The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-01
N.Y.FARMSRUNDOWN
Agriculture Becoming a Lost Art in
That State.
METHODS ARE 0NsCIENTIFIC
o. G. Gregg Reports That Farmers
There Are Discouraged
and Apathetic.

The cheacest improved farms in the
country to-day, all things considered, are
In central New York in the estimation Of
no less expert authority than O. G.
Gregg, superintendent Of the Minnesota
Farmers Institute course. Mr.. Gregg
has Just returned from five-weeks' lee
turing tour with the farmers institute
staff Of that state. He has had valuable
expert assistance from two of New Yorks
successful farmers in his work in this
state during the past two years, and he
took the off weeks in his own work this
winter to pay them a return visit.
Mr.. Gregg found somewhat discour-
aging state Of affairs among the farmers
or that one-time famous agricultural sec
ton. Many have moved to the west and
among the remaining ones there is gen.
eral feeling that their section has seen it's
best days and can not hope longer to
meet successfully the competition Of the
west. The fine courage and hopefulness
of the western farmer is rarely found
there. Instead, there is gloom and dis
enlargement and general apathy.
After a careful study of the situation,
MT. Gregg became convinced that their
condition was nothing like as desperate
as the farmers themselves would make it
out to be- That section has still excel
lent agricultural possibilities and any
progressive western farmer would be per-
fectly safe, he holds, in selling out his
high-priced farm here and going down
there and starting over again.
Several causes have contributed to the
present conditions among the farmers of
New York." said Mr.. Gregg to-day in re-
viewing the situation as he saw it..
First, the land is in most cases badly
run down from overcropping and poor
farming methods. Too much Of the prot
it's of the farm must now be spent for
fertilizers. Deforestation has also con-
tr1buted to the result. Following the
| removal of the trees from the hills and
slopes, the rain washed the fertility away
and left unproductive land. The nigh
price of feed stuffs Is another par TO
profitable farming there. But the chlef
source of the trouble, In my opinion, is
the unprogressive methods OF the New
York farmer. was simply astonished to
see in that old, settled country how little
attention has been paid to scientific
breeding of dairy cows. The herds as a
rule are poorly bred, and, with the pre-
vailing high price Of feeds, can give put
very small margin of profit. am GER
tainly surprised at their lack OF apprecla-
ton of the value Of improved preedlng
methods. In this respect the farmers
there are much behind ours in Minnesota.
Inc S1lO, however, 1 lOuAu w NC IA oSiAoA W.
use, and this is good, so far as 1t goes.
1.-The remedy for the conditions there IS,
to my mind, to be found in more and bet
ter COWS, better feeding methods. re-
forestation Of the hills and slopes, great
er attention to the cultivation OF apples
and intensive farming of the land best mt
ted for agricultural purposes. There
will always be a good market for milk
in New York and the western apple can
never drive out the New York product.
The New York apple can hold its own
against the world. - a-.
Farms in the sections l visited are RI
diculously low in price. Many fine ones
are on the market at less than the cost
of the improvements that in their day
have commanded more than $500 per acre.
They offer fine opportunities to the enter
prising farmer l would not be afraid to
tackle one of those farms myself, even at
my age, and there would be money in it
for me to sell my OWN place down in
Lyon county and begin life anew down
there. l do not believe this condition
will continue indefinitely The time is
coming when the eastern farms of the
better grades are going to be I'M demand
again and when agriculture will show dis
tinct signs of revival"