HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Editorial Page of Home and Farm Magazine Section
Timely, Pertinent Comment Upon Men and Affairs, Following the Trend of World News;
Suggestions of Interest to Readers; Hints Along Lines of Progressive Farm Thought.
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TO ADVERTISERS
Advertisers in this locality who wish to fully
cover all Beckons of Oregon and Washington
and a portion of Idaho will apply to local pub
lishers for rates.
General advertisers may address C. L. Bur
ton, Advertising Manager of Oregon-Washington-Idaho
Farmer, Oregonian Building, Tort
land, Oregon, for rates and information.
TO READERS
Readers are requested to send letters and
articles for publication to The Editor, Oregon-Washington-Idaho
Farmer, Oregonian Build
ing, Portland, Oregon.
Discussions on questions and problems that
bear directly on the agricultural, livestock and
poultry interests of the Northwest and on the
uplift and comfort of the farm home always
are welcomed. No letters treating of religion,
politics or the European war are solicited, for
the .Oregon-Washington-Idaho .Farmer .pro
claims neutrality on these matters.
Comparatively brief contributions are pre
ferred to long ones. Send us also photographs
of your livestock and farm scenes that you
think would be of general interest. We wish
to make this magazine of value to you. Help
us do it.
WARRING AGAINST WAR.
HG. WELLS, one of the foremost
writers of the present day, recently
contributed to the press of America
an article crying for peace, though war be
made against war to secure peace. Peace is
something ardently desired, but, as the
novelist aptly points out, though 99 out of
100 men are vigorously opposed to war, the
100th man may be sufficient to incite pas
sions and make strife. Another vital factor
that must be reckoned with in peace move
ments is the innate love of the " glory of
war," that thrills in man as he listens to
blood-stirring tales of wondrous charges, of
gallant defenses, of thrilling sorties.
The tinsel with which war js embellished
may be rubbed off by contact with the reali
ties that are pictured by the pens of men
who have been to the rear as well as the front
of the battlefields of Europe. By bringing
to light the sordid uselessness of the heart
breaking struggle, a victory Is gained for
peace.
To conquer the 100th man, II. G. AVells
proposes two weapons knowledge and ridi
cule. Of the two, ridicule is perhaps the
stronger, lie desires to see the indignation
of peace-loving peoples aroused to such a
pitch that the warriors will see themselves
in the light of public condemnation. And
further, he believes in poking fun at the man
who would risk his life, aye, give his life,
for something lie knows nothing of. Patriot
ism is worthy, indeed, but it is so often
misguided.
The author wants, "as far as possible, to
end war altogether, and contrive things so
that when any unavoidable outbreak does
oeeur, it may be as little, cruel and mis
chievous as it can be." It is a much-to-be-desired
condition, and the dream of pro
ponents of peace over the world. Will it
ever be realized ? A year ago and thousands
would have been willing to enthusiastically
answer this question in the affirmative.
Today they shake their heads in doubt.
Universal peace is still a dream.
CRITICISING THE COUNTY AGENT.
AN ITEM has recently been going the
rounds of the popular press in a cer
tain section of the country to the effect
that the county agent is merely another
means for the agricultural college student
to mal e an easy living off the farmers.
Anyone who can put forth mich a theory
must be cither short-sighted or dyspeptic.
There is no question as to the efficiency of
the real agricultural expert and the assist
ance they have rendered in the various
counties where they have been established.
The work is heralded with highest applause
from everyone who has been willing to co
operate with these men for the solution of
problems which have puzzled, for the up
building of a higher class of farm industry,
for increasing profits and the improvement
of farm conditions generally.
There is no reason why the men on the
farms should not have such a counselor as
this to whom they may go in case of ques
tions or difficulties that inevitably arise in
the carrying on of farm work. The farm
agent or the farm expert, as the case may
be, is a man who brings the indorsement of
his state college because of the efficiency he
has shown in scholarship, because of the
way in .which he has mastered and handled
the subjects that have been presented to
him in his college course. Men of this stamp
are thoroughly in line with the best progress
of farm work and they are entitled to the
support and co-operation of the progressive
farmers in their community. There should
be no eritieism, there should be co-operation
if the best results are to be obtained.
A STEP IN ADVANCE.
noditorlal In Medford Mail Tribune.)
