Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1921-07-07

the workers 10 HuHuie ~ Win NM
imum OF labor Very little outside
help has been needed.
This season saw the Introduction
of the combined harvester-threshei
which has been at work southwest OF
the city and watched with great In
tercst. With tractor, two teams
and four men the outfit cuts. threshes
and delivers to the granary the grain
from 25 to 40 acres day. IL Is the
opinion Of producers, however, that
il Is feasible only on large fields
Electric power for threshing has also
seen n gain. About 200 farms OF the
county are equipped with current
from the United Light & Power Sys-
TEN lines and the company has four
motor equipments in the field. A
cable from the road line reaches TO
the separator and furnishes current
to the motor which takes the place
of an engine. The cost Is $l.o0 an
hour for equipment and helper ana
the farmer pays for the current. IL
Is claimed that 1t cuts the cost OF
threshing 40 per cent, besides doing
away with danger from fire.
The interesting feature OF the
financial end Of the harvest to bust
ness man and banker Is what dispo-
sition the farmer will make OF his
new income, the first real return ne
has received since the break In prices
of last autumn. Local markets are
having % cents to 500 bushel for
wheat; the county has $4,000 acres
which ought to yield 2.5OO,OOO
bushels. and something like IN mil
lion dollars. In addition some old
wheat Is also being cleaned from the
granaries. Marketing has started
rapidly and though there may be
slower moving later, indications
are that the grain holding Idea has
passed. The farmer Is getting down
to brass tacks so far as his finances
Is concerned. He apparently mas
made I'D his mind to "carfy on" with
what he has In sight and Is planning
accordingly.
The bankers are counting on con-
siderable liquidation of frozen
loans" as the new income Is distrib-
ntcd They have been most generous
in extending credit, many OF the
banks themselves borrowing to ana
their customers. Now they expect
that there will be positive effort TO
reduce loans and assist In putting
their affairs on more normal OASIS.
AS n whole there has been very llttle
loss to the banks Of this section;
borrowers have been slow, but they
have tried to do their share and VIII
now be In n position to clean UP YET
further their accommodations. NO
miracle is expected and 1T Is realized
that 1t will take time for the farmer
with his decreased buying power to
rot back to old conditions but the
start should be made in the coming
weeks.
Likewise it is expected that retaii
trade will feel the impetus. Inc
section has for months been
slow in purchasing, partly because OF
resources and partly because
Of n feeling that commodities were
not back to the price level that hau
come to the producer. But III most
lines reductions have made such pro-
cress that there Is less feeling on the
latter score and from his new income
the farmer IL expected to make po-
sitive move toward more liberal puy-
ipp TO be sure, it will be neces-
sary for the producer to retain some
Of his new funds to seed the next
crop and to support his family dur
ing the year, but with other crops
especially corn, showing fair prom
Use 1t Is probable that he Will reel
much more liberal in his expendi-
lures.
Not more than ten per cent OF the
wheat in this county has yet been
threshed but the work Is going on as
fast as 1t is possible to obtain work.
ers and machines. Indications are
that with good weather 1t will De
completed at an earlier date than III
a decade. This early finish OF the
harvest will be to the advantage OF
autumn business and II there Is no
DELAY in shipping there should be an
in aux Of new funds into the county
that will aid materially in starting
fall trade on a substantial basis at
date well in advance Of the usual ex-
perience.
There Is talk of tripartite agree