The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-07-06

the market. On the other hand, "
produce only one.fovrth of tn
! worlds supply Of wheat, and SO on
own production of this crop is no
so important market factor. Som
years we win with wheat, as in 1921
when we sold splendid crop st fav
! orable prices, but (this year condi
tions indicate that we shalD los
(! just as the Canadian farmers did las
| year. q Z.
!. "In the one-crop system Of farm
ing there are disadvantages, and eve
dangers, which you should fully re
cognize. Where sole dependence i
placed upon one crop the profits 70
the year may be wiped out com
Pleteiy through the failure of tina
crop. Through continuous cropping
as you have experienced, the sol
| loses its fertility and the land be
! comes infested with weeds. Then
too. wheat alone does not provide
| continuous occupation for the farm
er's time.
For these reasons it Is quite ap
parent that the wheat farmer cal
increase his net returns by growint
other crops along with his wheat ant
by keeping some livestock. Flax j!
cash crop, the acreage of which
in recent years you have expanded t.
advantage. 1t is important, however
to remember that profits in fla'
growing depend partly on keeping
production below consumption in or
der to reap the benefit Of the tariff
on flax.
wherever feasible, forage crops
| and livestock should be grown. Oul
work at the experiment stations and
your own personal experience have
shown that corn, when properly cul.
tivated, is the one crop above al
others that can weather unfavorable
years. Your recent success in grow
ing corn, alfalfa and other kinds OF
forage crops points to changes that
will have farreaching consequences
in the farming Of this region; In the
production OF flax, sheep, dairy pro-
ducts and wheat you are affected by
the tariff and you should SO adjust
your programs as to receive the full
benefits Of the tariff.
Frequent Failures
"There has been good deal OF
misunderstanding as to the type OF
farming which has the best chance
of success in this region. Because
of low and uncertain rainfall there
will always be considerable risk in
your farming. Your yields at times
will be high. but quite as often they
will be low. and there will be fire.
quent failures. 1t seems desirable
therefore, that. your farm units be
sufficiently large to permit the hand
ling of maximum acreage by the
IL Ap.nl So rs he
most successful farmers in the dry
land regions have been those who
spread their labor and capital over
yields will fluctuate widely from
year to year, it is, to my mind, very
important that farmers carry over
from the good years reserves of both
feed and cash to protect them in years
of failure.
Il can not emphasize. too strongly.
more of the food it consumes. This
costs. Why should farmers buy
canned milk, when they can so we'll
Il realize that every farmer has
utS OWh pSSuhot PtoO!SWs ou0 S"oe
what l have said will not apply to
justments that have been indicated
have more or less general applica-
ton. also recognize that adjust
ments must be made very gradually.
and that abrupt changes in farming
methods would probably do more
harm than good.
Adjust Production
"Int any plan to develop prof.
with another factor to which wish
we have had periods when the pro-
duction of farm products has been
in excess of the needs Of the mar
the failure of farmers properly to
regulate their acreages and. in part,
to favorable seasons. But in no
to the manner in which we have ex-
individually and collectively, have
their production to the needs of con-
sumers, but no effective policy has
been devised to avoid the tendency
IO"dIu OVC4cARouO1Ou W VuS A0$ ub
land area. We have thrown open
land, without carefully considering
the possibility Of farmers succeeding
on these lands.
TOO frequently lands that were fit
only for grazing have been plowed
up and planted to crops with results
$hok ho~,, hoar h:nk1,, rlsv ~
firmly believe that we should put to
ready under cultivation and wait
q profit the products now grown, be-
pansion of farm lands.
1.-THE efficient marketing OF farm
products is another important part
Of the farm business. All of US
have observed the, widening spread
between prices received by the pro.
ducer and those paid by tie consum-
q considerable measure due to in
however, that there is needless waste
in our system Of distribution, and
that there are ways of materially re-
ducing the spread between producer
and consumer. If this waste in dis
tribution is to be eliminated there
must be vast improvement in. opr
marketing methods. Many of the
major marketing problems have
grown out of the development Of q
commercial agriculture. In the days
when the farmer produced for his
local market, he was more familiar
with what tho cnnRumer needed and
there were few ,middlemen between
him. and the buyer. Today farming
has become a highly specialized busi-
ness, and producer and consumer are
usually widely apart. The market
ing process has become very COM
plex. and there are. now vattous fupc-
tons between farmer and consumer
that must be performed by others
After ALI, however, production and
marketing are inseparable, and the
nvnhl a M. r,f ~ - ~ atinc will h0 sOiVad