Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-06-18
COOPERATE in MANY WAYS
Whole so,~h 10 Thoroughly Walked
Up and Farmers Are Doing What
They Had Been Told to Do.

On the farm or In town the average
man or woman will not always dc
what they know they ought to do
II Is usually some circumstance that
compels them to act. Individually. we
| won't even consult a doctor until we
are really sick, and meanwhile keep
up manner Of living that our better
judgment should teach us will newt
ably result in a call for the doctor
and serious illness.
Several illustrations of this general
truth come to mind, says Utah Farm
er. Take, for example. the farmers
Of the South. They have been going
for many years against the advice Of
the agricultural papers, of every teach
er OF agriculture, and of the leaders OF
the farm demonstration work. None
OF these classes could foresee this war;
but they could foresee the end Of the
prosperity of southern farmers. though
no one could tell when it would end.
Now they are doing what they have
been advised to do by every person
whose advice was worth listening to;
and in doing 80 they are forced to CO.
operate in various ways. The whole
South Is thoroughly walked up. They
are devising ways. all of which neces-
state more or less cooperation. not
cooperative society-but cooperation.
They are calling special meetings of
the legislatures. Some are advocating
the reduction of crop area by law, 9TH
ers. and we think more wisely, by the
active cooperation of the farmers,
each agreeing to cut do~n his area q
certain per cent. Some are present.
Ing petitions to the members Of the
legislatures and Of congress. All In
wolves cooperation. and without CO.
operation of some kind nothing can be
done.
The farmers of the West are not
as much in advance as they sometimes
think they are. In a place or two we
have had hog cholera, some OF US
looking upon the entrance of the dis
ease as a stroke Of bad luck. hard
lines. Those more piously inclined
look upon 1t as a dispensation Of Provi-
dence. The fact that hog cholera has
done so much damage for the last few
years is simply due to our method
Of growing hogs. We have simply al
lowed the disease to find an entrance
through filthy stockyards. along
and railroad lines. and to
spread out over the country because
we violated every principle Of santa
ton and often Of breeding. We made
no Roadway against 1t as long as each
man worked individually and indepen-
IDENTIFY; but when we began to enlist
the aid Of the state and of the nation.
when we began to get together and
work together with one end In view
and to follow directions, we made
progress. 1t was the working togeth-
,r. the cooperation Of farmers under
he spur Of necessity. that enabled US
% achieve the mastery that we now
rave over this disease In some Sec
Ions.
The agricultural press. the expert
nent stations, and the United States
department. of agriculture have been
eaching better methods Of farming.
Here and there an individual grasped
he ideas and put them in practice
we speak now Of general farming);
tut the counties where farmers got to-
ether and co-operated in employing
and did not stint their mon
", are getting ahead much faster
han counties where each man works
ut his own agricultural salvation. It
) only by farmers working together
we call 1t cooperation or not
that they can achieve any marked
uccess; but the man who has studied
uman nature understands that farm
rs will not do 1t until circumstances
ompel them to do 90.
There are many lines of farm life in
'hich we should cooperate. What
bout the old methods of marketing
ur milk or butter as compared with
hose Of today?
Take 1t In another line-the breed
lg of live stock. Breeders are begin :
ing to understand that they can sue
eed only by a sort of cooperation.
hey group themselves together at
ome point with good railroad con-
ections, and then, instead Of COM
citing with each other. they cooperate
cooperate in the use OF sires, Co
perate in advertising. cooperate in
,lling. They have found out that
lrmers In search Of improved live
ock 60 to some point where there
10 a number of herds of the breed
ley want; and the various owners
nd out that it is not wise for them
do their very best to sell their own
,imals, but that it pays to help their
eighbors to sell by pointing out the
est points Of their own stock and
slping visitors to see the stock of
eir neighbors also. In this way
ey succeed. 1t is difficult for any
an with any breed of live stock to
cceed, where he Is alone and does
t have the cooperation and support
ID help of his neighbors. In fact
hen We begin to work along these
les we begin to succeed. Until we do
at we usually find 1t hard shedding |
these days.