REPORT STATE DAIRY COMMISSIONER 471 



One crop failure, especially if it came this year, would 

 suffice to discourage most sections, but not the stout-hearted 

 North Dakota community because : 



In the early days of crop failures when the inevitable ques- 

 tion of what to do was propounded someone said "It is time to 

 milk," and last year the average gross income from 17 farms in 

 the crop failure district was $2,325.83. 



Strange as it may seem, these men, under the worst of 

 farming conditions, are enjoying greater prosperity than their 

 fellow farmers in sections of the state that have bumper farm 

 crops. 



Such is the significance of Pat's reply, "It is toime to 

 milk," as it applies to communities. 



John W. Newman, former Commissioner of Agriculture of 

 Kentucky, has eight farms operated by tenants. During the 

 war the price of tobacco was high and these tenants specialized 

 to the extreme in growing the weed. Mr. Newman says they 

 profited to the extent that each of them became worth from 

 $4,000 to $5,000 and then a year ago, when the price of tobacco 

 dropped, they lost all and began borrowing money of him to 

 operate the farms. 



After loaning them a total of $3,000 Mr. Newman called 

 them together and in his own w^ords said, "not another cent 

 will I loan you. I will place on each of your farms 10 cows, 

 eight sows and 100 chickens and if you can't make money ofif 

 the farms, you cangotoel". 



In other words he told them, "It is time to milk." 



Continuing, Mr. Newman said, "Since that time each of 

 these tenants is coming to me with money instead of for 

 money." 



Such is the significance of Pat's reply, "It is toime to milk"; 

 as it applies to individuals. 



From every section of the United States comes- the cry that 

 farm crops are selling below cost of production and yet the in- 

 dividual, the community, the state or the nation that is milking 

 good cows, breeding up productive herds and caring for them 

 well is prospering. 



Compared with prices of all other farm commodities and 

 on the basis of cost of production, the prices of dairy products 

 are higher today than they were at any time during the war 

 when everybody admitted they were rich. 



