The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-02-23
[|R. WOODS POINTS
WAY FOR FARNE IS
Shows How To Organi-> For
Benefit OF AgricuIt..i al
Industries.
s1aJE UNIVERSITY TO HELP
BY DR.. A. F. WOODS,
President OF The University OF
Maryland.

When agriculture suffers other in.
dustries suffer, because agriculture Is
the worlds great basic industry. From
1t comes the food that sustains life
the clothes that protect us. rope, wood
alcohol, most Of our medicines, and
countless other necessary direct and
by-products of the soil that we use In
some form every day.
When we consider the number OF
industries which handle agricultural
products and manufacture from them
the necessities of life, such as clothes,
rope and medicines, it easily is seen
how the success Of the sheep indus.
try in Maryland affects the wooden
mills of New England and further
affects all of us through the clothes
we are compelled to buy. Hence, what
has almost come to be a stock phrase
when agriculture suffers all indus
tries suffer.
For several years the farmers OF
Maryland, as well as Of the rest OF
the nation, have been in the valley OF
the shadow. Their troubles and suf
ferings have directly or indirectly af
fected all the rest Of the people, and
all the rest OF the people are as de
Il termined as the farmers that agricui
ture must be put on such firm foun
dation that it shall not again be en-
dangered by even severe defiation
4 period such as followed the great war
Now is the time, while the needs are
SO apparent, to have everybody CO.
operate in safeguarding the future.
Much already has been accom-
plished in favorable legislation. For
the first time we have cooperative
law in Maryland that permits farmers
to organize their business effectively.
This is backed by Federal laws of the
same nature. Federal legislation that
will meet the requirements of agricul-
ture in matters of credit ie certain to
be enacted. Other Federal measures
that have the united support of our
great agricultural organizations are
certain to pass If we sta. on the job
and look after them.
The farmers Of the nation are ask
Ing, not for special privilege, but for
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY That is all
that any of the legislative measures
propose. But when the decks are
cleared for this equal opportunity, the
FARMERS will reap the benefits only as
they are effectively organized to do So.
And it is this proposition of effective
organization that we must build up.
The educational organizations, such
as the University of Maryland through
its Extension Service and Experiment
Station, the Grange, and the various
associations and societies, have done
their work so we'll that the great ma
jority of the farmers, as well as their
friends in the towns and cities, see
that the educational organizations
must be supplemented with separate
and distinct series Of commodity or
ganizations, such as Dairymen, Sheep
Growers, Poultrymen, Tobacco Grow
ers, Apple Growers, Strawberry Grow
ers, Nut Growers, Melon and Cante-
loupe Growers, Grape Growers, Bee
Keepers, etc Each of such commodi-
ty organization must be formed on
sound business principles, 90 the
business representative Of its mem
bers for receiving. grading and mar
keting its products.
II there is anyone in the Sheep
Growers, Tobacco Growers, Tomato
Growers, or any of the other associa.
tions who would rather raise Sheep
than Tobacco or Tomatoes, let him
get out OF these organizations at once
and join the Sheep Growers. No or
ganization can succeed unless. its
members are loyal and are willing and
anxious to cooperate in the true spirit
in producing and selling the commodi-
ty they represent.
Y an1.sIion to these commodity
srUups there must also be fedora
ton Of them by commodity, and furth-
or as q whole. For instance Somerset,
Wicomico, and Worcester counties
may have combined Rotate Growers
Association, Garrett County purely
county organization, and several other
counties the same. And when these
counties are organized as county, bi-
county, or tri.county units. as the case
nay be, all should be joined together,
With a state president, as the Mary
land Potato Growers Association.
And to go step further, when the