The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-11-02

Essay Read By Dr.. ]. |. France Before the
Cecil Farmers Club October 18th.

nj any bulletin which announces the present
state and the probable future condition OF the
security and money market, you of course see at
once that a large proportion OF the space Is
occupied by discussions Of the weather, in general
with notes on the temperature, the amount OF
rainfall in the different sections OF the country,
the condition OF the cropsas a whole as compared
with previous years and the comparative NUMBER
of acres in the various crops and 1t IS most ap'
pareut that while bankers and capitalists OF our
large cities may have no interest in these mat
ters from the farmers point of view yet TINS In
formation is as vital to them as to the farmers.
The reason the prices of securities, the
value OF money and in fact the whole financial
fabric is SO absolutely dependent upon the con-
dition of the crops can be easily explained
There is but one explanation and that Is that
there ia in the world but one real form OF wealth.,
that is property that has real intrinsic vaine, ana
that form of wealth consists of the products OF
the soil or we may say, agricultural products'
Iron. steel and coal and similar products nave
some intrinsic value in far as they may be USED
for warmth or shelter but gold and silver, the
other precious metals and precious stones nave OF
course no real fixed nor intrinsic value liza goio
or silver dollar could not be converted INTO
wheat, corn, potatoes or some form OF lntrihslc
value it would itself be of no more use than were
the gold and silver OF Robinson Crusoe on the
deserted island Money is in short, as we all
know. merely medium of exchange and Is not
in itself wealth and when that which 1t must
buy. the products of the SOIL which sustain lie,
ia diminished the whole financial condition of-the
country is affected. Good crops in prospect,
cause a rise in the value of railroad, iron, steel
and bank stocks and indeed the stocks OF all IN
dustrial manufacturing concerns and financial
institutions On the other hand failure OF the
wheat or corn crop of the United States would
cause decline in the price of stocks, great rise
In the value of money and if the crop failure were
sufficient great financial panic.
Compared with the Importance and value OF
farms and farm products in the United states all
the other forms OF wealth and value are exceed
ingly insignificant. The railroads, the plants
and all of the products in year OF the Steel Oi
and Sugar Trusts and of all industrial enterprises
and all that they represent are trifiing compared
with the annual product of American farms
When YOU consider that in an average year such
az 1898, the value of the wheat, corn, OATS pota-
toes and cotton of the United States was about
two and a quarter billions OF dollars not to men
ton all of the other crops we gain slight con-
ception of the vastness of agricultural wealth.
Some man has calculated that the product OF the
American hen for six months exceeds the value
of the whole output of the United States Steel
Trust for year.
1t is not possible to adequately convey to the
mind such enormous values as those represented
above but enough has been said to show that the
values represented by commerce, manufacture
and all other activities are unimportant and
paltry when compared with the stupendous mag
nitude of the value of agricultural operations and
products and it is evident that all of these lesser
occupations and lines of activity are absolutely
dependent upon the great fundamental business
of agriculture
The state of the crops guages the measure OF
the country's prosperity at any particular mo-
ment and the future welfare and development OF
this country will depend absolutely upon the
amount of land under cultivation, the methods
employed in working this land and character of
the men engaged in agriculture. This fact is
being more clearly recognized by the thoughtful
men who are looking to the future, and very
excellent expression of it was that given recently
by Mr.. James ]. Hill. at the Minnesota State Fair.
Most of you may have read it but will quote in
part. He says:
"There must be a national revolt against the
worship OF manufacture, and trade as the only
forms of progressive activity and the false notion
that wealth built upon these at the sacrifice OF the
fundamental form of wealth production can
endure. The first requisite is clear recognition
on the part OF the whole people from the highest
to the lowest, that the tillage of the soil Is the
natural and most desirable occupation for man,
to which every other is subsidiary and to which
all else must in the end yield He said further
ssOur Industrial era will pass and in the end the
only hope will be the more intelligent develop
ment of our vast agricultural resources. Every
farm properly cared for should be worth more
money tor each year Gifts life."
In other words he says that manufacture, which
merely changes in form the fundamental wealth,
buying and selling and all lines of industrial
activity add in reality nothing to our national
resources and disaster stares us in the face and
our nation will become top-heavy, totter and fall
unless agriculture is placed first an occupation
in the minds OF all, and that after having been
put In its proper place men properly trained must
be attracted to it to carry it on iutelhgently and
scientifically.
There are two important steps which must be
taken therefore if national resources to be
developed: The occupation of agriculture must
be made to command the highest respect and our
educational methods must train and we'll eqnip
men for this line of work; aud secondly every
other means must be taken to prevent the ex.
haustion OF our naturally rich and fertile soils
The mere fact that a man is an Intelligent and
well trained farmer is not p sufficient guarantee
that he can proftably engage In agriculture and
so till and build up the soil of his farm that its
fertility will increase rather than decrease from
year to year He must. if he is to do this, be
be placed in position where he will not be com
PEELED in spite of himself to employ wasteful
methods Of agriculture in order to gain the i'm
mediate necessities OF life. 1 mean that it is i'm
possible for soil fertility to be maintained unles:
the farmer receives price for his crops which
will enable him to properly cultivate and till the
soil and add to 1t those ingredients which are
necessary to prevent deterioration, and to give
him over and above this a fair profit to pay fol-
his labor and the increase on his investment.
Not one of you farmers here can produce whest
at sixty cents per bushel and sell 1t at a profit
unless you take out OF the soil with that cror
more Of the natural fertility than you can restore
to 1t by the use OF proper fertilizers.
Vkshnv, ,ra ,varId hava nrlr M tural