Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-04-21
200, 900, 900 BREAKFASTS.
American Farmers Will be Able to Supply
Them F-w Years Hence
Secretary Rusk Says We Are Approaching
the Golden Era of Agriculture.

A correspondent recently asked the
secretary of agriculture whether the
American farmers would always be
able to supply thepeopIe OF the United
States with food if they continued to
increase as they do now.
Uncle Jerry replied at once in this
wise: always is q long time, but /
think can speak for good many
years to come. We have hardly be-
gun to tap the great agricultural
wealth OF the United States. 1t is true
that the day must soon come when
all the good public lands will be taken
up-the best are gone now-but after
that modern invention will turn
toward our vast areas of desert and
swamp. The first will be irrigated
and the latter will be drained. The
swamp lands of the south will be re-
claimed and diked. We will have a
second Holland along some parts of
the Gulf of Mexico and the golden age
OF farming will be at hand. AS this
goes on farms will steadily increase in
NstluC. IlltN alC Ilo" a. par vi
the aggregate wealth of the country.
Twelve years ago our five million
farms were worth 10000, 900, 900
and they produce yearly crops worth
more than 81 900, 100000. We talk
of the poverty OF the farmer, but by
the census OF 1880 the stock on the
farms alone was worth over 81 ,500,-
00O, 900, and by statistics which we
1, at a,,t,,,
our live stock is worth nearly twice
as much now. We know how to pre-
vent diseases OF stock and We have
gained also in better breeding and
better feeding. Today our best beef
is sold at two years old. 1t was not
many years since beef was not thought
to be beef unless the animal was at
least four years old, and yst the meat
of the two year old beeves of today is
OF the finest quality and it surpasses
in weight that of theaverage four year
old of wenty years ago. Where beeves
can he turned OFF in half the time, a
man can raise twice as many off the
same land, and the early maturity OF
our mutton and swine is today rs
marked as that of our beef.
"It is the same in all branches OF
porous era OF the farmer is lust begin
ming. The people of this world have
got to be fed, and their food must
come from the soil. We have 65,0OO,-
900 people here today. Twenty years
from now we will have 100000, 900,
and in less than two generations
200, ,oOO,O 900 Americans will wake up
every morning IN these United States
and cry to the farmers for breakfasts.
''The new organizations OF the
farmers" says Secretary Rusk, ''are
an indication of the growth of their in
tellectual life. They are thinking for
themselves and their ideas show that
they are awake and that they are
studying their own interests. | am
glad to see it. think the country Is
to be congratulated upon the awaken
ing interest which they have in politl-
cal affairs, and believe that they are,
by their numbers and their peculiar
position, well fitted to serve as bal
ance wheel in political matters. Ex-
| tremists may be found in their ranks
as in the ranks of all other classes,
| but in the future the capitalist Will
| learn to trust the farmer as man
who owns property and can never be
n communist; ana, on the other hand,
| the laborer will never become q mo-
nopolist. | do not apprehend that
the farmers will ever be a political
party of themselves in the United
States. Their interests are wrapped
mp in those OF the rest of the country
and their success forms the founda
tion of the success of all classes and
all industries. They will continue to
support such great ideas and public
questions as come before the country
and the differences OF opinion will be-
as great among them as among th'
members of the other classes. They
are the most conservative element o
the United States. They do NOR
honest thinking than the people o
the towns. They generate public sen
timent, and the majority are seldom
wrong