Part II.] BUSINESS ORGANIZATION. 147 



recognizing the necessary tools by which alone that ideal can 

 be accomplished. Let this community determine what crops it 

 will raise, to decide which it is necessary to know the needs of 

 the proposed market, means of transportation, the competition 

 likely to be encountered and the nature of the soil to be worked. 



Frequent crop reports from competitive sections will help the 

 producer to determine the time of developing his crop to the 

 best advantage to both himself and the consumer. The word 

 "competition" is used advisedly, because that must be reck- 

 oned with for some time yet. As a matter of fact, there is no 

 place for competition in a properly organized industry, and 

 especially in agriculture. 



There are so many people, and they will eat so many pota- 

 toes, so much wheat, corn and other food products. Agricul- 

 ture, when organized, will know what sections can best produce 

 a particular crop, and, with proper advice as to the area 

 planted, there should be no surplus, no waste, no duplication, 

 and our producers would avoid attempting something which 

 more complete or advanced information would have shown them 

 could result only in failure. 



The next step in the organization is neighborhood or com- 

 munity equipment. It is seldom in this section of the country 

 at least that any one farm is conducted on a scale permitting an 

 economical equipment, although our production cost can be 

 greatly reduced by using the machinery which modern invention 

 provides. 



With your community standardized as to crop, you could 

 then have a community department of labor, just as the city 

 has its fire apparatus, sewer department, etc. The expense of 

 this universal equipment would be comparatively small to the 

 individual, and the work conducted by a special crew trained 

 and experienced for a particular service could be accomplished 

 more effectively and at less cost than in any other manner. Fre- 

 quently it costs as much to tone up the machine before using, 

 and pack away after using, as it does to do the work. Under 

 this plan this item would cost no more for many farms than for 

 one. Also it frequently requires some time for a crew to read- 

 just itself to a new job. All of this expense would be saved. 



There should be a community department of construction and 



