Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1919 — THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER [ARTICLE]

THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER

A DEPARTMENT OF FARM WELFARE CONDUCTED BY COUNTY AGENT LEAMING. The folowing editorial dipped from the Chicago Tribune deserves the attention of every farmer, as it outlines the general policy of the great farmers’ organization movement which is going on at the present time. “GETTING DOWN TO BRASS TACKS” “Scorning all the methods that suggest class prejudice and doubtful loyalty, the Illinois Agricultural association has taken a new grip on farm affairs with tjje appointment of a SIO,OOO a year secretary, a prospective membership of 40,000 and a sufficient treasury balance; * President S. J. Sconce has made this statement, which should be enlightening and encouraging: ‘We are going into this thing not to fight anybody noT to antagonize, but to play the game fair and square, and take care of the rights of the farmer.’ This seems a fair declaration from citizens who do not propose to let down the bars for bolshevism or any *otf the untamed radicalism affiliated with it or giving it aid and comfort in the United States. The association . proposes, by honest use of its means, to get the best there is out of life, j deeming honesty and square dealing the remedy for most of the social evils. D. C. Thompson, secretary of the association perceives that.food, prices j must come down. He is eager to see • that they do not fall out of proportion I to the prices of manufactured goods, i One of the first demands of the association will be a demand for protection against cheap Aregntine corn and for sustained hog prices during March. The farmers are not seeking to revolutionize. They are seeking safeguards. They are determined that the United States is a whole nation, composed of a whole people, and that classes must be set up to the injury of the Whole people. They are boosting for American and Americanism.” Cost of Production Figures Needed. Jn the /past two years the economics of farming have required but little attention as the demand for food products has been practically unlim-

ited and the principal problem of the farmer has Ibeen to raise the crops, , for which he has received satisfactory prices. As normal conditions are restored and price levels tend downward, , there is- a possibility that the prices received for certain farm proI ducts will fall below the cost of production and the farmer may find that the more he farms the lower is his net return. The economic theory is that the marginal producer sets the prices. If prices exceed the cost of production men will take up the business who under less favorable markets cannot make a living at it. Land which nor- , mally will not pay for the labor involved in raising a crop will be farm- ; ed when prices are high enough to I cause it to show a profit Such op- : erations add to the supply and cause prices to fall. i In re-adjusting his operations, however, the farmer is greatly handicapped by a lack of information as to the productions costs of various farm ly asked an increase in the price of products. A committee of milk producers from near Indianapolis recentmilk on the fact that the price was less chan the cost of production. The arbitrator asked the question, “What does it cost to produce 100 pounds of milk?” and no one could give a figure. “When you come back with definite information as to what it costs you to produce the milk, I am ready to adjust the price to give you a reasonable profit but I cannot take any action before that time,” was the decision of the arbitrator. Our farmers cannot be certain of a fair price for their products until they can show what constitutes a ' fair price. As soil, land values and cli- , matic conditions vary in different parts of the country, production cost problems must be local in their application. < : Perhaps no one factor will have more to do in placing the farming operations of Jasper county on a sound financial basis-than a general movement towards the keeping of farm accounts. Co-operating with the Better Farming Association, eighty of our farmers began this work last season If eight hundred more would begin the first of next March, we would see more wonderful changes in farm management during the next few years. Will Conduct Lime Trial. In order to determine the”relative values of burnt lime, ground limestone and no Ijme at all, Henry Schmidt, of Walker township, expects to conduct a trial on his farm near Kniman this spring. The factors that will be considered in this

trial will include the initial cost of the material, the cost of aplication, the value of the crop produced and the residual effect on succeeding crops. Brusnahan Brothers, of Gillam township, expect to conduct similar trials on the Francesville prairie. Stock Men Gain Honor*. John R. Lewis was a heavy purchaser at the J. Crouch & Son Hampshire sale at Lafayette last week. Mr. Lewis secured some of the top sows of the sale. Woodßrothers/ofMariomtownship, from Delphi last week where they purchased a Spotted Poland China sow of unusual merit. This animal is the granddaughter of “Helen Gould,” the dam of four Grand Champions at the National Swine Show at Omaha. . Jesse Snyder, of Rensselaer, whs awarded first and second on his Barred Plymouth Rock hens at the Lafayette show last week, and fourth on cock- ’ , Shorthorn Breeder* to Meet. Secretary John R. Parkisoh announces that the annual meeting of the Jasper County Shorthorn Breeders’ association will be held at the court house in Rensselaer February 15th. at 2 o’clock. The organization is elosiiig a very prosperous year and the purpose of Jth? meeting is to straighten out nil 'affairs and make a comprehensive plan of work for the coming year.