Will the Burnt Farmer Put 
r 
A GENERAL CONDITION.—Last Spring I re¬ 
member seeing the statement of the Hope Farm 
man that he was in position to produce a lot this 
season, and intended to take a chance on high costs 
to make a good profit on his venture from the ex¬ 
pected high prices. Judging from the “Hope Farm 
Notes” of September 4, the Hope Farmer got burnt 
and is stirred up about it. We are all sorry for the 
burning, but glad for the anger. Most of us, wheth¬ 
er we took a chance on extra production or planted 
the usual quantity, are in the same stew kettle. I 
believe that present conditions are the best that we 
farmers could possibly experience if we will profit 
by the hard lesson. Probably the farmer is the 
poorest business man in the world. lie produces 
without reference to demand, sells for what he can 
get. regardless of cost, and buys in small quantities 
at prices which are established for him. I should 
lay the blame for the present situation right at'our 
own doors. 
COST OF PRODUCTION.—Why don’t we pro¬ 
duce according to the probable demand? Why don’t 
pooled the crop for five years and hired the best men 
they could get to handle, market and advertise the 
crop. Formerly the price was set by the buyers, and 
the growers and the little towns were poor; now the 
price is set by the organization, which controls prac¬ 
tically all the crop, and everyone is prosperous. One 
man couldn’t dominate the market; a hundred men' 
cannot dominate the market; but all the growers 
together can and do dominate the market and make 
money on their investment. That is what we farm¬ 
ers must do to put our business on a sound basis— 
organize to get power and use it! 
UNPAID LABOR.—I often think of that old to¬ 
mato grower who didn’t want to count his time in the 
cost of production. Some years ago, on every farm 
in this section, there lived a family who had been 
there for years. The farms are still known by the 
names of these former owners. All the family, 
father, mother and boys, worked hard and long. 
They didn't count the cost. They were satisfied with 
their living and a small surplus from the unpaid 
labor of wife and children. Through poor methods 
Out the Fire? 
count the cost? I am wondering how long I can 
.stand it! 
WHERE THE BLAME LIES.—With farming 
costs high or higher, and with prices in many cases 
far below the cost of production, the outlook is far 
from encouraging. If there is not a decided change 
the farmer of the future will be a man who is unfit 
to do more than slave along for a pittance. The 
brains will be elsewhere. But there is no one to 
blame but ourselves. The world is for the strong. 
Those who fight for their rights get them : those who 
wait for them keep on waiting. The middlemen will 
pay what they please just as long as we let them. 
The politicians will appeal to our patriotism and fix 
our selling prices and import Danish butter until 
our united strength is to be feared. They are not 
to blame. We are. 
FARMERS’ UNREST.—I think that there is a 
great unrest among farmers today. I believe that 
the near future will see a most remarkable change 
for the better in the business side of farming. The 
beginnings are certainly in sight. Threfore I rejoice 
A Hushing Bee in the Field. Plenty of Red Ears Here. Fig. S/IS 
"e get some idea of the cost of our fruit and grain 
iiiul truck, and combine to sell for a price that will 
insure a profit? Why don't we buy our feed and our 
fertilizer and our lime by the carload, in the best 
market, instead of by the ton at the local dealer’s 
price? Of course, we all realize that no man can 
tell what the harvest will be in a given year, but he 
can estimate from previous records what it is likely 
h> be. And as for figuring costs. I never think of this 
without recalling a meeting 1 once attended to fix 
ino price for can-house tomatoes. An old farmer got 
U P during the discussion with the following remark: 
"ell, now, I don’t think we ought to count in our 
111110 in figuring out the cost. If we weren’t raising 
tomatoes we might not be doing anything!” Fine 
reasoning. He might have been in town at GOc an 
hour! 
ORGANIZATION NEEDED.—Of course we must 
certainly realize that to control production, and to 
huy and sell effectively we must organize for the 
purpose. I have just been reading of the plan of or¬ 
ganization of the California raisin growers. They 
in many cases the farms decreased in fertility. 
Finally, the boys became disgusted with all work and 
no pay. and went to town. The old man tried to 
work the farm with hired help, found it unsatisfac¬ 
tory or unprofitable, moved to town, and rented his 
farm. A few years of shifting tenants and the farm 
was thoroughly run down. Now these impoverished 
farms change hands every year, to their further ruin, 
while their former owners eke out a miserable ex¬ 
istence in town, sighing for the good old days and 
casting a gloomy pall on the present. If they had 
only counted the cost of their labor and insisted on 
more than a bare living, how different the situation 
would be. I hire a very good man. who formerly 
owned his own farm, at $3.75 for a nine-hour day. 
Every week, to pay his wages. I have to sell one of 
the following things which I raise: A 150-lb. hog. a 
small calf, a ton of hay. 11 bu. of wheat (an acre, 
this year), 225 qts. of milk. 1.150 ears of sweet corn, 
350 eggs, three crates of strawberries, 15 baskets of 
No. 1 apples or peaches. If I continue farming I 
must hire this man or another like him. Shall I 
—rather grimly—when the Dope Farmer gets burnt, 
and when my neighbor gets burnt, and even when I 
get burnt, because I feel that we are all getting so 
mad about it that something is bound to happen. 
New Jersey. r. l. s. 
A Cargo of Wool in Port 
W E are drawing near the time for audible noises 
on choice patriotism from many who want 
office, and it will be fitting for voters, whether they 
believe in protection on wool or not, to read the 
following news item: 
Boston. July 23. — The American steamship West 
Isleta is in port_with a cargo of woo!, machinery. 1.700 
tons of rags. 525 bales of rags and cuttings, and many 
cases of dolls from Germany. 
I have a letter from a New York friend who tells 
me that an agent of an English clothing house is in 
the city; that he and many others are giving their 
measure for overcoats made from pure English wool 
at $45 and under, the same class that sells there at 
$S5 up. He says they have been buying other years, 
