Morris tribune., 1921-09-23
FARM IMPROVEMENTS
DECLINE 80 PER CENT
Defation Cuts Machinery Purchases,
Handicaps Production, Blu
reau Survey Shows.
MINNESOTA FAR1E BUREAU
FEDERATION NEWS SERVICE
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
BY NEIL H. SWANSON
Editor News SnrViCH

BY NEIL H. SWANSON
Editor, News Service
st. Paul, Sept. 22.-Sales of farm
machinery have fallen so to 95 per
cent below in Minnesota this year,
and improvements on farms and farm
homes have decreased almost to
nothing" the Minnesota Farm Blu
reau federation asserted today, in an
nouncing the results of a statewide
investigation into the effects of de-
fiation on agricultural progress.
The federation's review of condi-
lions as reflected in machinery pur-
chases and improvements on Mime
sofa farms is based on reports from
50 county farm bureaus. The re-
ports of the county bureaus fedora
tion officers said, were based on in
spections of majority of the farms
in the counties reporting, and on
statements obtained from retail deal
ers in lumber, tile, fencing and farm
machinery.
Three of the SO counties placed
purchases of farm machinery at so
per cent of normal; the other &c de-
clared that decreased buying power
had compelled farmers to reduce their
machinery purchases to rs or even 5
per cent of normal.
Only Koochiching and Mile Laos
counties estimated farm machinery
sales as large as in normal times.
In 80 counties, the farm bureau re-
ports predicted, inability to buy
equipment will be serious handicap
in the planting and harvesting Of
next years crop. In many of the 9TH
er counties, farmers said the lack of
new machinery would not hamper
them, because they are exchanging
both machinery and labor, and re-
pairing every serviceable bit of
equipment with parts taken from
castoff implements.
While five counties reported sales
of farm machinery normal or at least
SO per cent of normal, not one cOun-
ty reported it's farmers making the
usual amount Of repairs and improve
ments on their land and buildings.
Reports from II counties estimate
upkeep expenditures at more than
half of normal; SO report such ex-
penditures are from SO to 95 per cent
less than normal.
Decreases and increases in the
purchase of the equipment necessary
to produce crops, and in the upkeeI
of farm homes and farm buildings re-
fleet the agricultural progress of thu
state as nothing else can," the feder
alton said in announcing results of it,
investigation. "The fact that i'm
provements on farm homes virtual!
have ceased, and that in half thu
counties of the state purchases of ma
chinery have fallen off to a poin
seriously threatened, is due solely tt
the absolute inability of the farme
to buy. The farmer will not deliber
ately curtail production. Reduced
production, except in rare instances
means reduced income for the individ
ual farmer. But unless the della
ton that has brought the farmer
products to pre-war prices operate
as effectively on the supplies the far
mer must buy, he will be forced b
economic processes over which he ha
no control, to produce less. Tha
eventually means much higher price
for the consumer
The federation, in it's summary G
the survey made by it's county far1
bureaus, quoted typical reports a
follows:
''Stearns county-There is grea
demand for farm machinery, but tn
farmers have no money with which
buy. improvements are not 40 pc
cent of normal. Freight rates al
eating up all possible income from tt
little grain, potatoes and livestoc
we have to sell. A car of potato'
shipped from Avon, Mimi, to Illino