Evening star., 1925-10-13
GOOD ROADS GREAT.
HELP TO FARMERS.
Millions Saved by: Better
Ways of Getting Goods to
Best Markets.
BY j. G. ROYLE.

The farmers of the United States
have been saved millions OF dollars
in one item of costs alone. this year
and will be that much better of In
buying power this Fall. This saving
has come in transporting, crops to
market and results from, improved
roads and vehicles.
A survey just completed indicates
that it will cost the farmer 80 cents
ton a mile to haul his crops from
the farm to the local market. elevator
or shipping point this year. This
means an expenditure of $44 .00QOOO
for moving the wheat crop alone to
the railroad, cheaper than ever ac'
complished before.
Virginia's Fine Record.
The extent. of road improvement in
agricultural communities Is Indicated
by the fact that In the fiscal year
ending February IS, 1926. virginia
will have spent more than 80 Is per
cent Of the State revenues on ROAD
building and maintenance.
The farmer has made an equally
great savings on his trips to town and
can now afford to go oftener and spend
more. II each farmer made only one
trip to town Il year the total lnliease
covered would exceed $4,000 900 miles.
Hard roads have halved the cost or
such Journeys in time and money. Al
lowing one visit to town a week, th2/
means saving to the farmers OF ap
proximately SIZE 900 900 year.
The distance the farmer has 10 move
his crops, or so himself Hihen ne
makes purchases ranges from 3.22
miles in the Northea stern dairy belt
to 1923 in some of the ranga States.
The average distance is 7.S9 miles.
Hauling Costs Reduced.
Hauling costs are a most impor-
tant factor in the marketing OF Amer
ican farm produce" S. r. Guard,
director of the Sears. Roebuck Agri.
cultural Federation, said today, "and
it is evident what good roads mean to
the producer. AS roads are improved,
hauling costs are reduced. There rs
a big saving in time as well as In
money and labor. Such reductions
are bound to be felt in general farm
overhead"
A saving in hauling charges will
be needed by the farmer this year
since it is now apparent that the ag-
ricultural output, as expressed IN
bushels. tons. barrels and bales. Will
be smaller than in 1924 and below the
dh
though the acreage planted showed an
increase of = per cent.
Farmers already are deep in their
plans for next year. Earlier in the
season survey in all sections showed
that farmers intended to plant about
lG per cent more land TO Winter wheat
than a year ago. They have not fol-
lowed out that intention. however.
Latest reports indicate an increase of
only 4-l0ths Of I per cent in ACTUAL
soWings, as compared with last gear.
This is attributed to drought in some
sections and declining wheat prices in
others.
Dairy Business Expands.
Lessening of haulage costs has in.
duced many cattle growers to enter
the dairy business in preference to
the beef cattle field. Farmers of the
Northwest say they have learned that
dairy COW can be depended on to
bring them in a monthly income, as
regularly as Government pepsion,
according to DR.. G. II. Eckles,. chief
of the division of dairy husbandry Of
the University of Minnesota.
The efficiency Of the COW, he says.
is being increased by scientific means
in a similar way to the Improvement
in the automobile. Scientific farmers
have taken herds which produced an
average Of 1872 pounds of butter. fat
a. year, changed their feed and han
ding and increased the output per
cow to 267 pounds. Butter fat. pro.
duction in the country has increased
10 per cent each year for the last
five years, although the number Of
cattle in the United states has de-
creased materially in that time.
tCopyriKht. .le25.l