YARDSTICK for 



SUCCESS 



S3 HOST moriTAtu fAitiM 



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WHAT chance has a veteran to 

 make a success of farming? More 

 than 15,000 ex-G. I.'s in Illinois 

 receiving on-the-job training and 

 federal aid as hired men and 

 self-employed farmers are asking them- 

 selves this question. 



Probably no one is better fitted to help 

 them with the answer than M. L. Mosher 

 who has worked for 32 years with Illinois 

 farmers and their farm records. 



Mosher has observed the records of 

 thousands of Illinois farmers in his po- 

 sition as head of the Farm Bureau Farm 

 Management Service, a project of the 

 College of Agriculture department of 

 agricultural economics, University of Il- 

 linois at Urbana. 



He has found that through the years 

 certain traits of character and methods 

 of farming are common among the most 

 successful farmers. 



These guideposts can help veterans 

 decide whether their personal characters, 

 financial backing, and farming set-up are 

 such to insure a successful life as an 

 Illinois farmer, Mosher believes. 



It's just not possible to predict for 

 each veteran whether htf will succeed as 

 a farmer. But Mosher estimated that 

 eight out of ten will be successful if 



By LEW REISNER 



Field Editor, lAA RECORD 



they have a chance to get started. 



But first, Mosher often asks G. I. 

 classes, what constitutes a success.' 



Farming at its best provides, Mosher 

 says, these basic needs: a modern home 

 for every farm family, including the ten- 

 ants and hired men; all weather roads; 

 modern grade and high school education ; 

 hospital and medical service; good 

 churches with a resident pastor; a pro- 

 gram of recreation, and last, farming at 

 its best provides for old age security. 



"Successful farmers I have known who 

 provide these needs for their families 

 generally feel that their life as a farmer 

 has been well rewarded," Mosher has 

 found. 



And now, what traits of character do 

 most outstanding farmers have that young 

 men should look for in themselves? The 

 following are the ten Mosher considers 

 most important. 



First of all, Mosher says, most success- 

 ful farmers have a love for farm work 

 and farm life and have wives who share 

 this love with them. They take pride in 

 their work. , . * 



RECIPE FOR GOOD FARMING 



A SOUND LAND USE PRGRaM 

 A GOOD ROTATiON 

 SUITABLE LIVESTOCK 



HIGH CROP YIELDS 

 EFFICIENT LIVESTOCK 

 PLANNED USE OF LA50R 

 EFFECTIVE USE OF MACHINERY 



CONSERVATIVE BUILDINGS 

 ATTENTION TO PRICES 

 LARGE ENOUGH 



M. L. Moshar points 

 to chart showing 

 practices followed by 

 Miccessful, high-profit 

 . . farmers. 



S3 Itkil PROflTtfSU tkXtM 



:OIFFERCNCE 



BHUS $$; 



12 



What mokes one form more profitable than 

 another? Much Is due to the farmer him- 

 self, part to factors beyond his control. 

 Chart shows earnings of S3 most profitable 

 farms at $12,000 and S3 least profitable 

 forms at $4,900 from a total of 265 record 

 keeping fanners in North-Cemrol Illinois. 

 Years were 1944-4S-46, three high-farm- 

 profit years. 



Successful farmers study their farm 

 business constantly. One of the most 

 useful tools a farmer owns is his lead 

 pencil, Mosher has observed. They attend 

 field meetings, read bulletins, are alert 

 to new developments. 



They stay with chosen plans rather 

 than jump from one project to another. 

 In a year like the present a farmer who 

 is a heavy hog raiser may cut down but 

 he won't go out of the hog business. 



The most successful farmers practice 

 kindliness with livestock. They are 

 quiet around their stock and in general 

 are kindly men. They keep things clean 

 and neat. In a practical way this reduces 

 farm accidents and helps control animal 

 diseases. 



They are good neighbors. Sooner or 

 later nearly every farm family suffers 

 a serious accident — sickness, storm dam- 

 age, a fire — ■ and the good neighbor is 

 remembered and helped. They have the 

 will to do a good job and they are thrifty. 

 The family sized farm does not allow 

 for extravagant sfjending, Mosher has 

 concluded. 



In regard to thrift, and saving, Mosher 

 says the best farmers set aside savings 

 from good years to spend on moderniz- 

 ing the house and providing for those 

 things necessary to provide a successful 

 farm life. 



"You can't do this and pay for highly 

 inflated land, expensive farm buildings 

 and machinery beyond the needs of the 

 farm. Neither can you support the 

 liquor industry or pay gambling debts at 

 the expense of the family welfare." 



In the recipe for good farming (see 

 picture) Mosher says most important 

 to many veterans is getting a large 

 enough business for a good family liv- 

 ing. 



"Many veterans are buying farms that 

 are just too small to support a family 

 decently. They are buying them to qual- 

 ify for an extra two years of federal aid 

 (Continued on page 34) 



■ I. A. A. RECORD 



