The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-23

6. | have now on hand the follow
ing feed, seed, and other supplies:---
bushels corn; bushels oats; ----
tons hay; cottonseed meal; ----
fertilizers; seed; ----etc.
7. l expect this coming year to
plant (or | have now growing) the
following crops: ----acres corn (fol-
lowed by peas); ACRES cotton; -
acres oats followed by peas); 1900
acres peas or beans; ----acres sor-
ghum or other forage crops; ACRES
hay; ----acres garden and fruit; ----
acres pasture; ACRES potatoes.
8. Insurance
8. Amount of loan or credit de-
sired
10. Purpose of loan -------------
Signature -----------
(Borrower)
(The character and reputation of
the borrower for honesty and prompt
ness should be given careful consider
alton by the banker.)
Signature ---------
(Banker.)
Not only does such a sheet furnish
compels the borrower to put on pa
per plan of farm management
which will stand criticism. 1t can
be supplen ented by some standard,
varying with local conditions, 70
which the farmer spractice should
approximate. Such a standard has
been fixed in bulletin of the Texas
Agricultural College and adopted by
Texas bankers. 1t takes a 40-acre
2-horse farm as a unit. supporting
a family of five persons. The farm
is divided into two parts, 20 acres
being given up to cotton, the other
20 to feed crops. There ought to be
pigs so laying hens, and 2 milch
cows, as well as an acre in vegeta-
bles to produce enough to can for
winter use. Twelve acres should be
in corn and about in some forage
crop. The income from such a farm
is analyzed in an article in the News
Letter of April 21 (Vol. II. No. 80.
With cotton at cents, the farmer re-
ceives in food and cash $664.7S, as
against $3.50 for an all-cotton farm.
With cotton at 10 cents, he gets $685.
0S. as against an all-cotton income of
$500.
But, what is even more important
than the increased return is the in
creased security. Failure with his
cotton does not drive the farmer to
the credit merchant to increase his
Indebtedness. He can still feed his
family and pull through a hard-year
without mortaging the future.
From a strictly business standpoint,
therefore, it appears that banks and
credit merchants are justified in pre-
ferring the diversified farm to the
cotton farm as a basis for advancing
money and that in so doing they are
acting not only in their own interest,
but in the interest of the entire COM
munity as well. There are many
farmers, however, who have grown
but cotton all their lives, and
whose knowledge of livestock, with
out which sound agriculture is i'm
possible, is limited. When such men
new enterprises they need
and here again the bank
ers' influence may be felt. One North
Carolina bank lends money for the
puICldSe VI DTeeulIlS SIOCh OIlly on
condition that the borrower agrees to
follow the advice of the county ag-
ricultural agent or the animal hus-
bandry expert from the agricultural
college. In this way the county
agent becomes of direct value to
bankers and merchants, protecting
their loans at the same time that he
benefits farmers by increasing profit
able production. 1t follows that the
of these county agents
should receive the financial support
of all classes in the community.
The banker and merchant, then,
have in their hands the most powerful
weapon in the cause of sound agri-
So long as money is
loaned only on the prospects of sin
gle cash crop, so long will the aver
age farmer be compelled to raise that
crop alone with all the attendants evils
of such a system. When credit is
made available for other purposes,
when cash markets are encouraged,
and the teaching of sound agricultural
y 70 a4fan fOSfaNaJ 4bo ,oal -