HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Home and Farm Magazine Section Editorial Page
Suggestions From Our Associate Editors, Allowing for an Interchange of Views, Written by Men of Experience on Topics With
Which They Are Fully Acquainted Hints Along Lines of Progressive Farm Thought.
FACTS FOB FARMERS.
THE farmer needs a market.
Otherwise & will farm at a
loss. Every consumer is a market-maker.
The silo is the farmer's best
friend.
In the country you' keep your
cheek close to the breast of nature.
, A cultivator under the shed is
: north two loft out in open weather.
Let farming become an abandoned
profession and everything would
stop. ,
Holp to organize ' rural life and
mako the country a better place to
live in.
Good cultivation not only helps
growing crops but permanently im
proves the soil.
The proper preparation of ground
works wonders in lessened cost of
cultivation.
Wo can best serve our interests
by giving all possible attention to
marketing.
Production without thought to
marketing is like building elabor
ately on foundation premises that
are not true.
' The man that owns the soil on
which he" lives is the only man
whose feet do not rest on shifting
Eandi.
As the season advances, the plow
is' the farmer's best friend, but
when the season closes the silo
comes in handy.
The "commonly accepted theory
that wo are short on production is
wrong. We are short on markoting
information.
Mauy wealthy corporations and
individuals have been telling the
farmer how to plow, when they
Blibuld have been telling him whero
and when to markot.
The problem of marketing is the
biggest business proposition of any
age or nation, and one that will de
mand the coinbinod efforts of all
tha agencies of civilization to
solve.
' BEAUTY VERSUS USE.
NERO could enjoy the spec
tacle of Rome burning. Chil
dren and fools naively would
delight in a conflagration that
would consume for spectacular pur
poses a million tons of coal a week.
We let the equivalent waste in
horsepower go on at Niagara and
hear it called saving beauty for the
people.
$ . Jfjjg
ELECTRICITY. ""
07T here in the Northwest we are
setting an example to civiliza
, tion.
Farms anywhere within easy
reach of a city or town now can be
lighted, and usually are lighted, by
electricity.
On many farms the hum of the
electric motor is heard. Sewing
machines are d iven by electricity.
BiloB aro filled; water pumped, feed
cut up. It has one hundred and on
nses.
Electricity is so easily controlled
either by the push of a button or by
automatic apparatus especially de
signed for that purpose, that on
oftentimes loses tight of th com
plexity of th distribution system
and control mechanism between
jh lamp and the source of supply.
Indeed, there are aa many as a
thousand points between the electrlt
light station and th lamp where
'the most trivial fault will result la
failure to reoeiv light
Trouble in the electric light sta
tion itself U never permitted to in
,terfere with th service to eus
itomert; it is the trouble In the line
ind house circuits which causes th
ghting company most concern.
Ia the great majority of case
Jher Is only a mi nut or two of
work between no electricity at all
ind perfect satisfaction. The blow
lg of a fuse will place a house ia
ntir darkness, yet a new fust caa
b installed la a fraction of a mln
te. Eleotrie light eompanlot through
Mi th country make It a point t
remedy these faults as speedily aa
possible, and in order that the elec
tric light men may reach tha seat
of trouble as rapidly as possible, th
companies provide motor cycles for
repair men.
The fact that one of these men is
able to make an average trip and
: arrive at the home of a customer
within a few minutes of the time
' when the call is telephoned to th
city or town office give electric
light companies an advantage and
prestige.
It is usual to have the motorcycle
repair corps on tap at any tim oi
day or night
This courser involve hesvy ex
pense, but the lighting companies
are or than compensated ia satis
fied customers. t
-H?s;.
A HINT FOB Ua
R HAVE just visited Canada
Vf Western Canada.
And we ar still quit eos
tent to make our home ia the North
west. Jnst the sam w found a few
ideas of special interest
One ia particular seemed worth
while.
