The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1922-09-28
WORTH CONSIDERING NOW
(By I. F. Peck, Commissioner Of
Agriculture.

I 10y A. n. Feck, Commissioner of
Agriculture.)
With the slump in the prices Of
horses and mules following the close
OF the World war, livestock men have
to large extent abandoned the
breeding of their mares. The prices
paid for colts have certainly not been
encouraging very little more than
the service charge for stallion or
JACK. There is no money in raising
colts at present prices, and if we
We're looking alone to the present no \
one would be justified in raising
them.
But we can not afford to look alone
70 the present. The pendulum will
not remain still, Prices for mules
and good saddle horses will come hack
to figures which will insure a good
profit am not prejudiced against
the Iarm tractor. 1t can give good
service on some farms, where there
y sufficient acreage of level land
Iof its profitable use 1t can be used
by communities OF small farmers CO.
operatIyeiy, but it can not 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, or the mules j
are IDLE and eating When the trac-
TOR Is idle we are out the interest on {
me investment and depreciation i
charges.
larmess are realizing the mule has |
q place on the farm the tractor can I
not I'LL and will be calling for mules. h
Inc prices will advance, and the II
farmer who has the vision and buvs S
young mules at present low prices L
Will 9y the time these mules are ready j
Tor the market get prices THAI will r
pay nm Wen. Good prices for live
stock are OF no benefit to the .farmer |;
VINO has no livestock to sell. S,
travel over the state great deal
ma nave been impressed by the fall
hg OF IN production of mules and S
iraft horses, and also of good saddle
lorses.
II we WOULD make success in ag-
lculture We must look ahead and in le
anticipate market demands bt
Or cur products. Not doing this
as been the cause Of more failures in
y farmers than anything else. We at
lust maintain the fertility of our la
olls or produce minimum crops.
men we must use judgment in the n
election of the crops we grow. Next LII
e must merchandise our crops Sd H
to get the best prices. In some II
9ctlons this can best be done pv II
,edlng our crops to livestock, for II
hlch there is a market demand II
mere we sell grain, cotton, or hay
e must feed our products to the
arket as II can use them-not dump II
EN- and glut the market, thereby II
'atlng down the prices. This can be
me with the cooperative ware II
use, realizing cash for pressing de- II
ands on warehouse reeeipts.
In TACT, we may as well make mi II
7 minds that the day of the happy
lucky farmer is gone. Farming.
be successful, must be as intel II
emily planned as the merchant or II
lnufaeturer plans his activities. II
Re them, we have to compete with II Il
worlds markets and we can not
II with -catch-can meth
!. | have bees trying to convince
farmer that if he is to be sue
sful he must be as efficient a
'iness man as the merchant, manu-
turer, or transportation man.
The farmer must look ahead and
icipate markets, and it is for that
son | am calling his attention to
certain needs of the future in
les. draft horses and saddle 4
ses. Last October / urged farm II
to feed their surplus corn to II
5. | am willing for those who
so to say if it proved profitable.
ant the farmer to get good returns
his labor and his invested capital
with the use of good judgment
IAN do so.