DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



119 



We must study with greatest care every possible way of remedying the 

 deficiency of rainfall; we must not shrink from great and expensive under- 

 takings in the way of irrigation. In the long run the man who devises 

 means of producing food where none was produced before, or of increasing 

 the yield of the land, will be looked upon as a greater benefactor than 

 any other discoverer or inventor. 



PROFESSOR HOLTON: 



The Secretary, Mr. Faxon, has a communication from Dr. Frank L. 

 McVey, president of the University of North Dakota, who was to have 

 taken part in this discussion tonight. Doctor McVey was chairman of 

 the recent Second Conference on Marketing and Rural Credits in Chicago. 



The Secretary will read the communication. 



SECRETARY FAXON: 

 Doctor McVey writes: 



"In response to the request of the Secretary of the Dry-Farming 

 Congress I have undertaken to set down briefly some points along the 

 line that I was expected to talk upon when invited to take part in this 

 program. 



"It was with the greatest regret that I was compelled to substitute 

 a paper presentation for a personal appearance. The exigencies of admin- 

 istration at this time, however, particularly in connection with some ques- 

 tions arising over the income of the university, have kept me at my post 

 and prevented my attendance upon the meetings of the Congress. 



"I trust, however, that I shall have the opportunity of appearing 

 before you at another time." 



The address of Doctor McVey follows: 



AGRICULTURE A BUSINESS 



Agriculture has just come into the position of a recognized business. 

 At the time the Country Life Commission was created President Roose- 

 velt put forth a formula for solving the rural problem. It was "better 

 farming, better business, better living." 



Better farming includes all three and means the application of modern 

 science to the practice of agriculture. Better business has reference to 

 the application of modern commercial methods to the transactions of 

 farming. First, as to the conduct of the farm, the keeping of accounts 

 and reducing it to a cost system; second, to the sale of commodities; and 

 third, the organization of sale methods. It thus appears that farming 

 must be better organized as to production, distribution and finance. 



Sir Horace Plunkett, the Irish cooperator, states that the farmers 

 must take notice and heed the economic law roughly stated, that things 

 must be done in a large way if they are to be done profitably. The 

 work of the Farm Management Division of the Department of Agriculture 

 has given the farmer pretty definite information about the cost of pro- 

 ducing various crops. It has also made numerous suggestions concerning 