It gives aa idea to oar own rail
roads. The Canadian Pacific Railroad
has recently added to it staff a
"scout," a man unknown except
to a low officials, whose duty it it
U travel over the system and dis
cover those employes who axe es
pecially worthy of advancement.
Incidentally he will report those
found wanting;,but it is significant
that his function primarily is not to
make complaints but to make doubly
sure that (tie deserving are recog
nized.
Undoubtedly this is a step in tha
right direction.
There is a feeling among rail
road men that advancement is slow
and that merit is not recognized.
Very likely if men can be brought
to. realize that the display of initia
tive will be appreciated and re
warded their attitude toward their
work will be decidedly changed.
If the scout idea will bring home
to the employes of the Canadian
Pacific that their interest in th
road will be apreciated and reward
ed, it will help much in raising th
line's efficiency.
Incidentally, when we see th
courtesy and consideration Simms,
our depot master, uses to everyone;
when we see him wrestle with heavy
trunks and bulky express packages,
in between times rushing to the tel
egraph ticker or .the telephone;
making up voluminous reports, soil
ing tickets and doing the scores of
duties the railroad requires him to
do cheerfully and well, we hope a
"spotter" will come along and
send in a report on Simms that will
give him well-deserved promotion.
FARM LOAN EXAMPLE.
n3 STATE in the Union ha been
the subject of more discussion
as to its financial standing and
prospects than Oklahoma.
Opened to settlement oly 25 years,
it has become one of the wonders
of the nation, but through th pro
cess of development has been com
pelled to utilize a great deal of out
side capital.
Most of th people who went to
the state as farmers were poor.
They have built cities and improved
farms and made all th develop
ment of a prosperous commonwealth
and are today standing with a splen
did showing of their accomplish
ments. The farm loan field of that statu
has seen its ups and downs.
It has gone through a period of
depression when there came a period
of low prices for real estate and an
overwhelming debt
Then it has com to the sucoee
ful point of today.
Oklahoma in all its central sec
tion is capable of almost universal
cultivation. Farms cover th land
and the eliiuato is such a U bring
. excellent crop production. Cotton
and eora, wheat and oats, alike are
praised, and the Btock interests ar
among the foremost in the West
The success of this field has mani
fested itself in the history of in
vestments made through a period
of years. On insurance company
has over 47,000,000 in Oklahoma
farm loans and is increasing its in
vestments in that state. There ar
many large loan companies that
handle millions in far loans and
their record is phenomenal for
th slight losses.
Yet interest rates ar strong and
th demand for money is active.
Two elements go into th Okla
homa loan field that make for
strength.
On is th character of th people.
They ar among the most energeti
of th West' population. They hav
the ability to get tha most oat of
the soil. The other is th elimati
and soil conditions that bring good
crop and in almost every year giv
th farmers a profit
Labor is cheap, many negroes Do
ing available for help. Th warm
winters make th expense of fuel
and Clothing lighter than up North
and the long seasons giv a chance
to diversify crops.
Land values hav steadily risen
all through the state, until they ar
today standing at a figure that ia
likely to remain. Yet there ia no
boom value. That has long ago
been squeezed out and the land is
on an income basis.
In the eastern half of the state
is what was, until five years ago,
the Indian Territory. Here th In
dian rights are to be considered, but
they are rapidly becoming available
for the owner, and the whites are
taking the place of the redskin.
Fine towns are growing up and
schools and churches are being built
The loan companies are. making
loans here less extensively than in
the central section, but they will
eventually make this one of their
loading fields.
The Oklahoma farm loan is well
established among careful investors
and is gaining prominence as the
state comes to a fuller prosperity.
The present season promises to be
one of the best in the state's his
tory, and with a good wheat erop,
it will have a marvelously prosper
ous year. There is all the time an
increasing population.
CASINO FOB ANIMALS.
A3 A PEOPLE we are somewhat
short-sighted.
There has just been a capital
example of this.
John D. Rockefeller has given an
other million dollars for the study
of diseases in animals.
