West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-05-11
Demonstrators Point OCT the Dh-
fcrcnccS in Results Between the
Good and Bad Management
Methods of Sueeesswm Farmers
Analysed for Benefit of Others

In every community there are "A Ger
tain number of farmers who have
found out for themselves how to make
a good profit from their farms They
are now being used by county agents
as practical object lessons for their
less successful ucighbors. Under what
is known as the farm management
demonstration plan, the county agent
onalyzcs the systcms that these men
have adopted. compares them with the
practice ON farms that pay less or not
at all and learns Ina this way the fac
tors that mako for successful farming
in given community. lie is then i'm
"a position TO say. "This Ia the kind
of farming that pays. If you don't
believe me-, lool, around YOU It's not
a theory it's ruct."
The demonstrations of this kind
that the Department of Agriculture.
operating with the state colleges of
agriculture. has made already AFFORD
some striking instances of the diner
cnco in results between good aud bad
farming Recently Ga groups of farms
m 1919 states were studied I'm order TO
ascertain what the farmer obtained
for his years work after dcducting
the interest at per cent ON tho value
of the farm ard other capital - IN
other worjs, Go find out his labor 81
come or wages I'm each of these
groups, which included altogether
idOO farms, the conditions were reas-
onably similar In each group the
farmers were divided into five uumor,
cally equal classes according TO H..
labor incomes.
II was found that although the aver
age labor income for all the rroups
was only $3S7. the average for the
farmers I'm the first class that nth of
the farmers who did best was S'A21.
I'm the second class it was $G42. The
last class the fifth OF the farmers
who were least successful moth
ing for wages and lost on the average
$5l7 That Is To- say. the interest on
the amount of money represented by
their farm, stock and equipment would
have been $5l7 moro than tho farm
returned them. IL should be borne I'm
mind In this connection that the labor
Income is merely the farmers wages,
and that the family has i'm addition,
besides interest ON Investment. the
use Of the farmhouse and such fuel
and food as the farm supplies free Of
money cost
Other demonstrations have produc-
ed similar results. In almost any
northern community, one-nfth OF the
farmers are making approximately
$1,000 a year more than the average
and $4,000 more than the least sue
ccssful This Is not luck. nor h is al
together or even chiefly question
OF the skill Of the individual farmer.
Further analysis will show that the
successful men arc following certain
methods adapted to their conditions
and that the unsuccessful are not. il
Is the business of the county agents
and farm management demonstrators
TO ASCERTAIN wbst uo,c ,nouodo .ra
and to point them out.
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no r,rJ,.,. s.r.. .... ,,,1. .-
than tho avorara and uiuo 1.ss
than thaf of tno br.f nrma I'm nc.ib-
ar caao. however. was fbo difference
sufficient to account at am for bc
striking difference n income
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p.-.g y,fI, CASA ,y.r.,. 80 cg AID s..
lg. 1..t f,r,.s ,r oos a.. ,..l ,...,,
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y horses npl Gc r,,..,,. d, t..,,..
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aved orIv aso n, bc ,g,-,,, ,...,
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,..p' off tft and ON best farms
eowa wIth average receipts from each
of ssg Th. other farmors with fhafr