Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-10-01
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FARM PRICES
Group Of Men Were Discussing the
Subject the Other Day, and
Question of Prices Going
Up or Down Was
Threshed Out
,<Y'BETTER
upon THAN WE vrsEn Tn
NJ. ~-'-
Prices May Not Go Down and Any.
how for Good Many Years We'll
Have High Prices

Have High Prices
Over at Garwins small group of
men were talking together, subject
land prices, He was asked IL he
would take $3.50 an acre for his fine
farm n6ar that thriving and busy lit
tie town. He said lit isn't for sale at
any price," But asked another what
IL prices go DOWN." Then another
soothingly suggested that prices
may not go down and anyhow for a
good many years we'll have high
prices. Otherwise he admitted that
he didn't see how ''tney could make
It,"
But there is a way out. 1t is the
only way. Prices are certain to 60
down. What then?
Old Uncle Nick Bush who had
been q farm hand in New York bat
who owned big farm, bank stock.
ETC.. came hobbling on his cane at
eighty year of age into the oats field
whore his son and the editor who
is the writer of this article
were cutting oats nearly forty
this were cutting oats nearly forty
years ago. The oats were down" and
tangled and were being "cut one
way" So naturally considerable
9lAln was left on the ground. Said
Old Nick to his son, "Charley, ye are
lsavir' lots Of grain on the ground. /"
What's the difference" replied Char.
ley" There only worth IS cents a
bushel." Then the old man thumped
his cane on the ground and broke
out. rAnybuddy but fool
seems like would know that whsn
oats is Is cents bushel he's got to
hev all of 'em. Wher' We goin' to sit
money to pay yer rent, fer (profane-
W. I'm goin' to hev my rent and ye'll
hev to hev money to pay .Cr debto
with" And then the old fellow went
|grumbling back to his arm chair on
the porch.
That's the philosophy and tn.
plain way out. If prices are to fall
we've got to hev more oats" In
short the answer to the question is
greater production on the same acre
age. It isn't a hard answer at that.
We agree that we have only tickled
Iowa soil. Yet it smiles with crops
The answer is to tickle harder.
Make the soil laugh. If it smiles with
fifty bushels of corn to the acre see
that 1t laughs out loud with Is. DE-
as the packers did. make the by-prc.
ducts pay the expenses.
Prices will never go to the low ebH
that some of us have known. Oats
will never be Is cents bushel
again. However it might be wise for
the oats raiser to ask why oats are
steadier and higher than I'm the old
days. One answer is that from beins
horse food oats are human food
The by-product Of those Older year
they become the staple product OF
mighty mills. And soon thru corn
products and agricultural products
generally.
We farm better than we used to
do, we raise more to the acre but ir'
all honesty the agriculturalist is far
behind the MANUFACTURER in his
methods and efficiency. There re
mains a great agricultural empire to
be established, not by opening more
fertile land for settlement because
most OF the actually fertile land is
settled and there isn't any more Iowa
LAND left in the unbroken places
The new empire is to be reared on
the present farms by skill and know
ledge and efficient management and
the increased production that belongs
with, and follows. We shall have tc
do It and most of US do not unit!
necessity drives. When farm lant
4sells at $500 and men refuse S4Se
with out hesitating necessity takes
the steering wheel.
That's the way out. More oats
more corn, more cattle, better crops
steady Improvement, acceptation oi
better methods, business manage
ment and advantage by machinery
lowered cost Of production and great
er production. Don't worry. Wei
come out llright.
/ n,ha Masnn. Cifv ClnhA-Gazattl