Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-21
Is THERE A FUTURE.

Under the above caption. N. F.
Greeley. associate editor Of the Da-
kota Farmer, cf Aberdeen, 8. D., ono
Of the ablest farm journals in Amer
lea, makes tho following forceful and
sensible review Of the business stu
alton: +
us there = future for the wool
business. We IRE asked. Will it ever
pay to grow corn, wheat or barley
Will hog raising. beef finish
ing. mutton making or the dairy busi-
ness ever pay Al 1t did?
"Of curse there is a future for
every n of these things, and what
~inexcusable folly it is to be asking
such questions just because outrage
u war prices, never heard Of be-
fore, most likely to be known
again, have lowered just as We all
hoped they would. prayed they would
knew they would.
woo is worth more today-so is
wheat, beef, pork. corn. eggs, butter
and nearly everything else-than it
was before the war, or for = long time
before the war. and we managed to
get along then Ind to prosper. Men
who are going to quit regulation farm
ing just because prices are going
down, cannot quit and stop talking
about it too soon, for no power on
earth can stop prices going down till
they reach the angie Of repose." as
Mr.. Bryan says, nor car any power
on earth restore war prices, nor
raise present prices one cent It is
simply cutting the dogs tail off an
inch at a time to make it easier for
him, to keep raising false hopes in
that line.
This drop in prices is by no means
confined to the farmers products, and
it is getting pity under false p~retense
to claim it is.
Neither is this great decline in
values confined to the United States.
The same causes the world over are
bringing it about, and normal times
will return to the world from similar
readjustments.
1.-THE great slump in praces of every
thing would not have been so great,
nor SO prolonged, if it had been per-
mitted to occur sooner. Artif1cially
deferring it after the close Of the war
only added to its severity when It did
come and in no way detracted from
the certainty of it's coming. In the
same way artificially trying to soften
now will only prolong the agony Of
reconstruction.
: Had it not been Sc easy to borrow
money in the past, it would not be so
hard getting along without being able
to borrow now.
1.-The thing left for the farmer TO do,
and the only thing he can do. is to get
down to business, just as every other
business man will have to do, if he
does anything, and forget about the
ruin Of agriculture" the end of the
stock business" 'sheep gone for
good" and similar errors.
sheep will doubtless 60 lower, Just
as corn, wheat, beef, pork and cot
ton will, but not 30 very much lower,
and every last one of these things is
going to make good money for those
staying by them in the future Just as
they have in the past.
I'VE must eull our sheep closely,
also our cows, hogs, hens-yes, and
seed grain and vegetables. Under no
circumstances must we use a poor
sire, no matter how long a registry he
can show, nor how long a price is
asked for him. We must stop buying
sires because auctioneers tell us to,
and take them home only when they
fill our eye as the animal we would
like all our young stock to look like.
w must put more strong, clean
quick maturing seed into strong clean
land. We must plant more and SOW
less.
And above all, we must stop think
ing about war prices forever, for in
all probability We shall not live long
enough to see them again, or any
thing like them We must stop talk
ing about what crops cost US to grow,
and grow them at the lowest cost
possible. What they may have cost US
in the past will not affect by one cent
what they will bring us in the future.
Rotate for the good of the land, and
the crops will be good if the seed is.
Sell the crops when they are ready for
the market till you are out Of debt
and then keep on doing 30. Shrink
age, interest, fire losses, falling mar
kets and worry will take more out
Of prevailing prices, nine years out
OF ten, than speculation can ever add
to them.
IF there is any specializing to be
done "let George do it," and you will
soon De in position to lend him the
money to do it with"
THIRTY PER CENT COMMISSION