The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-01-13
FARMERS ARE
UN0RGANIZED,
SAYSSPEAKER
Andrew Boss Says Farming
Can Unquestionably Be
Made More Businesslike

Fargo, N. D., Jan. l3-tF)-Farm-
ers are practically unorganized and,
as a result, cannot we'll control either
their production or their marketing,
Andrew Boss, vice director Of the
Minnesota Experiment station, de-
clared here today.
The Minnesota agriculturalist
spoke before the Tri-State Grain
Growers meeting here, his topic be-
ing SHOULD Farming BE a Mode Of
Life or Business?" Mr.. Boss was
a member of President Coolidge's
special advisory commission on agri-
culture.
at has been national policy in
America to devlop the family sized
farm with system of production ca
pablc of adequately supporting the
farm family" Mr. Boss asserted.
"This objective has been held up as
an ideal in the education of the
American citizen and has become an
American tradition. Thus. farming
has been developed as a mode of life
rather than as Il business.
Its Primary Function
The primary function of agricul-
ture, the speaker told the grain grow
ers, is to produce food and clothing.
He cited as the first difficulty the
fact that farmers must supply raw
products for an inelastic and often
saturated demand.
The second fundamental, he de-
clarcd, ''is that the farmers are prac-
tically unorganiZed and therefore
cannot we'll control either their pro-
duction or their marketing.
1T must be admitted he ex-
- At
riculture is much more difficult than
the organization of industry or labor.
"The diversity of interests. the dis
tances between farms, the mpossi-
bility of getting together at one time
ton in the differnt agricultural areas
make it a stupendous task
That agriculture is not organized is
rating recently presented by the In
diana Farm Bureau Federation, he
said.
''ln the present period of agricul-
tural distress, farmers are often
criticized as being inefficient. UNI
businesslike and short sighted" de-
clared Mr.. Boss. MAY l venture the
opinion that in these respects they
are neither better nor worse than
those in other vocations?'
Like other human beings, Mr.. Boss
said in defense of the farmers, they
exert themselves as much and no
more than is necessary to get the
things they want.
Demonstrate Ability
In following farming as a mode Of
life, the American farmers have am
ply demonstrated their ability to
produce more than the public can
consume, he opined. He then added,
ait may be that they have produced
too abundantly rather than wisely"
So productive have they become
with farming as 4 mode of life and
with all the attending inefficiencies
that they have placed themselves at
a temporary disadvantage in purchas-
ing power by the very abundance of
their products, Mr.. Boss believes.
"The conditions prevailing in agri-
culture at the presen time." Mr.. Boss
stated, demand the closest attention
to economical production and to good
business organization.
production must be planned with
consideration for probable shifts in
demands and prices. Government
forecasts and Outlooks will be found
of great assistance in this matter.
The future farmer must be reader
and Il thinker. Organization for
specific production often leads to n
reduced cost per unit"
Mr.. Boss declared that much of the
efficiency Of industry is due to we'll
managed labor. In farming, he said,
the problem of labor management is
much more difficult.
ut is possible, however," he added,
"to so adjust the production program
on the farm as to provide employ
ment for the members Of the farm
family SO that productive work may
be had throughout the year.
A Year-ROund Business
'If farming is to be business,
there must be productive employment
for the available labor throughout
the entire year. 1t is essential, also,
that the production load be adjusted
to the available supply Of labor. More
intensive cropping, an increase in the
amount of livestock kept and the
production of better quality products
are ways in which labor can be util-
lied to advantage"
Much livestock on farms is poorly
fed, he asserted. One contemplating
livestock farming must arrange his
plah for producing feed crops so as to
supply an abundance of feed through
out the year. A shortage of pastur-
age in the summer season may be
quite as great mistake as short
age of suitable forage during the
winter season.
To determine whether surplus
will be produced or whether an addi-
tional supply must be purchased, Mr..
Boss advocated the budgeting Of the
possibilities for producing feedstuffs
against the probable needs of the
livestock that will be kept. In con-
GLIDING, Mr.. Boss declared, farming
unquestionably can be made more
businesslike.
"'The present economic situation is
forcing farmers to apply themselves
to the task of lowering production
COSTS"