local consumption. Every farmer
there has some hogs and cattle.
through which is marketed practically
all the products of the farms and the
proof OF the efficiency OF this method
of farming. II any is needed, is shown
In the well kept places and fine build
ings and by the deposits In banks.
What is true of that community is also
true of practically the entire county.
With no large towns and but twelve
banks in the county the total deposits
are now $4,000 900 and this is the an
swer for the change that the farmers
made.