Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-26
FARM is OUR HOPE. SAYS HILL.
Railway Builder Says Improved Meth
oda Ara NecasaAnx

FARM is OUR HOPE. SAYS HILL.
Railway Builder Says Improved Meth.
DDS Are Necessary.
Madison, Wis. Sept. 26.--"All the
| Important items In consumption and in
export show that we will have a hard
master to reckon with by the middle
of this century," said ]. J. Hill, in an
address to the Farmers National cons
gress. I'VE must develop from some
quarter and occupation a food supply
for more tlran 100000 additional
people. 1t should such as will main
tain q standard OF living no lower than
that which now prevails IL we are not
to witness terrible social and political
commissions.
1T Is as clear as amy future event
can be THAT THE farm is the only hope
of our national salvation. Just as 1t
Is today the real source of our wealth,
the handspring of our domestic COM
merce that exceeds the trade OF all
Europe combined, so must we draw
upon 1T for coming needs. All else
suffers progressive exhaustion and will
be a poorer dependence q generation
hence than 1t Is today. The soil alone
renews itself, endures patiently, and
is capable Of yielding increasing re-
wards."
Mr.. Hill told the congress that It
must concentrate Its efforts. 1t must
show how to make good the scarcity
OF food supply. The farmer must fur
nisl, an additional $600.00O,00 which
we have seen will be necessary by 1850
to sustain the people. This is the ma
tional problem, he declared. The aver
age yield Of wheat an acre in the I'm.
tied STATES is about fourteen bushels.
Great Britain, by studying THE ques-
'tion. has increased the yield In the
kingdom to thirty-two bushels; Ger
many, twenty seven, and so on. II
the yield in the United States could
be doubled we would perceive the
answer to the question that the fu-
ture asks.
There we see how the 2o0,00o,o0o
people or whereabouts dn the year 1850
are to be fed" he continued. Here
we see where the money must come
from for our nejhiomal support. 1t must
be earned by and paid to the farmers
OF this country. Only thus may we es-
cape an economic calamity more
threatening and more real than the
people! realize. It will not come by,
wishing for it or by law -anaking or. in
any other way than thru labor tntelh-
gently applied. 1t implies a greatly DIFF
ferent agriculture from THAT which now
prevails.
How 1t may be done has been exc
planned so often and is today so th7r-
oughly taught in every agricultural
college and at every experiment station
In the country that one. almost hesi-
tates to repeat il. It is possible ito
grow irom 1000 to 1000 grains OF
wheat from a single grain of seed. It Is
nothing more difficult than a better
system Of farming. The essentials of 1t
are a study of the soils and seeds, SO
to adopt ono to another; diversified
ton of industry, including the cultiva-
ton of different crops and the raising
of livestock; "a careful rotato n OF crops
50 that the land will not worn out
by successive years of single CROP
ping; Intelligent fertilization by this
system Of rotation; Ia careful SELECTION
OF grains used for seeds; and, first OF
all in Importance, the substitution OF
large farm, with it's weeds, it's neglect
ed corners, its abused soil and its thin
product The last makes room for the
rev population, whose added product
will help ito restore our place as an
exporter 'of foodstuffs.'
Mr. Hill said that when this nation
attains an agricultural e1ntnence where
il. will rank with other countries ana
grow twenty -eight bushels of wheat
where fourteen grow today, THE present
gigantic waste will stop.
eff associations as this congress can
stop the waste, it will pay for building
two Panama canals every year; 1t Will
In two years more than pay the esh-
mated expense of improving every
available waterway in the United
states: it will save more money to the
farmer than the railroads could df Ut
carried all their grain ito market free OF
charge he declared.