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The Commoner
VOL. 15, NO. 10
. 26
In the Field of Agriculture
0UMMARY OF STATE LEGISLA
TION ON RUItAIi CREDITS
Myron T. Herrick, formerly am
bassador to Franco, has prepared for
tho New York Herald a list of all
tho laws that havo been enacted In
the United States dealing with rural
credits. Concerning tho legislation
on thin subject tho Herald says:
"Eighty-six bills on tho subject
have been introduced in congress. Tho
special joint committee of tho house
and senato is now at work upon a
new bill which must bo reported not
later than January 1. In every agri
cultural stato some action has been
taken for tho promotion of rural
credits. Tho following list, compiled
by Mr. Herrick, is tho first complete
summary to bo published:
"California A law on mortgage
insurance companies; also a resolu
tion submitting to the people at a
special election on. October 17 an
amendment to tho constitution to en
able the state to use its cash and
credit for farmers
"Indiana A law on rural loan and
savings associations.
"Kansas A law authorizing build
ing and loan associations to issue
ife privileged rural credit share; also a
law permitting a holder of a farm
mortgage (deposited with the state
treasurer) to issue debentures certi
fied by that offlcial to the effect that
to tho security is ample and the title
perfect, x
"Louisiana Constitutional amend
ment authorizing the exemption from
taxation of lands improved for home
steads by or for immigrants.
"Massachusetts A law on credit
union; also an amendment authoriz
ing these thrift societies . to issue
bonds and mako 40-year farm mort
gage loans; also a law on farm land
banks.
"Missouri A special act creating
a public land credit bank to be man
aged by the governor and other state
officials and to issue bonds guaran
teed by the state. -
"New York A law on credit uni
ons; also a special act creating 'The
Land Bank of the State of New
York.
"North Carolina A law on credit
unions; also a law on land and loan
associations.
JJNorth Dakota A resolution to
amend constitution to permit use of
atate's fundB and credit in forming
agricultural credit associations.
:. "Oregon A law on credit unions;
I also a law on co-operative banks.
"South Dakota Resolution to
amend constitution tp enable state or
' contiguous counties to maintain sys
tem of rural credits and farm land
loans.
"Utah A law on co-operative
banks for personal credit; also a law
on co-operative land banks.
"Wisconsin A law on co-operative
credit associations; also a law on laud
mortgage associations.
"A clause in tho federal reserve act
authorizing reserve banks to dis
count six month live stock paper;
also a clause authorizing any nation
al bank (not situate in a reserve city)
to invest one-fourth of capital and
surplus or one-third of its timo de
posits in live year farm mortgage
loans.
"Philippines A special act on the
government 'Agricultural bank.'
"Puerto Rico A special act on
the Insular bank of Puerto Rico "
BOYS' AND GIRLS' AGRICUL-
TNRAL CLUBS
A prominent feature of the exten
sion work now being conducted by
the United States department of ag
riculture is the aid given in tho pro
motion and conducting of boys' and
girls' agricultural clubs. These clubs
are being formed in rural public
schools in connection with the courses
in elementary and secondary agri
culture. The office of extension work
in the northern and western states
maintains a section with a leader and
assistants who give their entire time
to the organization and supervision
of the club Work, in co-operation with
suggestive of plans for the formation
of clubs to work along other lines.
The teacher is, of course, the one
to determine whether tho organiza
tion of a school club is practicable
and desirable. If he desires to form
a club and has become familiar with
the plans, projects, rules, etc., of
clubs, he should call a meeting for
organization of as many boys and
girls of the school district as can be
brought together. It would be well
to Invito the patrons of the school
and have the extension representative
(county agent) for the county give a
talk on the agricultural club require
ments and work. If. possible, the
county superintendent of education
and the state leader in charge of club
work should be present at this meet
ing and aid intthe organization work.
A simple form of constitution and set
of by-lawa may be adopted, and the
regular officers of the club elected
may include a supervisor, president,,
vice president, secretary, treasurer,
and program committee.
PLOW WITH CARE;
REASON
THERE'S A
The chief reason for plowing is to
put the soil in shape to produce good
crops. For best results .the plowing
must be done at the right time. Grain
crops in particular need generous
supplies of readily available plant
food early ir tho season, says A. C.
Arny, of tlia Minnesota University
dairy and animal husbandry division
at th Minnesota Experiment staff
All cobwebs should be brushed down
and tli walla and ceiling should bo
whitewashed or painted some licht
color. Either whitewash or paint
will give a clean surface and make
the whole stable look, lighter and
brighter. It mlcrht ho WAu .
put in a few extra windows. ' '
x uo uairy cow nas had the freedom
of the pasture and the fresh air of
the fields for the last five months
she has nracticallv mnintonn,i i '
self and produced milk upon succu
lent feed; she will soon be returned
to mo uarn wnere sue will spend the
greater part of each day. It should
be the aim of every keeper to sec to
it that his cows are housed as com
fortably as nossthlfi nnd n-nn-TAA
with a goodly quantity and variety of
iictiiiLame ieeu mat will nourish her
abundantly and heln her nmAuna
js- .w- jvV. U.VV till
even flow of milk.
