The Washington times., 1915-04-21
Better Farm Methods
Taking Hold of South
BY JUDSON C. WELLIVER.

The war will cost the government OF
France. this year 1915, just about three
billions Of dollars more than the ordi-
nary revenue of that ,nation.
It's a lot of money, and yet
The value of the farm, garden, live
stock. and plantation production of the
United States this year. in excess of
what might he regarded as a normal
value. will be about sufficient to make
up that sum!
or course, estimates made at this
time are necessarily rough and gen
eral. Much depends on the weather
and other cropping conditions: nearly
as much on the years planting of cot
ton and the turn that the worlds cot
ton market may take.
But on the basis of the general in
formation that the Department of Ag-
rtculture has at hand to this time. the
calculation is quite within reason.
Not much wonder that there Is a
persistent feeling that prosperity Is i'm
nized.' said Carl Vrooman, Assistant
Secretary Of Agriculture, commenting
today on the agricultural outlook. And
the best of It Is that business inter-
ests are organizing to conserve this
agricultural prosperity and project 1t
into the future.
Practicing Diversification.
The country would be astonished, -"
continued Mr.. Vrooman, "if it could
know to what an extent the movement
for better methods Of farming has been
producing effects in the South since the
cotton crisis OF last fall and winter.
Diversif1cation Of crops has been preach
ed everywhere. and 1t Is going to be
practiced this year as never before. The
quick recovery in the cotton market may
restore the courage to too many Of the
farmers who have been wont to plant
cotton to the exclusion of everything
else; but there will be hundreds of
OF their crops such as they have not
known before"
Just at this moment the attention of
the Agricultural Department chiefs is
diversification Of crops. 1t is a sort of
moral-suasion campaign, with some
substantial force mixed UP In the sua-
sion. 1t comes from the Texas Bank
ers Association, and there is strong
hope that before long the Federal Re-
serve Board may be interested in il.
after a fashion that will Immediately
give the plan a powerful sentimental
and financial support.
Briefly, the proposal of the Texas
bankers organization is that the farm
er be treated as merchant when ha
asks for credit; that he be required to
make out a rate sheet. which will pre-
sent the state of his affairs, business
conditions, and give graphic impress
sion of his claim to financial banking.
This rate sheet has been prepared
by a committee of the Texas Bankers
Association, and many bankers have
already adopted 1t. Copies of 1t have
been forwarded to the Department OF
Agriculture, with explanations of its
intent and workings, and requests for
suggestions about bettering the plan
and support In getting 1t put into oper-
alton. The department authorities are
enthusiastic about the scheme, for 10
them 1t looks like a perfectly feasible
plan to force upon the attention OF
farmers the arguments In favor of more
general farming and to make 1t obvi-
ously to the farmers advantage to i'm
prove his system.
To Ask Reserve Boards Support.
This schedule Is called, by the Texas
Bankers Association, a Crop Rate
Sheet for Safe Farming and Bank Cred
it 1t is simply applying to farmers
the methods that the Federal Reserve
Board has approved in dealings between
banks and merchantsi and the Reserve
Board Is to be urged to give it's appro
val and support In the general exten-
sion and adoption OF the idea.
sample rate sheet" which has been
prepared by the Texas bankers and has
been studied at the Department OF Ag-
riculture. Is made up for the purpose ol
exhibiting the operations of forty
AGxs farm. The farmer, applying for