Dec. S, 1923 



Tbe DlinoM Agricultural Ajaociatioo Record 



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Fourth Year of A.F.B.F, 

 Completed in December 



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Prcaldeat 



The annual meeting of the 

 American Farm Boreau Feder- 

 ation in Chicago, December 10-14, 

 winds up the fonrth year ot onr 

 national organization. 



The fifty cent membership 

 dues of Illinois farm bureau mem- 

 bers, along 

 with the dues 

 from 43 other 

 states malces 

 the American 

 Farm Bureau 

 possible. Our 

 representatives 

 along with 

 tho s e from 

 other states 

 determine the 

 policies of the 

 national asso- 

 Inltatck elation. . Let's 

 look back over 

 the year and see what the re- 

 sults are. 



From a list of 44 accomplish- 

 ments, we have picked those ot 

 greatest Importance to Illinois. 

 In addition to these, many other 

 worth while things were accom- 

 plished, laying a foundation for 

 the future protection of agricul- 

 ture. 



Ckmperative Marketing 

 Cooperative marketing has 

 been a major project of the Fed- 

 eration this year. The big work 

 of this department has been to 

 build a national program of com- 

 modity marketing, a program 

 for each commodity made so that 

 all growers of the country can 

 work together. In doing this it 

 has helped many states in secur- 

 ing uniform cooperative market- 

 ing laws, and has given 21 

 states direct assistance in mar- 

 keting projects. 



62 Days in Illinois 

 The men in this department 

 spent 62 days in Illinois, at mar- 

 keting conferences and helping 

 fruit, red top, and dairy market- 

 ing organizations and assisting 

 with the Illinois cooperative act. 

 This department developed a 

 national potato marketing plan 

 and helped in eight state cam- 

 paigns. It developed a national 

 onion marketing plan and helped 

 the first state to organize. Illi- 

 nois growers of these commodi- 

 ties may want to join with these 

 agencies. It fostered the nation- 

 al live stock marketing plan 

 which is in operation to a large 

 extent in Illinois. It backed up 

 tbe Federated Fruit and Vege- 

 table Growers, Inc., through 

 Which the Illinois Fruit Ex- 

 change is now selling. 

 Legislation. 

 Probably more worthwhile leg- 

 islation for farm people was 

 passed by the last Congress than 

 all the farm legislation of the 

 last decade. The American Farm 

 Bureau Federation initiated or 

 championed 26 laws passed by 

 the Sixty-seventh Congress. 



Of very direct help to Illinois 

 farmers is the amendment to 

 the Federal Farm Loan Act, 

 which increases the amount that 

 an individual can borrow from 

 $10,000 to |2S,000. 



Onr National Federation was 

 tbe outstanding champion ot the. 

 Intermediate Credits act written 

 into the laws ot the nation. 

 Through the twelve Federal 

 Farm Loan Banks this act gives 

 farmers an ultimate credit reser- 

 voir of $660,000,000. An Illi- 

 nois law does not make this act 

 ot great raise to indiridnals in 



this state, however, \\ can be 

 used to good advantage by co- 

 operative marketing associations, 

 and is being used by the Egyp- 

 tian Seed Growers' Exchange. 

 Capper-Tincher Act. 

 The Federation worked tor the 

 Capper-Tlncher Act placing the 

 grain exchanges under the super- 

 vision of the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture for the prevention of 

 injurious speculation in grain. 



Other outstanding laws secured 

 are the Warehouse Act amend- 

 ment which increases facilities 

 for borrowing n.oney on farm 

 products stored in licensed ware- 

 houses; the revival of the War 

 Finance Corporation tor the 

 year; a flexible tariff provision; 

 a law protecting dairymen against 

 adulterated milk products ^y 

 prohibiting interstate shipment 

 of filled milk; and an act estab- 

 lishing an 80 per cent butter 

 standard. 



Transportation Work. 

 The Transportation Depart- 

 ment helped to secure a cut of 

 »1, 000, oca in 

 the farmers' 

 freight bill 

 through a fa- 

 vorable ruling 

 of the Inter- 

 state Com- 

 merce on mixed 

 carloads of live 

 stock, a fight 

 waged since 

 1920. It means 

 a very definite 

 saving to ev- 



J. W. coverdale. ^^ Illinois 

 SecretavT fa r m e r who 



ships live stock in mixed car- 

 loads. 



This Department helped to 

 lower the minimum weight on 

 single deck loads of hogs upon 

 which freight must be paid in 

 ten states, however, there is a 

 chance that Illinois shippers will 

 be allowed this decrease later on. 



A booklet on the pros and cons 

 of the transportation act was is- 

 sued by this department, giving 

 full information on this national 

 question. 



Research Work. 



Research is a high sounding 

 name, but tbe big idea of this 

 work sounds practical. 



This Department recognizes 

 that there are two fundamental 

 factors, in profitable farming. 

