no batteries to run down 



wash day holds no horrors 



ironing's almost a pleasure now 



. this year a modern bathroom 



There are now two children, Lois age 

 9, who is in grade school and Carl, 5, 

 who is at home helping run the farm. 

 but will have to give it up next year 

 when he starts school. 



The Keltner family attend the 

 Church of the Brethren which is close 

 by. Mrs. Keltner teaches a Sunday 

 school class and Perry says that one of 

 the most enjoyable things he does is 

 teach a class too. Mrs. Keltner is ac- 

 tive in the Home Bureau, but with the 

 two little children she doesn't have as 

 much time to give as she'd like to. She 

 is also county chairman of the House- 

 hold Science Department of the Farm- 

 ers Institute, and that with her garden. 

 home, children, church, and don't for- 

 get Perry, takes up about all of her 

 time. 



A lCO«^c Co-operator 



Perry has been a Farm Bureau mem- 

 ber for about 12 years. He is a 100 

 per cent co-operator in every way pos- 

 sible. Service Company products are 

 used on the farm. Every member of 

 the family has a policy in Country 

 Life. His crops were insured against 

 hail in Farmers Mutual last year and 

 his car in Illinois Agricultural Mutual. 

 Both Mr. and Mrs. Keltner are active 

 in the Kent township Community 

 Group, which was the first township 

 in the county to hold regular monthly 

 meetings. 



Why did he join the Farm Bureau? 

 "Because I believed in its aims and 

 goals. I saw what could be accom- 

 plished through the Farm Bureau and 

 I knew it couldn't be done unless 't 

 got the support of the farmers. So 

 I joined." He continued, "The Farm 

 Bureau has shown that farmers work- 

 ing co-operatively get results. In legis- 

 lation, taxation, the Farm Bureau has 

 shown that it can get more for me 

 than I ever could by myself. For in- 

 stance, it has beea \vorth while as a 

 protection for me in the matter of clean 

 seed. I just let Banter here worry 

 about it and I get clean seed. Other 

 farmers in the county say the same 

 thing. Fm sure the Farm Bureau has 



helped raise prices. One thing I do 

 know is that right here in this county 

 and township, the Farm Bureau has 

 lowered taxes. It's one of the most 

 striking accomplishments of all. With 

 membership increasing all the time, 

 and younger farmers coming into their 

 own, the Farm Bureau is going into a 

 new phase of development. I think that 

 one of the big possiblities is going to 

 be along the lines of social develop- 

 ment. I'm still young and I don't have 

 to change my point of view about 

 the idea of co-operation. I've fairly 

 grown up in the idea. The ."^ame with 

 other young farmers. That means that 

 government is becoming more and 

 more aware of the power of organized 

 farmers. The recent farm plans were 

 pressured by the Farm Bureau. The 

 rfficials recognize it and because of 

 that pressure both political parties are 

 being kept in line. 



"I was disgusted when the AAA was 

 knocked out. But we younger farm- 

 ers realize that some sort of produc- 

 tion control is necessary. We're no 

 different than our fathers before us in 

 that we would like to produce all that 

 could be produced on our land. But 

 we realize that there is only a domestic 

 market and that without a world mar- 

 ket, or prospects for one, farmers must 

 control production so as to keep prices 

 up to a profitable level. The farmers 

 of the future are all going to be pretty 

 we'l lined up on that idea. They've 

 learned the power of co-operation and 

 the soundness of crop control through 

 better education and work in the 4-H 

 clubs and the Farm Bureau." 



He's a Picnicker 



Perry keeps a set of books now, 

 that, he says, "can only be figured out 

 by me." Next year he thinks he'll keep 

 a good set of books and as soon as 

 the Dairy Herd Improvement Associa- 

 tion is started in his district he'll be 

 joining that. 



"One thing about Perry," said Mrs. 

 Keltner, with a gleam of mischief in 

 her eye, "he is about the most inveter- 



ate 'picnicker' in Stephenson county. 

 During the summer and nearly up to 

 the first snow, Sundays he' wants to 

 pile us all in the car along with a picnic 

 lunch and just ride until dinner time. 

 Then we hunt up a shady spot and 

 have the picnic. Then away we go 

 again, sightseeing, and get home long 

 after sundown." 



"That's right," grinned Perry. 

 "There's nothing I enjoy more. You 

 know there's lots of things to see and 

 I'm out to see as many of them as I 

 can. But" he said, "the real reason 

 is that Bessie here gets up the finest 

 picnic lunch you ever ate." 



"I ought to," said Bessie Keltner, 

 "I've put up enough of them." — John 

 Tracy. 



With the C. O. D.'s 



(Continued from page 30) 



more than half of his first quarterly 

 quota in the first month of the year. In 

 addition to his membership activity, Mr. 

 Gumm writes a considerable amount of 

 insurance. 



Asa B. Gulp has been Co. Org. Dir. of 



the McLean County Farm Bureau since 

 the plan was inaugurated. He and his co- 

 workers signed more than 500 members 

 during 1935 and have their quota signed 

 for the first quarter of 1936. Culp was 

 awarded first place in the American 

 Farm Bureau Federation contest for the 

 best county membership plan. Culp is 

 also a farm owner and knows farmers' 

 problems. 1 



. Geo. Springer of Bureau County made 

 a splendid record in 1935 by signing and 

 collecting for 255 new members. George 

 has around him a splendid group of lead- 

 ers who are actively engaged in assist- 

 ing in putting over his membership cam- 

 paign. He is off to a good start for the 

 year 1936 having annexed 22 members in 

 the month of January which is a little 

 more than one-half of his quota for the 

 first quarter. r; 



32 



t. A. A. RECORD 



