Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-02-05

bdSio Until the FARMER Is
placed in the same position rela-
teVlyl to the commercial world as the
business concerns, and that means
an efficient rural credit system
whereby the farmer can concentrate
MS credit through cooperation so
as to be inviting to capital to invest
at the same rate of interest as colu-
merclal bodies. The administration
now in power at Washington prom
lsed these things We shall see
whether they will be fulfilled. 1t
looks now to man up a tree that
rural credits were being side-traeked.
II this administration closes its ca
reer IN 1916 without fulfilling its
promises to the farmers il will be
known as one of the things that tried
to come back but couldn't. Let lis
confidently hope that we shall yet
get a good, efficient rural credit sys-
TEN for both current and long time
loans that will be satisfactory to the
farmers, and which is all-important
In putting agriculture on a perman-
ent basis, and the farmer on small
homes where he can carry on diversi-
lied farming and supply the food an
imals so necessary to maintain the
human race.
There is more demand for meat
animals on the farm than at any
other period in the worlds history.
Our population has increased in the
last decade very materially. but the
u. S. census shows an alarming de-
crease in the animals of the farms.
These figures indicate the double
necessity Of raising more animals on
the farms, first, to supply the de-
fictency in the worlds markets. and,
secondly. and of no less importance
to raise the legumes and other farm
products necessary to maintain these
animals that shall result in rotation
of crops and preserve or rather con
serve the fertility of the soil that
comes from the manufacture of these
feed products through the animals
into the best fertilizers known.
l remember reading the writing of
President Barrett several years ago,
in which he warned the southern
farmer against the very calamity that
has overtaken him at present. In
his persistent efforts to follow the
one-crop system even to the exclu-
sion of the things that his family
must eat on these southern farms.
The farm is the great citadel that
can fortify the farmer against panics
money stringency and hard times as
far as real living is concerned, if the
farmers will fill their cellars with
good homegrown vegetables; fill
their smoke houses each fall with
good homegrown bacon; maintain a
good flock of poultry to supply the
family with fresh eggs, and live at
home instead of foreign land. There
is a movement all over the south to
cut down the cotton area one-half.
This may or may not be too much,
but If the southern farmer will sup
ply this deficiency with the proper
home products necessary to feed his
wife and children, and as much live
stock as can be supported on these
surplus cotton areas he will find him
self in the course of a few years in
dependent of cotton markets in so
far as his real living is concerned
do not mean by this that he will
not raise a lot of cotton, for cotton
will presumably always be the big
moneyed crop of the south. Neither
do mean that the wheat raiser will
cease to raise wheat, but both will
realize more for cotton and wheat
than they do now, and will also live
at home on their own products in
stead of sending the millions from
the cotton and wheat belts to buy the
products that flow from four-legged
agriculture.