The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-24
CHAIN FARMS AS A SOLUTION

While politicians and docrinaircs 60 seeking the
solution In plans of which conform to economic
and OF which do not farm ills find here there
relief III the application of sense, vision and
business principles and practices that is effective
The phase Of the problem that falls to the lot so
ton approached from the business side that chiefly OF
overhead and marketing. Hail. drouth and the ravages
OF hot winds In the matters In which only the
application Of insurance able to alleviate their
sequen loss to the farmer Relief from plant diseases
and pests must be sought from the plant specialists re-
researches for their counteracton Likewise the prob
lem Of production and quality belongs to the domain Of
agricultural scientists.
Now remain the costs Of production and the methods
OF marketing. In some Of the applications of business
and engineering to the farm problem. the feature of
overhead and marketing is combined in the methods
in others overhead Is dealt with by itself while market
ing is left to some solution Of its own cooperative
selling.
Tom d. Campbell. over in Montana has been able to
develop farming into profitable commercial activity by
developing 1t on vast scale. such single tracts of
wheat aggregatng 10000 acres. plas of flax totang
10000 acres. Also by the application of machinery to his
operations whether breaking the SOIL seeding or har-
vesting the subsequent CROP also has been able in
addition to this engineering system Of agriculture to
market his crops sagaciosly for he Is with vision
ana alert on all economic phases Of marketing in relation
to farming. So he has prospered finely in his annual
n,illion-dolar crops and has been blazing the way
through the farm problem for others with his nine
burrows across the leased lands of the Grow reservation
which he farms.
Now comes still another solution of how to farm with
success and profit without offer of heterogeneous
aceas to be enacted into legislative wands that shall like
the staff OF Moses In the wilderness make streams Of
prosperity to gush from rocky SOIL The latest develop
ment Is from the land OF Montgomery Ward g. Co. and
Sears Roebuck d Co.. and it simply takes their
ideas In merchandising and applies them to farm man.
agement and operation
It is the chain farm
This idea is adopted at time when the chain prn
cipe IS being taken up in many ways for the better
ment OF business, whereby q corporation conducts its
own operations at widely separated points that pr-
cpe or independent businesses organized
ate on chain basis In the conduct of the separate but
similar business SO it about that the country has
chain stores-the pioneer application of the principle
chain banks chain theaters chain newspapers likewise
chain restaurants. beauty parlors pharmacies bakeries
and orchestras not to draw the line railroads oper
ated BY 2 common owner much chain basis
The chain farm plan is being worked out in the yicn
ity Of Champaign Illinois There 80 farms Of 1900
acres have been placed under single supervision and it
y claimed for this plan that saving overhead has
been effected that than justies the cost of 81 an
acre for management The plan supplies expert super
vision to the entire farm combination and production is
better balanced It Is said that where the average farm
may produce 20 bushels OF the acre at cost Of
s26 with sales value Of $a the chain farm may achieve
production Of 70 bushels average to the acre at
cost Of ~ and selling possibility Of 49, These figures
are taken from example results on the Champaign ex-
pertinent.
80 the chain farm bids fair to arrive and take its place
"a the long line Of chain enterprises as fixed project
= Il to b success will have to hew close to bust
nss and industrial principles must be organized as
~ Campbell operations. There good scale Of high
ages paid the workers and living conditions on the
m aEe such that the labor Is well housed and fed be-
- placed On the basis Of expert and mechanical labor
To Campbell method suggests that operation under d.
49, oWneFahip 4 tho best form Of applying these new
S.. N1aEh& a th1 vast scaIe o. the Hardin mans