Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1915-03-12

uuutt h'ihS w thS opSi"'oi' w w
der to be profitable the small farm
must be devoted to some intensive
type Of agriculture, such as truck.
poultry fruit, intensive dairying.
etc. To be successful in any of these
lines the farmer must be an unusual
man OH account of the complexity of
the business not only in growing the
crops and caring for the animals.
but also in conducting the business
side Of the farm. Further. if the
farm is devoted to perishable prod
nets there must be an important ad-
vantage in location with reference to
markets. The production of perish
able products far from market is
attended not only with heavy freight
and commission charges but is sub
iect to disastrous Quotations in
prices between the time of shipping
the commodity and the time of its
actual sale on the market.
Intensive crops are normally sub
iect to far greater fluctuations in
price than are the staples. Taking
the country as n whole, vegetables,
including potatoes. occupy only PA
per cent of the crop area and fruit
only ia per cent. Under present
conditions this is about all of these
crops which can find market at
rcmunerative prices. On account of
the small area involved it is very
easy to increase production far be-
yond demand: in fact, this often hap
pens with results disastrous to spe-
cialized. intensive farming. The field
for the profitable small farm i.
therefore. very limited one.
The attempt To establish intensive
types of farming in regions where
markets are lacking, or IN II scale
Inconsistent with market facilities.
has led to serious mistakes. Such
mistakes resulting from any great
extension of truck growing soon be-
come apparent and are soon correct
ed. but il takes longer to realize n
mistake in fruit growing and there
fore longer to correct it.
w. J. Spillman
WASTE OF TIME OF HORSES
There were 435 900 mature horses
and mules in Arkansas ut the last
census. yet with proper crop systems
800, 900 work animals would have
produced rs much agricultural
wealth. The acreage of crops per
horse for the entire state was about
1872. whereas. with the lesser num-
her of work animals il would have
been Is and fraction-a very mod.
crate acreage per horse under good
crop system.
II appears, therefore. that Arkan-
sas farmers boarded 10000 work
animals for nothing. aud n il costs
about 800 per year To keep such an
animal there was II loss Ut thirteen
nne one-hnlf million dollars to the
state in one year of feeding. caring
for. and having money invested IN
these unnecessary animals.
Investigations that are not quite
complete Indicate that on n group of
nearly sixty farms from which rec
ord> have been obtainable there were
not more than 100 days Of productive
work per horse in the year 1914. and
il will possibly fall below this. II
is apparent that this waste of time
on the part Of the teams is one of
the largest losses that farmers suf-
fer. The remedy is plain enough
,liversiication- proper size of
farm. in such manner or with such
crops rs will keep teams reasonably
busy the year around.
4. ID. McNairl
4 number of years ago n North
Dakota wheat farmer, whose cx"lu-
sive grain growing had put him deep
in debt. desired from his bank n loan
of thousand dollars. Except the
horses there was no live stock-not
II cow, n pig. or even n chicken--on
the place. The banker, a very shrewd
business man. was able to analyze
the problem and to discover the cause
of the farmers financial difficulties.
and he agreed to make the loan only
on condition that the borrower
change his system of farming.
The system outlined by the banker
required that portion of the loan
should be used to purchase two COWS.
half dozen pigs. and small flock
Of poultry. 1t also provided for n
fair sized vegetable garden. Grain
was to be continued u be-
fore. The banker figured that the
livestock and the garden would. in
poor rs well as good seasons. fully
the farmers table. lie fig
nred that in poor years the farmer
vould he able 10 plaV even, and that