The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-05-26
HOW WE LOSE OUR
BEST FARMERS

Down on farm southwest OF
Blackfoot a man and his wife, w. H.
Scott by name, have staged an OBJ
iect lesson for the past ten years
that is worthy of study in reading
conditions in civil life just as they
are, and as the editors, statesmen
and business men OF the United
States are seeking to read and in
terpret.
Scott is typical farmer OF the
better type, keen, Industrious and a
student, and we can mention some
of his experiences as a tolerably
true measure. The SCOTS went out
to their new farm in the sage
plains ten years ago with enough
backing to combat the obstacles in
a big way, and they did we'll their
part. In ten years they turned
their capital good many times
and came out about even excepting
that the farm was older ana by rea-
son of the general development of
the. country, was worth more.
They worked holidays and Sun
days, and were buster in summer
than in winter, but always busy.
They seldom took trip or visit, but
sometimes this happened. They kept
books to see what they made, and
what they made or lost money on.
When they hired help to operate the
big farm it took most of the money
to pay the wages and keep of the
help. When they hired less help
they usually made more net profit
but resources went to waste and
!. that was not fair to society.
>. :. In the prosperous years since we
went into war it was harder to make
a profit than it was before. In 1917,
with all their experience they lacked
$1,000 of making expenses. In 1918,
the year that the government began
it's guarantee to farmers to get them
to raise lots of foodstuffs, they made
1920 above the actual expenses.
Two of them working every day
earned $50 each in year. They
would have lost money but for the
fact that they had twelve acres of
potatoes that brought them S11O0,
and $3.50 of that went to make up
what they lost on wheat and other
foodstuffs they raised and put into
the great whirl to win the war.
In 1919, the year that the govern
ment again guaranteed things for
farmers, it was hard pickings for the
SCOTS, Notwithstanding they got |
$4,000 from six acres of potatoes. |
They had good hogs and were expert
enced in caring for them, yet they
lost $3.50 of the potato money sup
porting hogs and delivering pork to
hungry world. One might think
that potatoes were what should have |
been relied ON for an income, but
back in 1917 they had fourteen acres
of potatoes and received nothing at
all from them. In the year 1917
there was another slight tilt in
things. They could not hire men to
work if they had to haul manure.
Every time a man was assigned to
cleaning up the barnyard or feed
yard, he quit the job. In 1918 it
was the same, and as time went on
1t became too delicate subject to
talk about. Farm laborers were
getting more and more particular
about what they worked at, and now
it has been three years since the
soil has been reinforced with fertiliz-
er altho it lies deep in spots where
it is damage.
Men used to hire out to do any
kind of farm work they might be
assigned to, but in 1919 cutting
weeds was in bad repute. A good
many refused to cut weeds or to
clean out the beet fields. Many who
worked at it, did so little it was
near-failure to employ them. Scott
decided not to farm any more at
present And why should he, he
was working for nothing! Besides
that, he was doing all the worrying
that goes with the management and
responsibility. He could rent the
farm for $4,000 cash and find it
all there at the end of the year, for
q renter could not carry off the
farm. A man usually reasons that
q renter let's the farm go to weeds,
but Scott went out one day where
the Japanese renters had planted
sugar beets-where the weeds actu-
ally took his crop last year because
men would not do the wedding, and
two women from the Jap household
worked a short day between break
fast dishes and cooking supper, and
weeded as much as his hired man
had done in a week last year. Here,
then, was the redemption Of the
farm from weeds rather than losing
It to the weeds. The Jap farmer is
speeding up production while the
white laborer Of recent years is driv-
ing tractors or road graders or en-
zaging in some kind of work in town
md getting big wages which he
spends. When his job
,lays out and he cannot get another
me right away he will be in want,
tut the man on the farm will have
God. The man with money saved