392 TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 



others, of course. At the close of the year's business we are going to 

 prorate back whatever the board sees fit to set aside for that purpose. 

 I presume it will retain and build up something in the form of a reserve. 

 You wouldn't want to do business with a bank that had no reserve back 

 of it. It is the same with a co-operative commission company. You 

 want a company with a reserve back of it to protect it in time of trouble. 

 But whatever may be refunded to you on commission charges will be 

 insignificant compared to what we hope to work out in the marketing of 

 livestock in the future, and what the Committee of Fifteen hoped to ac- 

 complish. The thought that has been in the minds of the men who have 

 made this question a study for years, that there should be some way by 

 which we could establish the orderly marketing of livestock, and to pre- 

 vent the violent price fluctuations that characterize the business. 



Success Depends on the Producers 

 Now, the last word I want to leave with you people is this: that you 

 patronize your co-operative marketing agencies. You will never get 

 anywhere unless you do. The Farm Bureau hadn't any other thought 

 in mind than to establish these agencies for the benefit of the producers 

 of the country. They have gone to the expense, giving time and effort 

 and thought, in order that the producers might be benefited. And the 

 only way this can be done is through the support and patronage of the 

 producers themselves. 



EDUCATION AND AGRICULTURE 

 BY DR. R. A. PEARSON 



It seems to me that two great lessons have come out of the experi- 

 ence of these past two years. The public has learned a lesson and the 

 farmers have learned a lesson, and both lessons should last a long time. 



The public, especially the people in the cities, have learned more than 

 they ever knew before about the bigness and importance of agriculture. 

 They have always admitted that it is a great industry but many of these 

 admissions were of the character of good natured flattery for the peopie 

 engaged in the kind of work that used to be done by the fathers and 

 grandfathers of the city folks. 



Many residents of cities have looked upon agriculture as a sort of spon- 

 taneous source of food. They always did get their food, and plenty of 

 it, and they saw no reason why that happy condition should not con- 

 tinue. They just naturally expected it would continue. 



Our city friends have learned something about the fundamental char- 

 acter of agriculture. Some comments that are like real wheat have 

 appeared in the news and editorial columns of our great newspapers and 

 in magazine articles and in official actions of our law-making bodies. To 

 bring about this appreciation it seemed to be necessary for some large 

 interests in great business centers to suffer a bit, because of the agricul- 

 tural depression, and this has happened. 



Need More Knowledge of Agriculture 



With their new knowledge the people have willingly enacted legislation 

 which was fair and just to the farmers and which should have been 



