THE 



ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION RECORD 



To advance the purpose for which the Farm Bureau was organized, namely, 

 to promote, protect and represent the business, economic, social and educa- 

 tional interests of the farmers of Illinois and the Nation, and to develop 

 agriculture. 



THt STATE FARM 

 BUREAU PUBUCATION 



CONSERVATION AND PRICE ^<, Pr..Ueni CUes E. Sk 



IT WAS my privilege recently to ride in one of the giant 

 Constellation air liners. The one hour and thirty-five 

 minute flight from Kansas City to Chicago was the reg- 

 ular daily routine for the efficient crew and just another 

 pleasant flight for most of their fifty 

 passengers. To me, with the checker- 

 board of recently planted fields spread 

 out like a great map far below, it 

 proved to be a lesson in conservation. 

 We crossed the Missouri and the Mis- 

 sissippi, the Illinois and the Fox, each 

 carrying great loads of black mud. 

 Every few minutes another acre of 

 good corn belt top soil was on its way 

 to the Gulf. 



Every farmer who is not yet con- 

 vinced that conservation of soil and natural resources is one 

 of our most serious and immediate problems should see his 

 own and his neighbors' farms from the air. Nothing is 

 concealed! Every wash, every draw, each gully extending 

 its clutching fingers back for more soil, even the high spots 

 worn thin by sheet erosion; all are revealed. 



The ravages of erosion are not the only conservation 

 deficiencies that are apparent. . . . There are thousands of 

 acres of thin, scrubby timber land unfit for grazing but 

 capable of greatly increased production of badly needed 

 lumber if replanted and given proper forest management. 

 Other thousands of acres of worn out pasture land are pro- 

 ducing at a fraction of what the potential capacity of this 

 land would be under proper soil and pasture management 

 practices. Buildings and fences are decaying, roads are 

 unsatisfactory, homes and schools are badly in need of mod- 

 ernization both within and without. Even the people them- 

 selves are feeling the effects of our exploitation of natural 



untan 



resources. These are conditions as they are today in Amer- 

 ica — in Illinois. 



We are slowly awakening to our danger. Through 

 4-H, Vocational Agriculture and Agricultural College train- 

 ing we are preparing our young people to do a better job 

 of conservation. Our hopes for an advancing civilization 

 depend largely upon how well these young folks learn their 

 lesson. Through the Extension Service, AAA programs, 

 Soil Conservation Districts and widespread publicity, farm- 

 ers are learning how the soil conservation job can be done. 

 Professional agricultural engineering and contracting serv- 

 ices will probably soon be conveniently available. Despite 

 handicaps of material and labor shortages, farmers have, 

 during recent years, used more lime, phosphate and more 

 improved conservation practices than ever before. 



The big problem today is one of accelerating these 

 programs even more. Some are saying that all we need is 

 larger federal appropriations, more experts, more benefit 

 payments and more publicity. These p)eople forget one of 

 the primary essentials for the success of an expanded con- 

 servation program. Maintenance of a parity price level for 

 farm products is absolutely essential if farmers are to be 

 expected to maintain and rebuild our national soil resources. 

 When the general price levels collapse, farm prices usually 

 fall farther and faster than the prices of the things they 

 must buy. Under these conditions, the individual farmer 

 is forced to mine his soil and cut capital expenditures to the 

 minimum. Farmers through their state and national farm 

 organizations are wisely insisting that a fair price level for 

 farm products is the first essential to a long time conserva- 

 tion program. Subsidies, benefit payments and technical 

 advice will be relatively ineffective as an offset to a major 

 price disaster. It is in the interest of the National welfare 

 that continued agricultural price parity be a reality. 