FOLLOWING the Tacoma convention,
where preliminary steps were taken to
place the marketing of Northwestern
fruit upon a co-operative business basis,
another move in the evolution of the indus
try is announced by the Rogue River Fruit
& Produce Association, whereby it is pro
posed to standardize the pack of all orchards
and relieve the individual of the collecting,
grading, packing and boxing of the fruit.
All the orchardist has to do is to pick his
fruit and assemble it in lug boxes for tho
auto truck, which takes it to central storage
and packing bouse, where it is graded,
packed, refrigerated, shipped and marketed
for him, relieving him of much unnecessary
labor and responsibility.
This is another step towards placing tho
fruit industry upon a staple manufacturing
basis. Next will come, as it has come in the
California districts, the picking of the fruit
by the co-operative association, and in some
of the districts, pinning and spraying by the
common agency.
PROVING IT WITH FIGURES.
A GENTLEMAN who is posted on finan
cial matters, who has looked the situa
tion over carefully and thoroughly,
has this to say relative to the importance of
the dairy industry from the financial stand
point in a community.
One county in Iowa, the one where tho
first co-operative creamery was established,
has in two banks deposits to the value of
$2,076,000 and undivided profits, capital and
surplus, to the value of $800,000. This
county has more creameries than any other
in the state, it is pre-eminently a successful
dairy community and the improved breeds
of dairy cattle are being introduced rapidly.
Another county, one that has not a creamery
and where dairying is abhorred because it
represents too much work, has iu its threo
banks $178,000 as capital and surplus and
undivided profits, and $840,000 on deposit.
Here is the difference between the com
munity where dairying flourishes and the
one where it does not. In the former tho
deposits are $2,076,000, while in tho latter,
where there are no creameries, the deposits
are $840,000. In the county where cream
eries flourish the capital, surplus and un
divided profits in two banks is $800,000,
while in the three banks of the other county;
it represents $178,000. This shows perhaps
that the dairy farmer has money. He is the
man who is able to patronize banks because
he has money to deposit.
; ai
SOME USEFUL LESSONS.
THE war has already done much to teach'
Americans many valuable lessons which'
they might have been years and years
in learning but for its coming. We see now,
for- example, with a clearness that was never
before vouchsafed to us just why our trade
with South America has not and still does
not go forward faster. AVhen the war
opened we were going to do great things and
immediately and completely capture from
Europe the immense South American trade.
But we came abruptly to a halt. It was
discovered to our dismay that the rich South!
American trade would not fall into our lap,
like a ripened apple, but had to be labored
for, with the foundations laid secure and
deep. We have learned the three or four
things needful to divert Latin American
commerce toward this country. ,
What are these f "('
We must send capital to South America,
invest American money there and give our
customers long and ample credit facilities.
This we are in a fair way of doing through'
the establishment of branch banks in the
principal cities of South America.
The next requisite is an American mer
chant marine to carry our goods to the
Southern republics and transport their
products back, nere the United States lags
grievously.
Third, and perhaps most important, the
United States must send to Latin America
trained young men to mingle with the peo
ple of those countries, lenrn their ways, their
likes and dislikes and how to eater to their
tastes. The personal touch is just as essen
tial in foreign trade as in domestic, alsd to
the South American means more than any
other thing.
Recognition of the great obstacles which'
must be overcome gives the quietus to the
hope of Americans to obtain a monopoly of
South American trade in one fell swoop. But,
on the other hand, the very fact that we are
beginning to realize just what steps must be
taken to accomplish our ends is a long for
ward movement toward the winning of new
victories in the field of foreign commerce. .
The highest price ever received for any
farm product, pound for pound, is butter.
Wheu sold it takes the least fertility from
the farm. Now the thing to do is to produce
that pound at the lowest possible cost.
One of the main things to observe in keep
ing Winter apples is to have them placed in
a cold place where the temperature is about
stable. Handle carefully so as to keep thenl
sound. . .,
The foundation of the American prosperity,
is in the soil. We are still an agricultural
nation and wise men assert that we must
remain as such.
The secret of growing a good first-class
calf is to never let it become stunted, in fact,
this applies to all live stock on the farm. ;
Habit is second nature but not secon3 to
nature. It rules or ruins both.