well into the 1950s and was eclipsed
only by the overwhelming spread of urban workers into the area in the
second half of the century. Until this development occurred, it was the
dairy farmer's life which set the style and pace of life in the county.

* * * * *

Mechanization and specialization of the family farm did not necessarily
lighten the farmer's workload. An electric machine could cut several
hours per week off milking time, but this time gain was offset by the
hours spent on sterilization and maintenance. Threshers eliminated the
time-consuming chore of hand-flailing the grain, but the farmer still
had to cut and stack his harvest, and it took several men a number of
days to run the machine. The grower was at the mercy of the machine's
owner as to the day and time he was able to thresh; here again, he lost
a measure of independence.[154] The excellent efforts of the Dairy Herd
Improvement Associations also produced work for the farmers, especially
those unaccustomed to bookkeeping. The landowner who had kept his
records in an old shoe box was now expected to record the precise weight
and butterfat content of the milk given by each cow, as well as the
market value, number of days tested and amount and cost of grain fed the
animal. The data shown in the Herd Record Books belonging to C. T. Rice
reveal them to be complex documents which required in addition to the
above information, hereditary records, descriptions of physical
features, and yearly and monthly production averages.[155] The efforts
were rewarding, of course, but, added to the farmer's already overloaded
day, the recordkeeping could be burdensome. Both Agents Derr and Beard
complained constantly of the farmer's reluctance to keep records and in
their attempts to increase the area's professional methods and pride,
they stressed the need to keep accurate accounts of the farm's
transactions.[156]

* * * * *

The advent of technological application in the farming sector was a
cause of both optimism and disquiet. It eliminated some drudgery, it
streamlined and modernized, but it also uprooted traditions and added
financial and emotional burdens to the already pressured farmer. To cope
with the new agricultural methods and outlook, farmers increasingly
chose to relinquish some of their independence and band together to
solve their problems.

[Illustration: "Hard Work Made Easy and Quick" wr