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JULY-AUGUST, 1946 • VOLUME 24, NUMBER 7 



njJNOIS AGRieXILTURAL ASSOCIATION 

 OFnCEBS 



Prendmt, Charl** B. Sbuman SulliTan 



Vics-President, Floyd E, Morris Buffalo 



Sacrotary. Paul E. Mathiai Hinsdale 



Fi*ld Sec, Geo. E. Metzger. _ Chicogo 



Treasurer. R. A. Covrles Jloomin^on 



Asst. Treas.. A. R. Wright __ Varna 



Comptroller. C. C. Chapells Chicago 



General Counsel. Donald Kirkpotrick. Chicago 



BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

 (By Congressional Districts) 



1st to nth. Jlorroy W. Adair, Chicago Hts. 



I2th- C. I. Elliott, Strsator 



13th _ Homer Curtiss, Stockton 



Uth. Otto Stelfey. StronghursI 



15th Ronald A. Holt, GaWa 



IStJi „ Russell V. McKee. Varna 



17th Charles Laurttzen, Reddick 



18th John T. Evans. Hoopeston 



19th. Milton W. Warren, Mansfield 



20th. K. T. Smith, Greenfield 



21sl Dan L. Clarke. New Berlin 



22nd J. King Eaton, Edwordsville 



23rd _ Chester McCord, Newton 



24th _ -Lyman Bunting, Ellery 



2Sth. - - -August G. Eggerding. Red Bud 



DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS 



Dairy Morkoting Wilfred Show 



Fruit and Veyelabls Marketing L. L. Colvis 



Grain Marketing George H. Iftner 



Legal „Donald Kirkpatrick 



Live Stock Marketiag S. F. Russell 



Office C. E. lobnston 



Organisation _ „ -O. D. Brissenden 



Produce Marketing _ F. A. Gougler 



Publicity _ -Creston Foster 



Research and Taxation. L. H. Simerl 



Rural School Relations Tohn K. Cox 



Safety - _ -W. W. Wbitlock 



Sales Service W. P. Sandiord 



Special Services Roy P. Johikson 



Transportation-Claims G. W. Baxter 



Young People's Activities Ellsworth D. Lyon 



ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS 



Country Lite Ins. Co Dave Mieher. Mgr. 



Country Mutual Fire Co. J. H. Kelker. Mgr. 



Country Mutual Casualty Co A. E. Richardson, 



Mgr. 



ni. Agr. Auditing Assn C. E. Strand, Mgr. 



ni. Agr. Service Co Donald Kirkpatrick, Sec. 



111. Co-op Locker Service C. F. Musser, Mgr. 

 111. F. Bur. Serum Assn. S. F. Russell, Sec.-Mgr. 

 111. Farm Supply Co. C. H. Becker. Mgr. 



111. Fruit Growers' Exchange L. L. Colvis. Mgr. 

 ni. Grain Corporation Frank Haines, Mgr. 



ni. Livestock Mktg. Assn. H. W. Trautmann, Mgr. 

 ni. Milk Producers' Assn. Wilfred Shaw. Mgr. 

 Prairie Forms Creameries T. B. Counties, Mgr. 

 111. Wool Mktg. Assn. S. F. Russell, Sec.-Mgr. 



Editor, Creston Fester. Ass't. Editer, James C. Themson. Field Editor, Lewis A. Relsner. 



The Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD is published monthly except August by the Illinois Agricultural Association at ISOI W. Washington Road. 

 Mendota, 111. Editorial Offices. 608 So. Dearborn St.. Chicago, 111. Entered as second class matter at post office. Mendota. 111., Sept. 11. 1336. Accept- 

 ance for mailing at special rate of postage provided in Section 412, Act of Feb. 28, i925. authorized Oct. 27, 1935. Address all communications for 

 Bublicatien to Editorial Offices. Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD, 608 So. Dearborn St.. Chicago. The individual membership fee of the 

 linois Agricultural Association is five dollars a year. The fee includes payment of fifty cents for subscription to thelUinois Agricultural Association 

 RECORD. Postmaster: Send notices on Form 3578. Undeliverable copies returned under Form 3579 to editorial offices. SOS So. Dearborn St., Chicago. lU. 



JULY-AUGUST, 1946 