 The first Is production in the 

 volume for which there will be 

 a demand at a price that will 

 yield a profit, and second, mar- 

 keting when and where the prof- 

 it will be the greatest. 



Reason for Research. 



It is the work of the Research 

 Department to give ns all of the 

 facts and figures Involved in 

 these questions, so we can act 

 with knowledge. For instance, 

 ot how much importance is the 

 income from wheat in Illinois 

 as compared with the total in- 

 come? Do the facts of the last 

 twenty years show that it pays 

 to hold or sell wheat at thresh- 

 ing time? What do all the con- 

 ditions of business and agricul- 

 ture point to for the next tew 

 months? Is there likely to be a 

 large foreign demand for onr 

 grain in the next few months. 



The Research Department has 

 issued regular reports on agri- 

 culture and business conditions. 

 In the last several issues of the 

 Record, a sum-up ot these re- 

 ports has been printed. 



PROGRAM STARTED 

 TO STOP TRAFFIC 

 OF T. B. CAHLE 



Committee of Five Named To 



Recommend Program of Action 



To Executive Committee 



A committee of five to study 

 the problems of enforcing laws 

 an^ regulations pertaining to the 

 importation of tuberculous cattle 

 has been named by President S. 

 H. Thompson. 



This committee has been asked 

 to recommend a program of ac- 

 tion to enforce laws and regula- 

 tions, to the I. A. A. executive 

 committee at the December 5th 

 meeting. The committee is com- 

 posed of Henry McGough, Kane 

 county. Chairman; George Hunt, 

 McHenry county; Harry Wood, 

 Tazewell county; Carlton Trim- 

 ble, Crawford county; and C. E. 

 Bamborough of Ogle county. 



T. R. Association asked Help 



This action was taken after 

 the Illinois Anti-T. B. Vigilance 

 Association asked the Illinois Ag- 

 ricultural Association to take 

 charge of the problem of law en- 

 forcement. 



M. H. Peterson ot Lake county 

 who has been working with the 

 Vigilance association has been 

 employed temporarily by the I. 

 A. A. to assist the committee. 

 Other Associations Favor 



Secretary George A. Fox talked 

 the proposition of enforcing tu- 

 berculosis laws and regulations 

 with the Illinois Bankers' Asso- 

 ciation and Illinois Chamber of 

 Commerce. Secretaries ot both 

 organizations stated that they are 

 ready to go along on a program 

 of law enforcement. 



Grain Committee 

 Will Make Study 

 Of Wheat Growers 



It is probable that the new 

 National Wheat Growers organiza- 

 tion will be discussed at the De- 

 cember 5th meeting of the ex- 

 ecutive committee. The grain 

 marketing committee of the I. A. 

 A. will meet on the day previous 

 to the executive committee meet- 

 ing to discuss this and other sub- 

 jects. 



The grain marketing commit- 

 tee is composed of H. E. Goembel 

 of Hoopole, Curt Anderson of 

 Xenia, D. J. Holderman of Sador- 

 us. G. E. Reder of Mendota and 

 W. A. McNeill of Chandlerville. 



Lynch Advises 



Milk Producers 

 At Mt. Carmel 



A. D. Lynch, Director of Dairy 

 Marketing for the I. A. A., made 

 a survey of the milk situation at 

 Mt. Caramel in November at the 

 request of the Wabash County 

 Farm Bureau. At a meeting with 

 dairymen furnishing: milk to that 

 city, Mr. Lj-nch advised the pro- 

 ducers upon methods for improv- 

 ing the quality of milk, increas- 

 ing its consumption in the city, 

 and standardizing prices. 



Definite decision was reached 

 to test all herds so that the milk 

 supply of Mt. Carmel will be 

 from tuberculosis-free herds only. 



In a visit to Granite City, Mr. 

 Lynch assisted Farm Adviser Raut 

 and a Madison County Farm Bu- 

 reau Committee in a study of the 

 milk supply of that city with 

 special reference to the possibili- 

 ties of increased use in schools 

 and factories. 



62,000 MEMBERS 

 IS NEW RECORD 

 OF FARM BUREAU 



Four-fifths By Neighbor-Sign- 

 Neighbor Method; The Tide 

 Has Turned 



Leadership and Clubs . 

 Are Organization Helps 



The local community club and 

 local leadership are great helps 

 to the farm bureau at the time 

 ot organization, according to let- 

 ters from several counties. 



The community organization is 

 the very heart and soul of the 

 farm bureau, John Conrad of 

 Whiteside county, tells the Rec- 

 ord. The community club unifies 

 the community and makes it 

 possible for all to work together 

 on their problems, he says. 



The township is divided into 

 school districts and every dis- 

 trict has a chairman in Whi>.e- 

 side county. The township club 

 meets every two weeks in the 

 winter at one of the schools. The 

 school teacher is held responsi- 

 ble for a social program put en 

 by local talent. There is a talk 

 and discussion on some problem 

 of the farm. 



