The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-20
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY ESSENTIAL,
AID TO PAYING AGRICULTURE
North Carolina Beef Breeders and Feeders Association
Discuss Problem Fundamental to the Development Of
the South =

hdI dIoSIlpS or country life.
Yet for large part, gentlemen, |
these people form the nucleus from
Wnlcn the farmers Of tomorrow must |
be made if North Carolina is going |
TO develop into the prosperous agri-
cultural State she ought TO develop
into.
In the South, as elsewhere in
America, the efforts for social better
ment have been made in towns. Here
you find the best schools, the best
churcheS, the hospitals, the best
roads Social life is here concentrat-
ed, amusements are close at hand
and here is the Glamour and excite
ment that always attends a congrega-
tOn OF people. There has been
steady tendency for such people as
were financially able, to move from
the country to the towns simply be-
cause social and educational condi-
| tlons We're better. But every time a
| man of superior Intelligence makes
this change he either sells his land
| or leaves 1T in the hands Of tenant
| OF inferior intelligence. The evils of
| absentee landlOrdiSm Immediately ap.
pear and the productive power of that
| land either stands still or Declines
| And not only does the productive
power of the land decline with this
| loss Of the superior individual, but
| also does the quality OF the general
| structure Of country life decline. The
| roads are neglected, new ones not
built, the schools are badly admins
tered, the thought of the community
| Tags and becomes Stagnant, and pro-
gresS comes to standstill. In fact
| the locality turns into such place
as every live man is glad to leave
and never see again if it can be
avoided.
Rut we are concerned with the
economic aspect of this country pro
biem most particularly though it is
by no means purely an economic
, problem. He who thinks that its so.
luton is merely to make the farmer
prosperous hits very wide of the
, mark. There is no use in makins
the farmer prosperous if his frs
move is to leave his farm for the city
I and desert the army Of producers 70
the army of non-producers.
4 Yet the economic aspect is basic
: The wealth Of the town depends t
S a large proportion on the wealth ere
T. ated by the country about it. TIL
e merchants, the professional men, tn
r bankers live on a percentage of tn
d wealth produced by the farmers. A
f that wealth declines so does thei
percentage decline, and we do no
need to go far afield to see the effect
{. Of such an event, especially wher
= that wealth is largely based or on
O crop. Another point: We hear 0
is all sides. of the organization c
e Boards of Trade, Chambers Of Com
l. merce Boosters Clubs, to develop tn
is towns.
n 1t is no advantage economically &c
the merchant to multiply the numbe
el OF merchants in a town by two, {
$ for the banker to multiply the nun
% ber of bankers. unless the prOductlo
. ar
l. on has been multiplied. But this is
IN thing the merchants and bankers o
s. ten fail to realize, or if they do, the
m seem unable to DO anything constru
le tive to increase the production
ne wealth in the territory about them.
~ This is the point, gentlemen, tn
'' We must consider tonight. W nat ca
the bankers and business men
~ | North Carolina towns DO to increa!
~ the agricultural, wealth OF Mort
~ Carolina? | wish I had time 30 te
49, you fully Of the attitude 81 t!
th bankers and merchants OF this Sa1
ne ,ie Hill section who have Joined II t!
"a organization OF 4 rura! Board
hu 'Tra,s covering II circle Of forty mil
~. in dianetcr ana embracing sevente'
~ towns an organization vita Il
'ai avoue0 purpcs;r OF improving the s
- cial condition and developing t
,ol wealth, cs The territory it covars.
os Organization OF farmers ard banke
and merchants and business n
working in unison to better the COZ
~ mon cause
, . But let III, AT least, take 81 &
No ample Of how this works out.
1t has been my observation til
he it is easier for the ncn-pTo<iucti
i'm store keeper who lives just around t
ON. corner from the bank. 80 ge: 6. %:
IF than for the productive farmer ~
al lives ten miles out in the count
ing Why? For one reason because
All wants the money for shorter til
in than the farmer does, but nh;,.ly
al, cause he has the virtue ct tel
sgh known 10 the banker or ~ he IS
are known. II IS esrsieE 10y She p.Hhe.
mi Il make ar investigation Of him t.a
M to hitch up his horse ana buggy Il
,nst drive ten miles, probably over 2, L
to L. C