Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1917-03-09
PRACTICAL FARM COOPERATION

This is admittedly an age of improved
ma .hiuery and advanced methods II
farming No longeris it possible fol
the man who farms by the old methods
and with the old tools of our fathers
to compete with his more progressive
neighbor. If he undertakes it he if
sure to go down in defeat.
But right at this point the advocate
of advanced methods and improved
machinery is met with staggering
opposition. Thousands of small farmers
tell him point blank that they can not
afford the great outlay of money nee
essary to stock their farms with the
latest labor saying implements.
And it is the solemn truth. They
can't afford it. 1t would bankrupt
them to undertake it.
What, then, is the answer?
One word-CO-OPERATIONi CO.
operation in buying and using the more
expensive Implements.
Consider the number of days in the
year you would use wheat drill, or a
disc plOw or harrow, or binder or a
mower, or any one of large number of
implements that are absolutely essen
tlal to successful farming today. The
United States Department of Agri-
culture has figured this out, and the re-
suit Is calculated to make one think
twice-and then again. The depart
ment estimates that on the average
small or medium sized farm the follow
ing implements are used annually the
following number of days and fractions
thereof: Walking plow, 1872; sulky
pIow, lat; spring tooth harrow, &c;
spike-tooth harrow, 8 |; disc harrow,
Az, grain drill, 4.6; land roller, At;
corn planter Il row., 1.9; corn planter
| e row, 8; corn cultivator, Il row.,
Al; corn cultivator, e ROW., Sc;
mower, 81 hay rake, 2,6; grain binder
I3.4.
1t will easily be seen that unless a
man is so well-to-do that he could afford
to have capital tied up and lying idle,
the plea of the small farmer that he
can not afford the modern tools is the
sober truth
But there is remedy in cooperative
ownership. In fact, the plan is in
operation in many sections of the
country and is found to work admirably
A glance at the list will convince any
one that there is not an implement
there that could not be shared between
two or three farmers, and many coulC
be made to do service for five or six
some, even, for much larger number
| What, then, is the necessity for each
one burdening himself with heavy
outlay to provide all of the needed tools
when the burden can just as well be
distributed among a number with the
same satisfactory results?
Aren't there a number of farmers in
this community who could profit by
this plan?
If you do not want partnership
ownership, fearing possible disputes
and resultant i'll feeling, let one buy q
corn planter, another drill, and SO or
down the list. Then lend back and
forth, and you get the same results.
But make it cooperative, decide ir
advance just what tool each is to buy,
and GET RVERYTHI NG THAT WILL
REDUCE YOUR EXPENSE AND IN.
CREASE YOUR YIELD.
Think this suggestion over, friends,
One or two or three hundred dollars
saved on equipment could be we'll in
vested in live stock and other crying
necessities on many farms.
1t is safe to say that no other class
of people in the country carry as much
"dead" capital as do the farmers-the
very class who can least afford it.
The logical way TO release thi:
capital and pnt it to work is through
cooperation as above outlined.