The Republican., 1925-06-18


fore. Previous to the war the price
of labor was comparatively small;
! today the farm laborer has a scale of
wages that is much higher and in
many quarters the complaint is made
that farm labor is exceedingly scarce.
| In these days the average wage of
farm laborer is $33.25 a month and
board, or S499O without board, or a
daily wage of S2.05 with board or
| $2.75 without board In addition to
this, the farm laborer's day is no Ion
ger regulated by the sun.
Every often you will find the farm
er working himself from sun up to
sun down. says DR.. Symons in refer
ring to this phase of the industry,
give more than ten-hour day.
Sometimes they are willing to work
from six to six, but the ten-hour day
a man working longer it will usually
be the owner, who finds it necessary
! to give longer time to the task"
The farmer will tell you that his is
an industry in which the returns are
slow, and therefore if he doesn't keep
little ahead of the game financially
he is tout of luck"
For instance, if he has placed his
dependence for livelihood in wheat
/ he will have his money tied up for
about nine months; if he had planted
his acres in corn he must wait six
months, and if he has gone in for
raising live stock he must wait any
where from six months to seven
years.
There is a quicker turnover in milk,
poultry and truck crops, but these
/ crops are subject to certain fluctua-
tions that make the investment a bit
uncertain.
A little simple figuring, it is ex-
plained, will make clear the fact that
while farming may yield a satisfac-
: tory living, it is not likely to produce
great riches for the tiller of the soil.
Here in Maryland, for example, the
average farm is approximately one
hundred acres in size.
! Suppose the hundred acres is farm
ed BY = very good farmer who plants
a fourth of the place in wheat. If he
produces 20 bushels to the acre, or
four bushels above the average for
/ the State, he will have 500 bushels
to sell. If the market is good and he
receives $3.50 a bushel his gross re-
turns from this crop will total $3.50.
! Suppose another fourth of the farm
is planted to corn that yields so bush
! els to the acre, or 10 bushels above
the average for the State, and sup
| pose that about one-fifth of this can
be sold and the remainder retained
for the support Of the live stock. The
farmer would have to sell about 250
| bushels Of corn. If the price ruled
high and he received $1.25 a bushel re-
ceipts from this crop would total
$312.50.
The remainder of the land, includ-
! ing some waste area, would be devot-
ed to hay and pasture crops. Sup
| pose this same farmer maintained a
herd Of ten dairy cows twice as good
as the average for the State and with
an average production Of SEQ gallons
! OF milk yearly. The milk from the
farm would total 5000 gallons year
ly, and if sold at 81 cents gallon
would brings in a gross revenue of
$1,920.
On this basis, the gross returns
from an average hundred-acre farm
IN Maryland would run something un-
der $4,000, out OF which the farmer
would have to pay labor, seed, feed
and fertilizer costs in. addition to
taxes, interest on borrowed capital
and upkeep charges before he could
figure profit on his business.
The illustration, it is explained, is
a rough one and is cited merely to il
lustrate the fact that the average
farm enterprise is small business
with comparatively restricted earning
power and consequently limited posi-
bllltles for large profits.
The farmer will tell you also that
one Of the things most needed by the
men who are engaged in this industry
IN Maryland is organization. There
| nave been associations, the aim of
which has been to bring together the
men interested in the cultivation of
the soil, and there are several exist
ing, but those interested believe that
even a closer affiliation is desirable.
In the work of bringing the farm
ers Of the State together the extern
sion service of the University of Ma
ryland has done valuable service. Or
ganizations exist in every part of the
| State and in some localities are en-
gagged in the cooperative buying of
commodities which each year total
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
10 extend these organizations so
that they will be helpful in keeping
the farmer in touch with his market
and IN enabling him to standardize
the price of his merchandise is the
ann of those interested in the farm
er's welfare.
According to recent reports, there
are six and one-half million farmers
IN the United States and 47,OOO in
Maryland. Practically all of these
men sell as individuals and conse-
quently present a great degree of
competition. A closer organization,
1T is said, would improve the condi-
ton OF both the individual and the
industry.
However, at present MARYLAND Of
ters many advantages.
lake the case of John Smith:
John hears of the advantages that
Maryland has to offer the farmer. He
learns that the climate of the State is
comparatively even and that he has
a wide choice of temperature from
tae mountainous country of Western
Maryland to the comparatively balmv
airs OF the Eastern Shore and of
Southern Maryland.
lie has received printed matter
from the State Board of Agriculture
and the Southern Maryland Immigra-
ton Commission ipfo,.,,, -.