The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-05-08
Tntenalve Farmins.

Krapotkin told us In 1907 what had
been done up 10 that time with small
acreage by intensive cultivation, but
that was mostly in Europe, whereas II
10 America that now leads the world
in possibilities Of produce from the
soil.
'The farmer Heedeth ALL" but It IL
often forgotten that the farmer cloth
eth all and supplieth with nearly all
other things. Cotton, wool, hax, hemp,
dyes and the many products Of cattle
used in manufacturing come from the
farm, so that intelligence applied to
farming becomes one Of the most prof.
table az well as fascinating OF studies.
Many are beginning to feel that the
life on the land IL the natural life and
hope to find some way to live in more
normal surroundings.
The cry Of Back to the landr' and
the new desire OF almost everybody to
possess. II not a farm. at least a bit
Of Mother Earth, are the symptoms OF
a revolt from the constraint and uncer-
tainty OF city life. I'VE are not tied
to desk or 10 q bench. We stay there
because We think we are tied. We
may get loose ana trOt on II we WILL"
Intensive cultivation cannot be stud
led in any enc book. nor indeed can It
be mastered By any one man, but all
persons can learn from careful reading
what use can DO made OF their land
ana where they can get the detailed
information that they need to make
use Of II. Even a back yard or a
fence corner can be utilized 30 as to
add materially to the family resources.
The poor negro thought when he heard
that he was to be freed that he was to
have "ten acres and q mule" His
blind instinct told him that. divorced
from the land, there 10 no real freedom
for the laborer. He did not get even
the mule. and we have q 'iabor prob
lem" on our hands in the south in con-
sequence. Such difficulties win be
avoided by getting the people back to
the soil, close to tho cities, where they
can get at It without being rooted up
and put Into strange surroundings. Il
IL not necessary to 20 to the tropics to
realize the glowing prospects held out
by tho colonization companies. They
are more likely 10 DO realized at home.
In fact. most az those faroR schemes
turn out to bo Gold bricks instead Of
gold mines. The wise cultivatOr IL the
one who gets a small piece Of valu-
able land near to a market and makes
the very best possible use OF II by the
application Of such large intelligence
and such small capital a. q small ARA
requires.
The new science Of intensive farming
win not make n put In seeds with
one hand and draw cut profits with the
other" There are cases Of phenom-
email yields from virgin soils where
very little Intelligence has been ap-
piled. but virgin soils are scarce and
are almost always far from markets
or inaccessible to markets.
Sklllful choice Of place and seed.
care in transplantlng. nursing. spray
Ing. harvesting. packing and marketing
are necessary today to insure success
m cultivation. One thing only Is IN
noceesary-that l.. large areA. Today.
whether he has large capital or small.
the man who has three acres ana fol-
lows the modern methods b far more
likely to succeed than the man who has
threeseora
Those who wish to get the people
bach to the land. 10 relieve TIE eOnges-
ton OF the cities. to help tho lmmi-
mNnnAn A. arA 49,. unAn.n A.. In