The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1923-02-15
Year To SECS ss'%onde1ul
Strid pss'1 dkenby Farmers
OF State Of Mississippi
Cooperative Work of Farmers Reaching Into Remote
Parts of Country. Through Many Organizations
Farmers Being Benefited in Different Valuable
WAYS Better Times for Farmers Ahead.

through the cooperative
method of buying and sell
ing the things that actually
go into the production of his
crops.
Prior to the year 1906 the
farmer had given but little
thought to the problems of
working out individual and
community projects in a CO.
operative way, but during
that year, the first county
agent for the sout h e r n
states was placed in Smith
County, Texas. The follow
ing year two county agents
were placed in Louisiana
and five in other counties in
Texas.
In the year 1908. w. d. Clayton
was appointed as first county agent
for a Mississippi County. Part of his
salary was from public funds of the
county and part by department
funds. From this date, the number
of county agents grew rapidly and
the work extended to other Southern
states. In 1908 the boys club work
was started, i'm 1910 the girls club
work was begun, and in 1913 the
home demonstration feature for
adult women was added. On July l.
1914, when the Smith Lever Act be-
came operative, there were 1,13S
agents employed i'm the 15 southern
states in all lines, and by the year
1921 there were a total of 1882 en-
ployed in the southern states.
YazOO First i'm Cooperative
Livestock Shipments.
The first attempt at cooperative
selling of livestock from Mississippi
was made from YazoO County, when
County Agent Ritchie shipped out
car load of hogs. The results were
so highly satisfactory that the sys-
tenn rapidly spread to all sections OF
the state, and the farmer who had
only one pig TO sell could find
ready market for it, by shipping
with the neighbOrs to the markets
and receiving car rate price on his
hog. This industry now offers Won
derful opportunities to the farmer
who wants to utilize his cheap lands
and follow the proper rotation of his
crops, and market the various crops
oh hn of nj
For several years the problem of
marketing farm products has been
of primary Importance. The county
agents have been more or less active
III aiding the organization of coop
erative shipment of farm products
for several years past, but during
the year 1921 there was a demand
in every state for state wide Organi-
ZatiOns to handle this problem. Us
ually these have been brought about
by community associations, these
merging into county organizations,
and then into state organizations.
During 1927 the marketing idea was
advanced still further by the organf-
ZatiOn OF marketing organizations on
commodity basis. Remarkable
progress has been made in perfect
ing cooperative cotton selling aSSO-
Citations in Oklahoma, Texas, Missis
sippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas,
South and North Carolina, Georgia,
and Tennessee. All these states will
handle the members cotton crop for
1928 through their associations.
In Mississippi, the marketing OF
the truck crops has reached such gi-
gantic proportions that the Missis-
sippi Farm Bureau Truck Growers
Association has been formed and
succeeded in making connections
with all the leading markets of this
country Through these state organi-
cations the farmers are being bene-
fitted in the purchasing Of their ferti-
liZers, one of the expensive items
that go into the production of his
crop. The Mississippi Farm Bureau,
during the fall months succeeded in
contracting for thousands of tons OF
Nitrate OF Soda, and in this way saw
ed the farmers of the state thousands
OF dollars on fertilizer expenses, and
now this same organization has put
across a contract on fertilizer that
will save thousands more to the pro-
ducers.
With such steps as this, we are
doing something for ourselves as
farmers. and this State of ours is
going to develop. The farmers should
take hold of his problems with re-
newed energy and determination.
There are belIer times ahead, when
we once realize the real Importance
of our position TO the world ana
begin our CO. operative work in each
community and solve the many prob
lens as q community unit. Make the
consolidated school and the churches
The centers for all activities ana
carry our interest as communities 10
the county organization, and in this
way lend our support and c0-Opera-
tion 10 the state In its efforts 10
work out some of the definite things
we. as farmers, are confronted with,
then we are going to secure results.
The business world has at last
recognized that the farmers have
proven the mistaken idea that farm
ers will not stick" We have a real
systematic business organization
functioning properly, with competent
business men at the head and the
state organizations are going to sue
ceed just as far as we as community
centers succeed. The real problem
confronting the farmers Is local. We
must make the individual farm and
the community function properly and
work out our own prObblems In co.
operation with the thousands or