CAPITAL 303 



that has its branches in every township. The success of 

 the European rural banks is due to the fact that they 

 are established in the rural communities where they are 

 convenient for the farmers and they conduct their business 

 to suit the convenience of the farmers, including business 

 hours. 



The reason the present situation of credit and banking 

 facilities for the American farmer is so unsatisfactory is 

 because the banking business has been developed to suit 

 the needs of the city and not the country. The farmer has 

 been left to adapt himself to the rules and regulations of 

 banks conducted for city customers. And now the banks 

 are awakening to the fact that they do not meet the 

 situation as far as the farmer is concerned ; moreover, 

 that the farmers are threatening to take over their own 

 business and establish their own financial institutions 

 along lines that have proved successful in other countries. 



The farmers and bankers may well confer together in 

 this matter, and the bankers in their deliberations will do 

 well to call upon the farmers to express what they think 

 could and should be done. The farmers in turn can well 

 afford to consult the bankers and get their point of view. 

 The elimination of selfish interests and the promotion of 

 American agriculture should be the goal of both bankers 

 and farmers. 



WAYS OF FARMING WITH SMALL CAPITAL 



192. Ways of securing capital. One of the easiest 

 ways of securing the use of capital is to be a tenant. In 

 1910, sixty-four per cent of the farmers in the United 

 States rented all or part of the land that they operated, or 

 secured additional money by means of mortgages. It is 