Now, we don 't particularly admire
Mr. Rockefeller as a man but that
is no causa for the flippant and
even bitter comment his action ha
aroused.
Critics profess to see more reason
for the million in other quarters.
They say that human diseases
should be eliminated before the ills
of the lower creatures are taken into
consideration.
Anything that Mr. Rockefeller
does is, of course, a fair mark for
those who are not enamored of him
or impressed with his munificence. -
Our inalienable right to kick at
all times is granted without argu
ment " But it would seem that In the son
sideration of this particular dona
tion a certain amount of intelli
gence might be manifested.
Many people incorrectly assume
that lavish governmental and.stat
appropriations for th prevention
of disease among animals ar based
oa pity for the animals.
Of course, the practical farmer
knows this Is rubbish.
By being caroful over our animal
w ar acting purely solfishly.
Mr. Roekof ellor is not bowed with
grief over the sufferings of th hog
with cholera,
Nor are our agricultural college,
Their anxiety is to preserve aa i
many hogs as possible for the con
sumption of humanity.
The reelings ox the hog are not
considered.
Anthrax, cholera, pleuro-pneu; .
monia, glanders, tick, fever an
tuberculosis among our food and
working animals play a decided
part in the cost of living.
When hog cholera ia conquered we
may look confidently for a drop ia
the price of pork because th farmer
will b ablt to sell hogs at leas
money and mak more money.
Protecting th health of animals
upon which w are dependent is -one
of the certain methods of benay
fitting humanity, and the Bockefel .
ler 'gift will be certainly justifies: i
even if its benefit sever become
generally known.
jfi PHILOSOPHY FBOM A
JAILER.
JOHN L. Whitman, jailer of th
Cook county jail, Chicago, re
cently made a speech to his
guards and keepers.
"Although jailer, I can accom
plish little without the united as
sistance of all my guards; they are
just aa necessary to th success of
my ideas In the management of this
jail aa my own acta. ...
"Always keep in mind that kind
ness is th key to all human hearts,
and sympathy th password to good
fellowship. Men imprisoned her '
arc human, and ar entitled to
ery consideration they can consist
ently receive at our hands.. Never
strike a blow, never abuse an in
mate. Rather give a kind word,
little sympathy, and the necessity
for harsh treatment will soon van
ish. Get the men to believe that
you are their friends and not their
natural enemies, and that you ar
here merely to do a plain duty aa
kindly as it can be don. When
you will hav done this yon will
have done everything."
Strikes us some of Whitman's
ideas might work handling farm
hands, store help and employes
generally.
That about kindness would b
worth trying at home.
t J
PUT IN A SEPTIC TANK.
HO FARM where the use of a
septio tank is possible should
be without one," sayex Prof essor O.
L. Waller, vice-president of the
Washington State College at Pull
man. Farm sanitation is an important
subject.
What is worth mora to you than
health t
A septic tank is a simple and ei
fective sanitary device.
Put one in.
Any of the agricultural colleges
in the Pacific Northwest will tell
you how. ' j
4 ' "
A LOT of farmer boys go to the
city looking for trouble and
when they find it they do not know;
what to do with it . ,
. , - -
THB farmer who takes erop rats
ing on faith gets many a hart
jolt
For Uniform Bond Laws,
Throngh th eo onexatloa of tat
American Bar Association and tkj
American Highway Association tbf
work of revising the road laws in Arfl.
ferent states has been undertaken witjj
th object of codifying and liaplifjS
ing them on a uniform basis. Many el
th road laws are a eenttrrv old. bun!
oa colonial legislation and followta
fingusn precedent ana ar entirely on
of use in modern traffic and condition
Because of these obsolete laws it
impossible to giv th nation net
work of improved hiffhwsnra. so a ehs.no
must be made. The committee win urge
upon the governors of tha virions tij
the necessity for letrislatlve a. Allan shnv
prorfde nlaa im inch prkdiir , ,