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Readers are intited lo contribute to 

 this column. Address letters to Edi- 

 tor, Room 1200, 608 So. Dearborn 

 St., Chicago. 



Tenant-Owner Problem 



Regarding the Tenant-Owner problem, I 

 would like to relate my experience with the 

 man that operates my farm in McLean County. 

 The man that operates my farm could not be 

 classified as a tenant nor a hired man, but is 

 a combination of these two terms. 



I own all the equipment, and originally all 

 the live stock. Our arrangement is that we 

 keep an accurate record of all income from 

 the sale of grain, live-stock, and cream and 

 any other sources of revenue. We then deduct 

 all expenses incurred in the process of farm- 

 ing and then divide the balance. 



No charges are made for permanent im- 

 provements, or machinery depreciation and to 

 offset this last item, the farmer has no inter- 

 est in any heifer calves or colts except if sold 

 during his operating the owner's farm. 



This plan enables a farmer to have an 

 exceptional opportunity to capitalize on his 

 ability to farm, although his finances may be 

 such as to limit his stocking a farm as fully 

 as possible. 



From the owner's standpoint, his gain is 

 two-fold because the more the income is in- 

 creased on a farm, the better it is for all con- 

 cerned, and another benefit lies in the fact 

 that the operator is constantly trying to in- 

 crease the fertility of the soil so as to raise 

 the income. 



The above plan no doubt requires effort and 

 confidence on the part of all concerned, and 

 also creates a better spirit and bondage be- 

 tween the owner and the actual farmer. 



If acreage owners would take more pride 

 operating their farms instead of grabbing more 

 ground, this country would have fewer fail- 

 ures, more fertility, and less favors from 

 Uncle Sam. 



Carl Sobel. McLean County, III. 



Sounds like a fair plan all around. Others 

 are invited to write their experiences and 

 suggestions for this column. — Ed. 



Strip Mining 



I was very much interested in the article 

 on strip mining which appeared in the March 

 1937 issue of the "Record." 



I have been interested in strip mining from 

 the standpoint of land utilization for quite 

 some time. In my December 1936 monthly 

 lepott to the Regional Office at Indianapolis, 

 Indiana, I suggested that this office be per- 

 mitted to conduct a study on strip coal mines 

 in Illinois. Our interests deal primarily with 

 proper land use, however, the effects of present 



vUltif <=r^ am a czJ'a 



lit <=?' a.tn A cz^attn es^uteau 

 By Vernon Todd, Carroll Coiinty 



^yiemvez 



^ AM a Farm Bureau member because I can't afford not to be. 



l)l Early in my career of 25 years of hog raising, cattle feeding 



vjy and general cropping, I developed a farm foundation which 



taught me to seek out those periodicals and organizations ■which ■were 



actually interested in better farming and better conditions for the 



farmer. 



Through information gathered from Prairie Farmer and Wal- 

 lace's Farmer, two papers which have been on my reading list for 

 twenty years, I learned of the Farm Bureau organization as an exten- 

 sion of the state and federal Department of Agriculture. I ad- 

 dressed a letter to the Farm Bureau at Mt. Carroll asking for infor- 

 mation, and shortly signed up a membership which I have been 

 proud to continue to date. 



As a farmer it is a duty to belong to some farm organization, but 

 in this instance I feel it a privilege to be associated with the largest 

 organization of farmers in the world which is taking an active part 

 in the legislative as well as the economic affairs of our nation. 



The Illinois Agricultural Mutual Insurance Company is furnish- 

 ing me liability and property protection on my automobile at about 

 one-half the cost of the large city companies. The Country Life In- 

 surance Company, also handled on the mutual basis for Farm Bu- 

 reau members, is returning me a special dividend of around four 

 dollars per thousand above the ordinary dividend of other legal re- 

 serve companies. 



The Illinois Farm Supply has paid me back in dividends, several 

 times my dues, on purchases of gasoline, oils, greases, paints, auto 

 accessories and numerous other articles. Co-operative marketing 

 and purchasing associations of livestock, seeds, serums and in organ- 

 izing local units in 37 states of the union, are able through their 

 various publications to keep members informed on markets and farm 

 legislation. 



State and national gatherings have been an inspiration to me in 

 seeing the momentous growth our organization has made and the 

 recognition we are being given. ( . 



and future land uses upon local government 

 are very important. 



I notice that the lAA has appointed a com- 

 mittee to study this situation. I understand 

 also that the Illinois State Geological Survey 

 is conducting a study of this same situation. 

 I would be glad to have the names of the 

 members of the lAA committee. It is prob- 

 able that we may be of mutual benefit. 



Virgil B. Fielder, 



Land Use Planning Specialist, 



Urbana, 111. 



A budget calling for $239,684,288 

 for the next two years — by far the 

 highest in history — was recently sub- 

 mitted for approval to the General As- 

 sembly. It is $79,291,071 larger than 

 that of the previous biennium. 



A 100 barrel a day oil well was 



brought in southeast of Clay City in 

 Clay county recently. The well is re- 

 ported to be 2600 feet deep and the 

 oil comes from a Cyprus sand forma- 

 tion. Thousands of acres of land in 

 the vicinity have been leased for pros- 

 pecting. 



Farm sales by Federal Land Banks 



in 1936 numbered 15,014. On Aug- 

 ust 31 the Land Banks owned 24,355 

 farms, only 22,505 on February 1 this 

 year. 



For the first time in history the 



production of soybean oil meal in 1936 

 exceeded the production of linseed 

 meal, according to the College of Agri- 

 culture, University of Illinois. 



I 



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L A. A. RECORD 



