The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-11-01
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raising 100000 bushels of wheat.
Last year we exported 140,00O,000 bush
els. With 200,000,00O people we shall
require six and a half bushels per cap
ita for bread and seed. This will
amount to 1,300,000,000 bushels of
wheat, or twice as much as we raise
today. Where are we going to get the
bread to feed these 100000, 900 people?
This is your problem. 1t depends upon
you. If you do not cultivate your land
so as to make it worth more some
one else will move you off it and
do it,
Il do not talk of intensive agricul-
ture, but of intelligent cultivation,
such as raises 33 bushels of wheat in
Germany or $50 bushels of rice in
Japan, l believe the day of cheap
wheat is past. Recent years have seen
the upbuilding of the cities, but what
have we to maintain our cities ex-
cept the country? What foundation
have our cities. Lumber and mines
will pass. All of our wealth of the
future must come out of the soil. The
farmer is master of all if he knows
how to use his power"
Encouraging Outlook.
There are several important infiu-
ences at work that have strong ten
dency toward radical modification in
the methods that have prevailed in our
grain growing districts. First, per-
haps, we might place the growth of
agriculture Following the special de-
mands growing out of the Spanish
American, the English-Boer, and the
Japanese-Russian wars, there came a
great expansion of our manufactures
and commerce that favored a similar
development of our agriculture. This
is demonstrated by the increase in
value Oh agricultural products from
$4,717 100000 in 1900 to $8,000,00O,000
in 1908; by the increase in value of
farm products from $457 per capita
of farm population in 1900 to 1852 per
capita in 1908; and by the increase
of value of farm property per capita
of farm population from $1,95S in
1900 to nearly $2,4OO per capita in
1908
This favorable showing is a strong
drawing card toward the augmenta-
ton of the ranks of agriculturists by
additions from the rising generation
and from those who have followed
other vocations in life. Both these
factors tend to division of the larger
holdings and to greater concentration
of effort in the forms of intensive
agriculture.
Second the thoughtful men are con-
vinced that the time has come when
it is necessary to diversity our work in
agriculture, so that there shall not
be a continual drawing on the same
soil elements with the ultimate result
of crop failures, and so that the line
of application of effort may be more
uniformly extended throughout the
season and produce greater sum total
of results. To this end we have the
Farmers Institute work and that of
the Demonstration trains. The inf1u
ence of this instruction is widespread
and is taking deep hold on our
farmer friends.
Third, there is demand arising for
the application of knowledge and
practice of economics to the meth
DDS of agriculture. This leads to a
desire for a better knowledge of it's
underlying principles and their rela-
tion to the every day occurrences OF
life. Naturally this gives rise to
demand for closer relation of our
educational system to the operations
of nature that lie all around us. To
this end we see the introduction of the
agricultural high school and strong
demand for teaching agriculture in
the primary grades. When the rising
generation becomes imbued with the
idea that agriculture is respectable
occupation that combines pleasure with
profit, then will dawn brighter and
better day for the farmers.
Four steps in progressive agricul-