The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-26
FARMERS MUST PAY
NATIONS BREAD BILL
They Afs Therefore Awake to The Need
Of Conserving The Lands Re
sources in Best Possible Way

Washington, Oct. 26.-Thc section Of
lsnd- Of the national conservation com.
mission Is making rapid progress
towards the completion o. is share Of
the inventory Of natural resources
which the commission is making This
section has charge Of the investigation
into the present condition and use Of
agricultural land. aud the statistics on
which Il will tase its report are practi-
cally all in hand.
Two exceedingly interesting questions
upon which the section Is gathering
data are whether the tendency is
towards larger or smaller farms and
whether soil produotiyeness per acre Is
increasing or diminishing. The an
swers 10 these questions are not only
vital al present since they will indi-
cate whether there Is noticeable trend
towards monopoliza,ion Of the soil and
whether the diminution % fertility
which Is known to have taken place in
some districts is general, but they are
peculiarly significant in connection with
the prediction that within half a oen-
fury the population Of the United
States wifi reach 100000 600
James J. Hill, the railroad organizer,
who presented some startling figures
on soil waste az the White House con
ference Of governors last May, said re-
Gently that all the natural resources Of
the country put together win not be
able 10 furnish profitable employment
for such a population without conser.
Yation Of the s0il. With the maximum
possible acreage OF wheat In fifty years,
Ae predicted that with continuation
Of present methods Of cultivation the
Nation would be about S6B4 900 900
short OF the amount necessary to pay
its annual bill. This deficit. he declar.
cd, could BY no possibility be met, even
partially, through selling raw products
~ manufactured articles abroad. The
only hope viii lie in agriculture. But
agriculture, he said, would amply fur
hish both occupation and a food supply,
provided proper methods Of farming
were employed and that all agricultural
land was brought to its full usefulness.
A half century is 50 short time
that the problems OF fifty years hence
are almost the problems Of today. Peo-
pie now alive viii actually meet them
and have 10 solve them. Thirty-six
out OF every hundred Americans are
farmers now. and last year American
farms yielded crops worth SLAP .000,-
900. Any advance or retrogression in
agricultural affects not only the leading
industry Of the country and the largest
number OF workers directly, but all
others as well, since it Is the source Of
their food supply.
Since there is comparatively little
public land left suitable for agriculture,
the mere increase in population from
now on, even il the proportion Of
farmers remains 80 per cent. and does
not greatly increase as Mr.. Hill pro-
phesies, must result in subdivision of
the presnt farm area of the country
among a larger number Of workers and
! more intensive cultivation Of the soil.
The farmers themselves are awake
10 the importance OF preventing fur
her losses Of the most fundamental OF
" the natural resources and Of increas-
ng the efficiency Of that which remains
Hardly a meeting Of farmers organi
,ations this summer and fall has failed |
10 pass resolutions endorsing the work /
i the conservation commission along
his line. AZ the close Of the recession
Il the Farmers National Congress in /
Wisconsin, at which represen-
atiyes from all parts of the country /
Eere present, the first resolution adopt
"A was the following, which is typical
Il many others.
@Tnat we hereby favor the movement
or the better conservation Of the nat
ual resources Of the country, especial /
v the conserving Of soil. The move /
nent to stop wanton waste has not
commended moment too soon. We /
ommeud the farsighted craftsmanship
4 President Roosevelt in calling the
difference Of governors TO consult on
his important subject and endorse the
inns and purposes of the National
Commission"