The right kind of a cow will repay
with interest fiverv frpnt invootn .
her comfort for warmth, light, ven
tilation, ana reea. if she is not com
fortably housed her returns will be
cut down in proportion to her discomfort.
GRAIN SAVED BY FEEDING-FLOORS
fafm 'Pfi orof ttk in fhn TinWhTiroaf
J? "JLS??f5 My Ml-plowln6 for grain crops is
to be preferred. This allows the
cultural colleges in practically all of
the states. The office of extension
work in the south maintains a similar
organization and in addition has
more than 400 county women agents
who give special attention to girls'
club work. The state leader in club
work at the agricultural college is
usually the joint employee of the de
partment and the state college and
represents both institutions alike.
Thus, through the assistance of the
state leader the boys and girls are
brought into and become a part of
needed changes that- take place in
loosen i soil to get started early and
to continue until the ground is frozen.
The result in productive soils is tfie
accumulation throughout the cool fall
months of plant food and this iseas
ily Uken up by the grain plants the
following spring.
For the corn, black loam soils
should be plowed in the fall. On the
heavier clay soils spring plowing for
corn is often preferable.
Good plowing means more than
tions for "club work.
Club work, especially among the
young people, is receiving more and
more attention from those interested
in the improvement of the social, ed
ucational, and financial conditions of
farm life, and clubs are being organ
ized to work in various ways toward
the betterment of some or all of those
conditions. The plan of organization
and scope of the activities of school
clubs briefly outlined below apply
particularly to boys' and girls' agri
cultural clubs. They are, vhowever,
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hntfc thn HtntA nnri national nrmiTilBfi. "?" A"v"1"b "" """"
inns wii, woir making the field appear black. It
means more than ' making straight
furrows. However, a good plowman
usually makes straight furrows. In
a well plowed fiel 1 the soil is stirred
and pulverized to the depth indicated
as necessary by the kind of soil and
the crop to be grown; and the stub
ble and rubbish arj completely turned
under where it will be out of the way
and quickly decomposed. For most
crops, derp, rather than shallow plow
ing, is the best practice.
To do good work with a minimum
of power, plows must be equipped
with properly shaped and sharpened
shares. A good share allows a plow
to run true and little or no effort is
necessary to hold it in place.
To turn under all rubbish a good
jointer properly adjusted is necessary.
No stubble or weeds are left sticking
up between the furrows where a good
jointer is used.
Keep the plowshare properly
shaped and sharpened. Use a jointer
so that all rubbish is turned under
completely. Increase the depth of
plowing an inch or two each year for
several seasons.
BARGAIN OFFER
For Limited Time to New or Renewing Subscribers
THE COMMONER and Thrice-a-Week
NEW YORK WORLD, both
One Full Year for Only $1.15.
Address Order to THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Nebr.
HOUSE-CLEANING FOR THE COWS
PAYS
ft.n?'Sf e the dairy cow Is taken
from the pasture. ia i t,i t.
Ut... i.i ' -w ". Duuum ue
luuiuugmy ana Rvotnmnit n
S cleaned, says G. W. arttaSSTStttS
Those who have used feeding-floors
for their hogs have found them to bo
good grain-savers, and concrete feeding-floors
are. coming into favor, says
a bulletin of the Minnesota Univer
sity farm.
Such, a floor "should be 6 inches
thick, and, if not laid against the
barnyard pavement, should have a
curb extending for 12 to 18 Inches
below-the surface of the ground. This
will prevent the hogs from rooting
under the floor. The floor should
slope slightly toward one corner in
order tp carry off rain, or water used
in washing-. A rim around the out
side edge will prevent grain from be
ing pushed off into the mud.
Fkor feeding-floors concrete should
be mixed in the proportion of 1 sack
of Portland cement, 2 cubic feet of
clean coarse sand, graded up to one
fourth of an inch, and cubic feet of
hard, durable gravel or broken stone
from one-fourth of an inch to one
inch in diameter. Eleven sacks of
cement will make enough concrete
for 100 square feet of feeding-floor.
The concrete should be thoroughly
mixed and should contain enough wa
ter to make ttie mass quaky so that
the concrete will flatten out of its
own weight. It should be lightly
tamped, however, then leveled off
with a straight edge, and finished
with a wooden float. The floor may
be laid in slabs each 6 feet square, 2
inch lumber being used for forms.
Feeding-floora should be large
enough to give each hog 18 square
feet. of space.
THE FARM WOOD-LOT PROBLEM
The farm wood-lot problem may be
put in our words. It is the problem
of making the wood lot pay, says the
Year Book of the United States de
partment of agriculture. Farmers can
no more afford to keep unprofitable
land than they can afford to keep
unprofitable cows. Idle land which
is not growing more valuable is like
a boarder In tho dairy herd; it eats up
part of the profit made elsewhere.
Good farm management may or may
not call for the opening of an actual
book account with the wood lot, due
every good farmer needs to know at
the close of the year whether he is
richer or poorer for his timbered
It'costs money to hold land. .Every
acre means carrying cost. The ten
ant farmer pays this cost in rent. Tho
man who works his own farm should
be able' to earn at least rent and
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