The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-08-11
TALK TO FARMERS.
BY 7. F. Peck, Commissioner of Ae-
riculture.
THE FARMER AND THE AUTO
MOBILE.

| MOBILE.
Some farmers are complaining that
they are not making money as thev
could fifteen or twenty years ago. But
few of them will admit the real reas-
on for it. 1t is costing many of them
two dollars now to meet their living
expenses to where it cost them one
before. Corn, wheat, hay, oats, hogs,
sheep and cattle are bringing better
prices but you will find automobiles
on the majority of farms and they are
expensive Injuries, not only on ac-
count of fuel, oil and tires, but in time
taken from work that should be done
on the farm.
| heard stock trader talking a few
days ago about finding men on their
farms at work now. He said that ten
years ago it was no trouble to find
farmer at home unless it was court
day, but that now when he goes to see
farmer to buy stock, often he finds
that the latter has gone in his car
to one of the half dozen towns in 20
miles of his home.
One trouble with many farmers is
they have slackened up on work, Civ
| ing too much of their time to unpro-
ductive effort. Some of them are try
ing to secure Legislation that will help
solve their problems and make agri-
culture productive. Some legislation
necessary for the farmer has been
neglected.; some is being and has been
enacted that will be helpful, but the
important thing for the farmer to do
and which will increase his earning
capacity, is to look after and improve
the fertility of his soil, the cultivation
of crops for which there is market
demand, and to merchandise his
products on an ordinary market in
stead of dumping them on a glutted
market.
Farmers may find object lessons of
progressive communities that have
successfully worked out some of these
problems. We hear complaints that
they cannot get ready money to IL
nance their farm operations, and yet
they can find means to buy and keep
up an automobile. 1t is all right for
the farmer, or anybody else, to buy an
automobile if they can afford it
without crippling their business from
which they get living. But it is
not good business policy for the
farmer, merchant, manufacturer or
professional business to invest in an
automobile and it's upkeep when the
MONEY is needed in their business.
We have many thousands of acres
of grazing land in Tennessee
that would keep and fatten ten head
of live stock where it has one-land
that is idle and unproductive because
the live stock is not provided to eat
the grass, while ample money to buy
live stock is invested in automobiles
and upkeep. The profits from such
an investment would in two years
provide an automobile.
Too many of US are buying things
we could wait for, and are thereby
cutting down our productive capacity.
Too many of us are easing up on
work and trying to figure out some
easier way to get by. Too many Of
us are neglecting work at home to
keep in touch with what is going on
in some neighboring town or COM
munity not directly affecting US. We
must remember that our success and
prosperity are directly and intimately
connected with our home community,
and we should give our best efforts
there.
/ We have osright to complain until
we have done our full share on onr
own farms, in our own communities.
When we do that we will prosper
proportionately.
The farmer who will do his full du-
ty on his farm and in his own COM
munity, regulate his expenditures so
as to keep within his income, buying
only the things most needed, can pros
per today as well as farmers have
prospered in the past | grant condi- |
tons are not the same. But where
we have disadvantages on the one
hand, we are compensated by advan-
tages on the. other.
z / have emphasized the expense of
the automobile, because | know from
experience its cost and upkeep, and
the time they take from productive
occupation. Let us get away from
that too popular notion, IF business
:nterferes with pleasure, cut out the
business" 1t has made failures of