The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-02
The Farm and The Farmer
BY William r. Sanborn

While a drenching rain would still
help belated corn, especially if follow
ed by warm, growing weather, it is a |
fact that most of the corn now /
made. What rain is still needed for
the worst is the late potato crop. 1t
would have been welcomed week |
earlier, but still will do much good"
said a farmer who has been coddling |
patch of potatoes. Rain will greatly |
| benefit the pastures, which again are |
bone dry"
Very few farmers plant potatoes for |
market, at least not around Richmond, |
| but most of them aim to grow potatoes !
enough for winter use. Many of them |
will be disappointed in this. Very
few city gardeners who planted early
potatoes got anything but vines, and
now their late potatoes are not turning
| out WELL as a rule.
! According to official figures gather
ed at North Dakota tractor demon
F: straticn, the cost of blowing, prepar-
| ing and seeding was $3.50 for tractors
and $40 per acre for horses. Tractor
men are now opposed to competing
/, with horses. Big cash prizes were oil
fered to horse owners in the above
contest, with the result that two
horses died and six teams were utterly
exhausted The tractor men don't
want any more such business, nor
should farmers. Horseflesh and ma
chimes cannot compete on even terms.
Trying to Find the Joke.
According to the editor of Farm
Life: There was something funny
about the fact that the Interstate Com
MERGE commission would not permit
Henry Ford to reduce the freight rates
on his railroad But it is hard to
locate the joke. Was it on Henry-or
on the commission? Or on the people
who live along the line?"
Send Excuses in Writing.
If you are farmer, and you live in
Wayne county, and if you did not
visit Dublin on Thursday, opening day
of the free fair. nor attend today
(Friday), you must have had good
, excuse for such conduct We don't
know what your excuse is, but you
might send it to the officials at Dub
lin in writing. They simply don't ur
, derstand why any farmer should miss
. taking in the great annual show. II
you haven't the official program
handy, address your letter to William
B. Woodward; he will explain for you.
President Harding's Book.
, Our Common Country is the title or
, book Just issued by Bobos-Merrlll
company, of Indianapolis. President
a, Harding is the author of this volume
, and it's title sufficiently explains ms
subject. We wish however TO make an
excerpt from Chapter w on American
Agriculture:
1 ho1i hot nanni6
through their government and other
. wise, not only in behalf of the farmer
> but in behalf of their own welfare, and
> the pocketbooks of the consumers of
America, will encourage, make lawful.
? and stimulate cooperative buying, CO.
2 operative distribution, and co-opera-
i tive selling of farm products.
: But of late years there have sprung
up farmer organizations of quite
j different sort-organizations with a
e very large membership, with an ag-
n gressive and intelligent leadership, and
: with a way of raising whatever funds
S they may find necessary to promote
the interest of their members. The
l leaders of these organizations arc
e learning rapidly how to adapt to their
: work the methods which business men
and working men have found success
full in furtnering their own interests
The fruit-growerS of the western coast
have become so strong that they are
now able not only to do away with
many of the expenses heretofore paid
I to others, but also to influence the
price of their products. The grain
4 growers of the West and Northwest
o have become strong enough to bring
a about many changes they desired ir
the marketing of their crops. The
\. farmers of the cornbelt states are
q rapidly perfecting the most powerful
% organization of farmers ever known II
: this country All of these are natura
= developments in the evolving change
n of relationship and the modern com
plexities of productivity and ex
If change"
N Draws A Gloomy Picture.
h M R. Benedict, secretary of tht
n South Dakota Farm Bureau, stated a
Washington, that without a change il
n present conditions % per cent of tn,
crop farmers in the west, and at leas
itwo-thirds of the others, will b.
j. forced out of business next year
/ Under present conditions the only re
| lief for the farmer who owns his farm
! is to cut the acreage operated to tn
minimum, hire practically no help an
curtail his production. Every bushe
- produced is grown at a loss except il
:; few cases where EXCEPTIONAL
=, efficient farmers are able to provide a.
% the man labor needed from their ow,
- farms. Mr.. Benedict presented a
- elaborate statement dericting cond
=. tons in a number of counties in Sout
~ Dakota, showing the heavy carry-ove
:. of hay and the effect of high freigh
rates.
Bad as conditions admittedly are W
y fear that Secretary Benedict is pain
>. ing too gloomy picture. The Ame1