852 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Up-to-date farming means the intelligent application of the best 

 methods for bringing every acre of land up to its maximum limit of 

 productiveness, as we learn those methods through our own experience, 

 our agriculaural press and agricultural colleges and experiment stations. 

 It means the application of these methods for the greatest production ot 

 the most profitable products of Iowa agriculture. It means keeping in 

 touch with the great public questions and public men of the day and 

 intelligent study of both questions and men as they relate to the great 

 agricultural interests of Iowa. It means going to the polls every primary, 

 caucus and election day and voting for those men for legislative and 

 executive offices who dare to come out manfully and fearlessly and 

 advocate those measures and policies which shall give to the farmer and 

 all common people their just share of our nations commercial and 

 political power and thereby insure to us a more just division of the 

 vast wealth which we every year produce as farmers. Do you say that 

 this is up-to-date politics and not up-to-date farming? I answer that 

 we muse be up-to-date thinkers and voters to reap any benefit from the 

 wealth we produce as up-to-date farmers. In short, if we reap any benefit 

 from intelligent and up-to-date farming we must be intelligent and up-to- 

 date along other lines of business with which we are interdependent 

 for business existence, and surely the laws which govern the relations 

 and fix the fees between the farmer and the railroads, the insurance 

 to their share of the world's wealth for doing their share of the world's 

 companies, the lawyers, bankers and doctors, are of vital importance, 

 since in an agricultural state like Iowa they all make their living and 

 money off the farmer or the products of the farm. They are all entitled 

 work, but let us farmers get into position to have something to say 

 about the divisions. 



HISTORY OF IOWA FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS. 

 \ 



REGISTER AND LEADER, 1905. 



One of the most remarkable growths in Iowa business affairs during 

 the past year has been the increase in the number of the Iowa farmers' 

 co-operative associations. The coming annual meeting, scheduled for 

 Mason City, Feb. 1 and 2, of this organization of Iowa farmers, calls to 

 mind some facts which the chronicles of the organization show. Accord- 

 to the report of the secretary at the last annual meeting there were 

 exactly thirty societies in active operation in Iowa. Since that time 

 there has been seventy-five new ones organized and between thirty and 

 thirty-five more in process of organization. Millions of dollars that have 

 been subscribed by the tillers of the soil by mutual agreement is 

 invested in the properties and business capital of these institutions. 



