McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1922-09-22
WORTH CONSIDERING NOW

BY t. f. Peck, Commissioner of Agriculture
With the slump in the prices
of horses and mules following
the close of the World War, live
stock men have, to a large eX.
tent, abandoned the breeding OF
their mares. The prices paic
for colts has certainly not been
encouraging-very little more
than the service charge fol
stallion or jack. There is no
money in raising colts at present
prices, and if we were looking
alone to the present, no one
would be justified in raising
them.
But we cannot afford to look
alone to the present. The pen
dulum will not remain still. Prices
for mules and good saddle horses
will come back to figures which
will insure good profit. | am
not prejudiced against the farm
tractor. 1t can give good SER
vice on some farms. where there
is sufficient acreage of level land
for its profitable use. 1t can be
used by communities of small
farmers comparatively, but it
cannot and will not take the
place of the mule or draft horse
in much of the farm work dur
ing the cultivating season. Mules
must be available for certain
work, and the tractor is idle, OF
the mules are idle and eating.
When the tractor is idle we are
out the interest on the invest
ment and depreciation charges.
Farmers are realizing the mule
has a place on the farm the trac-
tor cannot fill, and will be call
ing for mules. The prices will
advance, and the farmer who
has the vision and buys young
mules at present low prices will,
by the time these mules are
ready for the market, get prices
that will pay him we'll. Good
prices for live stock are of no
benefit to the farmer who has nc
live stock to sell.
| travel over the State a great
deal, and have been impressed
by the falling off in production
of mules and draft horses, anc
also of good saddle horses. The
automobile will not kill the de.
mand for good saddle horses.
| If we would make a success in
agriculture, we must look ahead
and intelligently anticipate mark
ct demands for our products,
j Not doing this has been the cause
of more failures by farmers than
anything else, We must main
tain the fertility of our soils or
produce minimum crops. Then
we must use judgement in the
selection of the crops we grow.
i Next, we must merchandise our
crops so as to get the best prices
| In some sections this can best be
done by feeding our crops to live
stock, for which there is a mark
ct demand. Where we sell grain,
cotton, or hay, we must feed oul
products to the market as it can
use them mot dump them anG
glut the market, thereby beat
ing down the prices. This car
be done with the cooperative
warehouse, realizing cash fol
pressing demands on warehouse
; receipts.
In fact, we may as well make
up our minds that the day Of the
. happy-go-lucky farmer is gone
Farming, to be successful, mus
be as intelligently planned al
, the merchant or manufacturer
lplans his activities. Like them
we have to compete with the
worlds markets. and we cannoi
do it with catch-as-can methods
| have been trying to convince
the farmer that if he is to be
successful he must be as efficien
a business man as the merchant
: manufacturer, or transportation
, man.
The farmer must look aheat
and anticipate markets, and it il
for that reason | am calling hi
attention to the certain needs O
the future in mules, draft horses
and saddle horses. Last October
| urged farmers to feed thei