"This kind of organization has 

 made it possible for us to use the 

 farm bureau and it has made us 

 of use to the farm bureau," says 

 Mr. Conrad. 



Leadersliip 



Marrobone township, Moultrie 

 county, has one-fourth of the 

 farm bureau membership in the 

 County. Farm Adviser Allen Hig- 

 gins was asked the reason for it. 

 Here is what he says: "I believe 

 that local leadership is the big- 

 gest factor in successful organiza- 

 tion and I believe that the same 

 results can l>e obtained in almost 

 any township where a few loyal 

 members will give as freely "of 

 their time and effort as they did 

 in Marrobone township. 



"A successful farmers' elevator 

 at Bethany has been of consider- 

 able Influence. The men who 

 have been the backbone of the 

 elevator and are responsible for 

 mufh of its success are largely 

 the men who have been active in 

 supporting the farm bureau and 

 making it a success. " 



\ Church Conmninlt]' 



"You ask if we have any com- 

 munity that is stronger in mem- 

 bership than another, and the 

 reason for it," writes Farm Ad- 

 viser L. E. Marchant of Knox 

 county. 



"We have one community with 

 a rural minister as director," Mr. 

 Marchant says. "That commun- 

 ity leads in membership. In this 

 particular case every member of 

 this church is a member of the 

 farm bureau." 



Hog Vacdnatioa 



"We found that the hog vacci- 

 nation program has added mem- 

 bership to the farm bureau and 

 made old members stronger 

 boosters," writes L. S. Griffith, 

 Farm Adviser of Lee county. 

 "Soil testing by the new method, 

 ordering limestone at a saving in 

 price, and our eight-page publica- 

 tion going out twice a month are 

 other services ot special interest 

 to membership." 



A membership ot over 62,000 

 with the prosp«cts of adding sev- 

 eral thousand more before the 

 end of the year, is the record for 

 the second three-year period ot or- 

 ganization of county farm bureaus 

 and Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion. 



During the paat two years all 

 but seven of the 92 county farm 

 Ifureaus affiliated with the I. A. 

 A. have conducted reorganization 

 campaigns. Forty-five of that 

 number carried on campaigns this 

 year. 



"An outstanding feature ot thla 

 second round of membership cam- 

 4>aigns, is the fact that about 

 four-fifths of the members have 

 t>eeu signed up. by neighlxtr sign- 

 ing neighbor," states G. E. Met*- 

 ger. Director of Organization 

 work. 



Going Up HiU 



"Conditions are getting better 

 all of the time," Mr. Metzger 

 states. "State solicitors were sign- 

 ing up from 8 to 10 members a 

 week a few months ago and now 

 they are signing up from 8 to 20 

 meml>ers a week, and in ^ some 

 cases more. It looks as if tbe 

 bottom of the depression is over. 



"I attended 16 annaal meet- 

 ings in Octot)er and nine in No- 

 vember, and only two of them 

 had an attendance of less than 

 100. At some of the meetings 

 there were as many as 600 pres- 

 ent." 



White Going Good 



Word from the White County 

 FaiVn Bureau states that 200 

 members have l)een signed up in 

 four townships. There are four 

 townships left to work. Gallatin 

 countf signed up 4 3 members the 

 first day of its campaign. 



THE ADAMS COITKTT PARM 



Bureau Executive Commiltee re- 

 cently took action authorizing the 

 offer of $50 reward for the arrest 

 and conviction of a person stealing 

 chickens from a farm bureau mem- 

 ber. Preliminary atepa are belnc 

 taken for the orffanixation of local 

 protective units tn each townshlpb 



Baby Chicks looked 

 Like Cross Between 

 Leghorn and a Crow 



Experience has led Mrs. Guy 

 Smith of Shawneetown to believe 

 that the new plan of inspecting 

 and accrediting farm poultry 

 flocks and hatcheries is a good 

 thing. Mra. Smith writes the fol- 

 lowing : 



"I wanted to get some new 

 blood ii^ my flock so I ordered 

 100 baby chicks of the best qual- 

 ity from a hatchery. They all 

 looked like Barred Rocks until 

 they feathered. Some looked like 

 A cross between a Leghorn and 

 a crow after they feathered Jont. 

 I wrote the hatchery asking It 

 they guaranteed their chicks and 

 I never heard from them, ao yon 

 see, I believe in inspected flocka." 



A.F.B.F. Steering 

 Committee To Meet 

 For 1924 Program 



The A. F. B. F. steering com- 

 mittee, composed of President O. 

 E. Bradfute; Wm. H. Settle, Indi- 

 ana; Frank App, New Jmey; 

 John K. Orr, Texas; juki J. F. 

 Burion, Utah; will meet at the 

 Chicago ofllce December 4 to 

 work out an A. F. B. F. program 

 ot work for 1924. It will report 

 to the final general meeting ot 

 the 1923 exlKutlre eommittee on 

 t>eeeml>er 8. 



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