The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-07-03
THE FARMER OF
CENTURY's END

full measure OF Its growth as NAHUM
II will depend for it's life upon the
farm and the farmer. The farm Is
Abe great laboratory where sun. RAIN
soil. seed aud labor are compounded In
the proper proportions to make the food
which is necessary to life and the raj
ment which is necessary to civilization.
In the remaining nine decades OF the
century the farmer will progress more
rapidly than any other representative
Of American life. The achievements OF
the American farmer have already
revolutionized the life of the human
race, and he is but upon the threshold
OF his career. When Adam delved
and I'VE span" they used practically
The same tools and methods which are
stin employed by the greater number
Of the farmers of the world. Artificial
irrigation came with Egyptian civiliza-
ton. and artificial fertilization was dis
covered ages ago. But for four thou
sand years the art of agriculture, most
important OF all arts, was at a stand
still.
Then came the American farmer. He
owned his own land, his European
torebears were peasant tenants. He
owned as much land as a baron in
Europe. He had to till II all with his
own labor and that of his sons. This
was the necessity which was the
mother of the Inventions of labor-sav-
ing farm machinery. The Am rlcan
farm machinery agent has gone into
every country OF the world and has
carried revolution with him. To the
farmer is adding the victories of
science over ignorance. His future is
big with progress.
The United states has a total area
Of about two billion acres II one bill
lion be set aside for cities, towns,
mines. factories and other non-farming
land. there will remain balance Of
crrors 1000 acres. This is almost three
times as much land as the farmer of
today uses in growing the food stun
for the people of the United States and
many of those of Europe. BY extern
sion of present methods of farming to
all this available acreage, the United
States in the year 1000 will be able to
grow all the foodstuff necessary for its
3S5, 100000 people But the present spir-
II of progress is not content with
merely extending present methods TO
a greater acreage. The American far
mer is determined to make 1.-TWO blades
- of graz o, y where one grew before, "
to make one blade of grass grow where
none grows now.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson and
that Wizard of the Soil. Luther Bur-
bank, agree that the progress made
forty years is as nothing to what will
be done in the years to come. To-
ward the end of this century the far
mer will be the best educated men in
America. He will be a chemist with
knowledge to enable him to so handle
his soils. his fertilizers and his food
stuffs as TO make them yield the
maximum OF profit. He VIII be a bot
anist with knowledge to enable him
to take advantage of the laws of he
redity to breed disease-resisting and
forest-resisting plants. He will keep
pace with every movement OF the
scientific world which can be turned to
his advantage. He will be able great
ly to increase the quantity and quality
of his wheat and corn, vegetables and
fruit, cotton and wool. without having
20 add single acre to his field.
But suppose this forward movement
is slower than now seems probable;
suppose the average farmer of ninety
years hence does only as well as the
best farmers of today. Even that
would mean the increase Of the present
yield of corn from three billion to
seven billion bushels a year, ON the
HAeocht acfeaHe. ne aNtidRt hhci
land in this country now yields fifteen
bushels per acre. Yet there are today
many farmers who are producing ferty-
Eve bushels an acre on land that forty
years ago was considered rich when it
gave an average of fifteen bushels.
Leaving aside the wonderful improve
ment in the heredity of the plant-life
stock which is helping the farmer every
day, the development of the science of
soil chemistry is certain to add to the
power of the farmer g arm. Growing
crops need certain chemical foods just
as much as human beings do. Our chem
ical diet is taken as compounded into
bread and meat. The bill of fare for
the plants is more candid and there
must be nitrogen, potash and phosphorus.
The needs of different soils and of va