LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



"Let the man who is without fault cast 

 the first stone," is the admonition of 

 WiUiam Twenhafel of Marion county in 

 answer to the five, faults city dwellers 

 found in farmers in a recent national poll. 

 His letter follows: 



In our Record for May there was a write- 

 up about "The Farmer's Faults." I for one 

 don't think our city friends are in the top 

 bracket either. 



Their crack about us being "too narrow 

 and provincial " is all wet; for there are any 

 number of city people who are more homely 

 and unpolished than any farmer ever could 

 be. 



Next they say we are "always complain- 

 ing." Have you ever heard of a farmer 

 striking over some trivial thing P 



Third, they say we are "poor managers." 

 Well, if they know so much, why don't they 

 come out and show us how to farm. So, 

 we won't learn new methods? Well, if 

 we had to depend on city people for advice 

 they'd all be starving right now. 



And they say we are "stubborn." To that 

 I say if we were as stubborn as they think 

 we are we would get rid of our hogs and 

 not buy $1.60 corn to feed to $14.80 hogs. 



And now the last fault. TJiey say we 

 get "too much money for what we raise, " 

 If I lived in the city, I would be the last to 

 make this complaint. Many workers paid 

 |2 to $3 an hour are getting far more than 

 they are worth. They should know too that 

 the average farmer has about a $6,000 in- 

 vestment, whereas the city bird needs no 

 more than street care fare to get to work 

 until pay day. 



- ---, William Twenhafel 



Marion County 



Also aroused by the fault finding of 

 urban dwellers, 67-year-old Edna Grein 

 of Champaign county reminds them of a 

 few things they might not be aware of: 



First, it takes a lot of money for farm 

 machinery in original cost and upkeep and 

 that doesn't take into account the cost of 

 the land and buildings. In fact, very few 

 farmers ever become well enough off to 

 wholly own their farms. 



Which brings us to the point that farm- 

 ers are among those most poorly paid for 

 their labor. And there is more to farming 

 than just talk. Work on the farm isn't 

 all riding on a tractor. There are a thou- 

 sand things to do and the farmer has to 

 know what he is doing. 



And you never know what kind of a crop 

 you will raise. Poor, medium or good, it 

 takes the same amount of labor to get it. If 

 it isn't rain, it's drouth or bugs. 



He has to be around the farm seven days 

 a week to do his chores. There is no eight- 

 hour day on the farm. 



So if the city people want to work, I can 

 tell them from many years of experience that 

 the farm is the place to find it. 



Edna Grein, 

 Champaign County 



In the May Record, I read about "Our 

 Faults". Speaking as a farmer this is my 

 opinion. How many city people really know 

 anything aix>ut the farm.' How I would like 

 to give them a workout. Do they know what 

 it takes to be a farmer? 



City people think you can sit under a shade 

 tree while the wheat, corn, oats, hay, by some 

 mysterious method, get harvested and in the 

 bms and barns. Perhaps they better come and 

 see. Just now the farmer is really busy. Up 

 at 3:30 and 4 o'clock and work till 7:30 — 

 supper at 8 — sometimes even later. 



How many city people could take even one 

 week of that? Then, our work is dirty and 

 I'll say most farmers don't even have modern 

 homes — not even a bathroom. How would 

 they like that? 



It certainly would be too bad if the farmer 

 should strike as they do in the city. Shame 

 on them, it's a disgrace to the American peo- 

 ple. And as far as receiving too much money 

 for what they raise, how would they know ? 

 Let's take chickens. Baby chix are high. 

 Feed is very high. Start and grow mash is 

 $4.25, egg mash $3.85, corn $1.40. "Vou 

 don't get a thing out of your work. Keep- 

 ing poultry houses clean is no little job, and 

 eggs only 28c per dozen. 



It's the middle man who gets the profit, 

 and the poor farmer does the work. Now if 

 these city slickers think the farmer is getting 

 rich, perhaps they better give it a try. Seeing 

 is believing. 



— M. Mills 



Gallatin County 



Again, we open our Poet's Corner to 

 our genial organization director for Dis- 

 trict One (the northern third of the 

 state), Harry Claar, who combines his 

 ballads with his philosophy. If you 

 think you can do as well as Harry, 

 send us your contributions. 



TO A FIELD 



The same old fields are lying there 



Our fathers used to till. 

 The peeping corn, the waving grain 



Still greet us with a thrill. 



"Yes, time has flown, change has come 



With advancing civilization. 

 But time means little to a field 



Where God reveals creation. 



The basic wonder changes not 

 Through many thousand years 



With proper stewardship of these fields 

 Each spring new life appears. 



Their beauty bursting shells have marred 

 Kind hosts, to evil hordes are they. 



"Yet, for each scar their bosom bears, 

 A weaker world must pay. 



No marching horde or bursting shell 



Will e'er make us secure. 

 But wisdom in a auiet field 



Will after all endure. 



Yea, then in the last analysis 



Man's only trusty shield 

 Is the peeping corn, the waving grain 



Each spring in the lowly field. 



or Long Green 



{Editor's Note: This poem was inspired 

 by the back cover page of the May issue 

 of the lAA Record which pictured a 

 sphinx with a headline "Silence Is Not 

 Always Golden.") 



SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN 



Silence is not golden when there is a 

 story to be told. 

 The cause of a people demands to be 

 sold. 

 The farmer was silent while others com- 

 plained 

 Too busy at sowing and harvesting 

 grain. 



When classes would gather and plan for 

 their cause 

 There was no one to speak for the 

 world's Santa Claus. 

 At home and bedraggled without compass 

 or plan 

 Growing food for the masses and de- 

 leting the land. 



When there is no one to speak in defense 

 of a cause 

 Advantages are taken without thought 

 or a pause 

 Though guilty they stand to a certain 

 degree 

 The farmer must accept that more 

 guilty was be. 



Necessity mothered the need of a plan, 



An organization united to stand 

 With leaders well chosen for justice to 

 seek 

 Endowed with understanding and the 

 courage to speak. 



All hail to the day when the farmer 

 organized 

 Respected by all, even those who 

 criticized 

 His silence was broken, the story pro- 

 claimed 

 A position among men he at last had 

 attained. 



The problems are many, there will be 

 many more 

 Let us roll up our sleeves and do as 

 before 

 There is more to this job than corn, 

 wheat, and barley 

 Every lad must roll out and back up 

 our Charlie. 



Fritz Louderspeck 



Letters to the Editor are wel- 

 comed from readers on any sub- 

 ject related to agriculture. Writers 

 should sign letters with name and 

 address. Names may be withheld 

 if desired. Address Letters to the 

 Editor, Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion Record, 608 South Dearborn, 

 Chicago 5, ///. 



TUNE, 1946 



17 



