Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-04-19
NEGLECTED oProRrunrrY.

NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITY
The address Of j. G. Haney. delivered At . meeting Of
the Commercial club last week and subsequently publish
ed in The Herald, contains food for thought for every
person who ID interested in the development Of the North
west. Mr.. Haney Is a farmer. 1t ttStrue that he is employ
ed BY 4 great manufacturing corporation, the Information
al Harvester Company. His work, however, is not that
of manufacturing or distributing Implements; It is that
of lettering the condition of the farmer. The Information.
al Harvester Company is not engaged in a benevolent
work. as such. 1t is a business corporation, very eff
GENTLY handled. and its purpose is the manufacturing and
selling Of agricultural implements and machinery. It's
managers have long since concluded that they may best
promote their business, thereby increasing their revenues
by aiding in the development of agricultural industry to
the point OF its highest possibility. If the farmers of the
country are not prosperous, they will not be liberal pur-
cry they will need, and the more they will buy. The
Harvester company is not sailing under false colors. 1t
is merely taking a very practical and common sense meth
cd Of increasing It's own business,
. Mr.. Haney is in charge of the company's demonstra-
ton farm at Grand Forks. His work differs from that Ct
some other agricultural experts in that it is devoted to a
demonstration, not of what might be possible under. ideal
conditions. but what is actually possible to the ordinary
farmer. working under conditions which he may be ex-
pected to find. Mr.. Haney is convinced of the effective.
ness OF the concrete silo, the modern dwelling and all OF
ence Of farm life. He realizes that for the farmer to pro-
vide himself with these things requires considerable CAPT.
tai. He them for the farmer who has the
necessary capital, but is convinced that lack Of capital in
large amounts not 0eUAT any farmer from ondIAuk
in the benefits which are to be derived from the applica-
ton Of modern knowledge and modern methods. Failing
ability to build a concrete silo, he has demonstrated how
it is possible for a man to use q pit stlo very profitahly.
and with an initial expense SO slight as to be negligible.
His>entire work is devoted to showing how the man OF
moderate means can use inexpensive devices and benefit
himself by SO doing. FL.
In his recent address, MI. Haney discussed the rats
ing Of garden stuff or the production of milk, butter, etc,
for the farmers own use. He told how in cases which
had come under his own observation, men living on farms
neglected to keep COWS, to raise chickens, and to pay any
attention to gardens. By making conservative estimates.
he showed that the average family Of five would consume
approximately $500 worth Of such incidentals per year it
they were available. Where those things were not pro-
duced on the farm they are not purchased in like quanti-
ties and the result is that the farmer and his family de-
prive themselves of some OF the items which constitute 4
good living. -
There is no man engaged in any occupation who il
able year in and year out to provide for his family I. bet
ter supplied table than 10 the farmer, and the North Da-
kotA farmer Is as advantageou6ly situated in this respect
as is any other farmer. There are some things which he
cannot produce and which may be produced elsewhere;
but he has the advantage of being able to raise other pro-
ducts more easily and Of finer quality than are produced
elsewhere. Many families take advantage Of the posahil.
tides in this direction, and those who do enjoy a well-sup-
piled table and many of the other incidentals of a com
Portable living, which city jewellers cannot OBJ
tain except at great expense. On the other hand, there
are farmers, and their condition was described by Mr.
Haney, who neglect the opportunities which are right be-
fore them. There are farmers whose families never see a
ripe tomato unless it is contained in a can; who know
nothing Of sweet corn, picked fresh and eaten from the
cob; to whom green peas right from the vine are an un-
known Joy; whose staple bill of fare all the year round
is salt pork and potatoes. Just why any farmer should
condemn himself and his family to this style Of living in
a country where land is plentiful and where so much car
be produced by SO little outlay Of labor as here, is incom-
prehensible; but that this condition exists is not only de.
clared by Mr.. Haney, who has wide experience, but ii
known to every person who has travelled at all extensive
ly through the northwest, and if the setting forth Of the
facts as Mr.. Haney has set them forth results in stirnulat,
ing even a few Of those who have subjected themselves
to unnecessary prtvaions to saner and better methods Of
Living. the work done will be decidedly public benefit.