Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-03-17
The Future of Farming.

retary of agriculture during President HaT-
rison's administration. Though it occu-
pies only eight pages it contains much
food for thoughtful consideration and we
believe every intelligent farmer would
read it with interest and profit
At the outstart the writer states that 1t
il from his recollections of farm life, coy-
er1ng q period of over forty years, that he
gathered material upon which to predi-
cate some Of the changed conditions which
will attend the growth OF our country dur
ing the next century" After referring
briefly to the days of the fail and the old
fashioned plow, he divides the changes
that have taken place into four classes; (l-)
Extent and character of oCr population.
e. Methods of farming. (3.) Our trade
relations, both interstate and Information
al. al The conditions of rural life. In
the past fifty years our population increas-
ed from 1900, 600 to 62,000,0 900, while
'.the age of steam and electricity" and the
opportunities for the rapid accumulation
of wealth, have "drawn from the health
full, peaceful and reasonably prosperous oc-
cupation of agriculture many of the brain
lest of our young Americans, whose
"places have been largely taken BY foreign
ers." This change in the character OF the
agricultural population Secretary Rusk
thinks will be less marked in the future.
On this subject he says:
chould our population increase as rapid
Iv during the coming hundred years a; ID
the mast fifty, il Will not be less than four
hundred millions. / am, however, inclin-
ed 10 think it will not 30 increase, for one
thing. we will not have the same induce
ments TO offer to immigrants. Wnen the
price of land goes up, as 1t is bound 70 90,
and it's aquisition requires more money;
when more capital is required 70 unoertahs
| farming. except on the smallest scale, ana
| truck farms mar cities bring high rent
| and call for the greatest intelligence as
| we'll as industry on the part Of the farmer
| one of the chief inducements to foreign
| ers seeking our shores, namely, the aqulsi-
| RON NJ farms of their own, will disappear
| Ar the same time the liberal tendencies Of
/ all civilized countries, even under mon
| archial governments, will lessen the num-
| har of those who leave the older countries
l for the sake of greater political freedom
Tmmioration to the United States will con-
sist more and more of few comparatively
| well do persons, seeking opportunities
for the profitable investment OF small
capital, and who possessing some ednca'
ton and training in the art OF sef-govern-
tment will readily amalgamate Win our
own ueopls. or of the poorest classes wen
content to serve for a time in the ranks OF
| Iahor nroyided the rate of wages is high
enough to reward their frugality with mod
l crate savings.
Inside the next century be predicts that
avery acre OF land viii be in the possession
of private owners and will be taxed TO sup
| uIv ths neads of our three or four hundred
r,illion people. Irrigation will reclaim
| miIIions of acres now unproductlve; "care
and feeding will convert the now common
ly accented ratio Of four acres 10 one co"
into something more like four COWS 10 one
acre. "science aided by necessity, VIII
have solved the problems OF ieeding, SO a.
l TO secure the maximum result ior Ine MN MI,
;mum feed" waste products Will be utll
;zed in A hundred different ways not now
dreamed of" remedies will prevent the in
iuries whether by disease or insects
whereby agriculture to-day loses hundreds
| of millions of dollars yearly.
One of the most striking propnesles ne
| ventures to make Ia that the richest lpherl
lance a man can leave TO his grandchild
| rem will be a farm OF broad fertile acres II
the United States.
| Secretary Rusk thinks land situated
| near cities will become more and more val
uable and "every acre will be taxed TO it,
utmost capacity to supply the needs ant
IuKuriss Of the city people" Methods
/ tilIage will demand constant personal su
| pervision of the owner and this OF neces
II r. fnwy
| those days the exigencies OF farm life VII
| tar Ali the brain power and business quail
ifications of man whose life work VII
| require a better education, in the scien
1 tific branches at least, than that OF fh'
/ merchant or the banker, or even the law
lyer."
Further improvements in farm imple
l ments are not TO be anticipated, tho1gf
certain operations will be performed o
| electricity. 'The changes in our Tethod
| of farming in the future will be brouRn
| about by a wide knowledge and aPpiica
cation Of scientifc principles" =,
1t is not likely that trade relations WI
| exercise so great an influence in the chang
es of the future as they have in the past
} We will grow Just about enough TO keel
ourselyes, expectation of food product
| will cease. and our trade in farm product
| will be interstate.
Secretary Rusk says that 'it Is IN tn'
| conditions of rural life To which look io
the greatest change, amounting TO yerti
able Transformation. The isolation Of farn
life will not then be. "The average slz'
| yf farms will be considerably less thar
now Near cities there will be muci
greater number Of small farms "The 70
| suit of this will be a greater concenua
ton of population in rural districts ans
hence far less isolation" Good roads VII
also diminish isolation and electric motor
will traverse all principal thoroughfares
"The telephone will be found IN ever
farm house" and Mr.. WanamakeTs dream
OF "a rural mail delivery W hich will carr
mails daily TO every farm house IN IN
, land will be realized. The inconver
iences which prejudice many against coun
: try life will disappear and "the busines
and professional men will look forward u
| the aauisition of wealth as a means for Sc
, curing home in the country. Whei
} the country home has comfort ana cuitur
az it now unqueationably has healthiulneA
"no argument will be- needed to prove u
superiority
Il will make many Of our farmers wisl
they could come back TO the scenes
( their early labors hundred years hence
to read 'Uncle Jerry's" glowing pfoPhe
sizes Of the days TO come, but it might de,
stroy their pleasure To be denied the pnvl
Iege OF telling of those 'good old times
, when mad roads were impassable for Il,
monts Of the year. Though the old timer
story be spoiled, may |Uncle Jerrys
. 4 z~n.h.nf.. bava tifsraI fulflmenti