Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1920-08-20
ANIME, FARMERS AND FINANCE
Continued from first page)

result was that nearly ever farme
took a first class paper and had it de
livered to his door every day. Dur
ing the winter months when he hal
time he formed the habit of reading II
and when his busy season came he al
ways managed 10 look it over at meal
time or after supper.
Diqests Reading Matter
He began 10 follow events chronicle'
therein. and. unlike his city protner NJ
digested what he read Where the cit.
man glanced hurriedly at the head
lines and hurried to his work. which
occupied his mind. the farmers WORK
was mostly manual and his mind was
nnoccupied so as he sat on his pillow
or harrow he mhlled over what he had
read and il started him to thinking.
Then came the drive by the farm jour
nails and periodicals. and they found
their way into every home because they
pnrpotod TO deal with farm problems
The object OF most Of these publica-
lions was 10 secure as large a circu
latiOn rs possible, because ON the size
OF their circulation depended the rate
of their advertising charges. and that
was the chief source OF their income.
Therefore they charged but a nomi-
nal price for the publication, the
theory being that the farmer would
not buy unless Il was cheap. Many OF
these publications went to subscrib-
ers for twenty five or nifty cents
year.
The result was that outside Of mar
ket reports and such stock opinions as
were given out by the big grain men
and packing interests. these papers con |
tanned little Of value to the farmer as
the publisher could not afford to pay |
the rates received by frst-class writ
ers The result was they became the |
medium through which every crank
and theorist who could not get his stuff
In FIRST class publication found nm
outlet for his expressions
Realized Situation
His words fell on fertile soil for the
farmer had begun 10 realize that he
was not being compensated In pro-
portion 10 the energy and work he was
putting into his business. He knew
there was something wrong. but he
did not know where II was. its cause or
its remedy He had plenty OF time TO
think over what he had read as he
worked and in time this constant feed
ing OF his mind on radical literature
gave him the settled conviction that he
was the goat for all the organized In
icresis IN the country.
His attempt 10 correct this condition I
found expression in his cooperative '
such as farmers equities
md oranges: these usually failed by .
lack OF sunnort nv the farmers them 7
selves or through poor management. q
20 accomplish the ends for which they
we're formed. and the solution that the I
armer found for their failure was the 8
of big business gen
'ric term applied by all agitators and s.
'adical thinkers as the cause " all the o
hrmers wrongs without anywhere pin a
in" i'self "a ANYTHING definite.
founteracting this influence and do o
mr. some wonderful work against very .
-reat odds cnne the work of the agri- q
cultural colleges ana later the uni y
ersity extension department and the u
ounty agent movement Few people 1
ealize what these organizations had to
before their work commen-
ed TO have effect II was mighty
ard for the man who was raised on !
he farm and had been there all his :,
re to realize that he could learn any -
hing about the business from white :
kinned white collared hookworm, but :
ventualy the educators broke In. ana !,
hey cannot be given too much credit :
or the great work they have done and :,
re doing.
Experimentation Profitable o,
Here and there through the state h
ley induced a farmer to try an expert II
lent that he recommended. The =,
elghbOrs scoffed and made fun. but n
ley watched. and II II was q success r,
ley tried IL. For example. I planted N
he first winter wheat in our county. Il
nd had TO buy the seed and give it o,
the tenant to get him to try II: with
six years there was n bigger acre y,
&c Of winter wheat than anything else. h,
Again, I put in the first alfalfa in m
e county--a five acre trnct--and had rs
pay the tenant for all his work on It. IL,
nj In few years every farm had It's hi
falfa field
Here and there throughout the state 81
lev interested some young farmer re
lough to get him 10 come to the uni m
'rsity for a short time. Almost al a
avs that boy managed. somehow. fe
90 back and finish the course The he
4 man objected and fought and the IN
sighhors prophesied terrible things n,
ith new view OF his life work and
ade q deal with the old man to let him GO
indie the south Geld in the WAY he IN
anted To. and talked him into build
e q silo and a machine shed. &c
inrnrovino Conditions te
Tho neghbors watched proceedings,
ld when the south field produced ten p
ishel more corn per acre than anv H.
her w the neighhorhood and The OF
earn check doubled undcr scientific I'M
lection 81 milk stock and sila~e theso OF
mo neiehhors built silos and bought IA
irc bred bulls These thlnrs took 10
ars 10 work fheir snen hut wish
cm came improved mach'norv whore IN
% man could do the work forueriv b,
'ne hv two or three by hand and lei
SO came the Telephone thc mir club su
e su'e~'ohiie grid the enoa roads