The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-11
TALKS ON THRIFT
The Farmers Opportunity

q believe that the greatest construe- tive service the bankers of any city. or any state. or of the nation. can perform at this time- Is to endeavor, by every means at their command, to impress upon the minds of the people the necessity for each individual man, woman and child striving to practice the virtue of thrift. - James c. McNary. Fl Paso. Tex.
 This should be golden year for Amer ican agriculture.
 Tho farmers of the United States are now engaged in harvesting enormous crops-perhaps the greatest ever produced indicating $12,ooo. 0oo.000 crop yield for 1915.
 Big crops and good prices will quickly make better business for the railroads, for manufacturers. and for wholesale and retail business generally. There ought, therefore, to be increased prosperity for all of us, and that is why both city and country are interested in the crops.
 Nature has been kind to us. should we not be equally kind to ourselves in the matter of waste-prevention2
 American farmers will burn thousands of tons of straw that in Europe. war made thrift would cause to be saved for various uses.
 According to one student of the value of by-products, allowing cornstalks to evap- crate and decay causes an annual waste of $2O0, 100000. But progressive farmers are reducing this waste by using silos to pre- serve chopped eornstalks and other fodder crops.
 The humble hen Is frst-aid to the thrift of the farmers wife, but the de- partment of agriculture estimates an an- nual loss of s4o.oOo.ooo from unnecessarily spoiled eggs.
 The annual shipment of potatoes from Maine is S5,ooo cars. and 1t is said that the average waste Is 20 bushels per car, or 8 total of 100000 bushels.
 The yearly waste of vegetables of all kinds Is duplicated by that of fruit. The government specialists estimate that home canning on the farm of what otherwise would be wasted ought to save at least $10o. .oo0,00o annually
 But these are large and general state- ments. To get right down to brass tacks," as they say, how can the farmer actually save money3
 He must not be tight-fisted or his farm will not be kept up; he must not be spendthrift or he will get into difficulties that way. In approaching a bank for loan the man without a bank account Is handicapped.
 The farmer who says. T wish to buy 20 steers to fatten for market; will you loan me some money2' will stand a good chance of getting the loan. If he says. Our best horse died, and we are hard up; the rent Is coming due and the in- surance expires tomorrow; won't you please loan me $200?" the banker feels very sorry for him. but dislikes to risk 200 perfectly good dollars on a farmer with such an unpromising outlook.
 Close cooperation between farmer and banker ought to enable most tenants to become owners if they really want to own their farms, as they should.
 Many farmers as well as their wives try to save money by doing all the work themselves. and after a few years spend more money than they saved on both hired help and doctors bills. Sometimes they get beyond the doctors help In carrying out this plan for saving money. Some people save by not insuring their property and lose everything when their house or barn burns.
 Common sense saving Is the thing. and it is good for everybody, city dweller and farmer alike. T. D. MACGREGOR.