The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-10-05
Monied Men and Crop Raisers
Are In Cooperation
INCREASE FOOD SUPPLY
Address Delivered BY Joseph
Hirsch Before the National
Association
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch.l

From Fridays Daily.
Atlantic City, N. j., September Is
How bankers of the United States
have cooperated with the farmer tc
obtain a more profitable and increas-
ed production of food and livestock
was related to the American Bankers
association today by Joseph Hirsch OF
Corpus Christie, Texas, chairman Of
the agricultural commission of the
association. ......
This campaign for increased food
feed and livestock production, which
we have been advocating for five
years, has become a vital factor in
the successful conduct of the great
enterprise of war upon which this
nation is launched" said Chairman
Hirsch. Agricultural preparedness
is just as necessary as military prep
aration. We are endeavoring to ap-
ply efficiency methods to the business
of farming-the greatest business OF
this country. The purpose of the bank
ers is to increase our agricultural
prosperity and at the same time make
the banking business more profitable
and infinitely safer by lending direc-
ton and financial assistance to the
sound farming projects advocated by
those efficiency experts, the field
forces of the United States depart
men of agriculture and the state COL
leges of agriculture.
RedoubIed the Efforts
During the past twelve months we
have redoubled our efforts toward the
employment of additional county agents
q nd hat of iC1n 81
this policy can be offered than the fact
that our government, in it's campaign for
increased food production, will endea
vor to place a county agent in every ag-
ricultural county in the United States.
I'VE have continued to advocate the
development of the livestock industry
and hundreds of calf, dairy baby beef
sheep. swine and poultry clubs have been
organized by bankers all over the coun-
try. Thousands of pure bred cattle, swine
and sheep have been purchased by bank
erS and have been sold to farmers and tC
children, members of livestock clubs, al
actual cost. These movements are play
ing an important part in the campaign
of the government to increase our meat
supply. Illinois bankers have organized
more than eighty calf clubs and as a re-
head of animals have been brought into
that state.
Distribution of Seed.
wisconsin bankers in conjunctio
with the state agricultural college have
distributed a variety of seed which it is
believed will increase the states wheat
yield from an average of twenty bushels
an acre to thirty-eight and one-halt
bushels an acre. Michigan bankers hope
to save the farmers of the state some
$15,000,000 which is lost annually because
of poor seed.
1.-The entire south has engaged upon
safe-farming campaigns conducted large
ly under bankers auspices, which have
saved millions of dollars for southern
farmers and brought about an agricultural
revolution in the land of cotton.
"All over the country a better under
standing has been created between bank
ers and farmers. The Wisconsin and
Washington Bankers associations con-
Quoted banker farmer excursions to theil
state colleges of agriculture. The Cali
fornia Bankers association visited the
state university farm in body. AS a re-
suit California bankers are now turning
their attention to the development of the
livestock industry in their communities
Kind of Agricultural Work.
This is the kind of agricultural work
by bankers which will bring agricultural
prosperity-the bankers are acting as the
connecting link between the scientific
forces of the colleges and the practical
forces of the field.
Il appeal for support in this work
which is bringing about a closer relation
ship and better understanding between
the bankers and their farmer customers
work which has always been economic
ally sound but which today has become
so important a factor in the program fol
our national defense"