The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1920-1982, 1922-05-10
SHOULD Sell
SOMETHING
lHnv D
BY DIR. JOHN H. WORST

N. d. Commissioner of immigration
Where cash sales are made only
once or twice year they come too
far apart. Depts are incurred during
the interval which compel the farmer
to rush his products to market as soon
as it is ready for distribution in
order to pay his debts. He dare not
wait for better price. He is crowd
ed by his creditors and cannot ex-
ercise his judgement as to market
conditions. Practically all single
crop farmers find themselves in this
dialemma.
On the other hand where diversified
farming is practiced there is some-
thing to sell every week the year
round. The steady income from
butter fat, eggs and season, poul-
try, hogs, steers, potatoes ETC., is
sufficient 10 meet the family ex-
penses, and then some. Hard times
cannot put such farmers out of bust
ness, Moreover, by producing on the
farm the meat, vegetables and other
table supplies the family expenses
hard up and sore about eight years
paying out money in a steady stream
for food supplies, or buying on cred
it, the farmers income is conserved
for paying interest and debts or for
deposit in the bank. Then when
the principal cash crop-persumably
wheat, flax or other creal-is ready
for market the farmer can take his
time and sell when the price suits
him. His creditors if he has any,
will have no occasion to crowd him.
AS Ralph Haynes says: "The farmer
who buys all his living and the
farmer who has something to sell
only once or twice year will be
hard up andsore about eight years
out of ten" And Ralph is right!
Ralph says further, "No farmer is a
good farmer until nd has a veal
round supply of home grown foot
for the family-food grown right ou
of the soil of his own farm" Again
Ralph is right!
Farmers Seldom Become Wealthy
According to modern measurement
farmers have a slim chance to breal
into the wealthy class. Those VIII
try it usually fail. An overize
farm, unles most skillfully manage
and backed with abundance of capita
has broken many farmer afte
years of struggle. There are tho,
sands of farmers who are land poo
In the language of the street "the
bit off more than they could chew
Taxes, and small acre yields, OWN
to poor cultivation, proves their vi
doing.
The fact that the farmer holds Il
bag while the non-producers re,
the golden riches Of the soil PERM
only the exceptional family to h
come even moderately well-to-do,
farming. Moreover, as long as t
buyer fixes the price Of all fa1
products and the seller likewise fix
the price of everything the farm
must purchase, the farmer vii &C
tinue to hold the bag. This no
ever, can be remedied and shol
be remedied-but until farmers a
business men who depend upon
farmers trade unite to secure j,
market conditions, both farmers q
local business men will be at
advantage.
In the meantime farmers can n
terially limit their family expen
lures by producing on the ia
practically everything in the way
food the family consumes and "
a steady weekly income keep out
debt for ordinary necessities.
In other words aim to becc
moderately well-to-do rather Il
nurse the craze to get rich. I
does not require large farm nett
does it involve much drugery, ]
or hire labor.
At the present moment there i.
tremendous mortgage indebtr
against excess acreage that cit
lies idel does not produce ap
come sufficient to pay taxes and
terest on the investment.