The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1909-11-30

ng extent Increased consumption In the
future must be provided for not by an
increase in acres, but by an increase In
the yield per acre. Each year immigra- |
ton and natural increase add approx
mately 100000 hungry mouths to be fed, |
and it calls for an increase OF approx |
mately Is. 900 900 bushels of food producing |
cereal per annum to supply this demand. |
If the converging lines of production |
md consumption In the United States |
continue to approach each other as they |
have during tfe past ten years, long be- |
fore the end of the present decade the |
last vessel loaded with the agricultural !
product of this country will have left our |
shores. the great exporting grain ele
vators in our eaboard cities will stand
empty and this great nation, like those
of the old world will be looking for a
place to buy the necessaries of life.
Can the Importance of this condition be
is 1t not time that every
patriotic citizen was aroused to ascertain
the cause and find and apply the remedy?
Can there be duty of higher or broader
patriotism or more comprehensive philan-
thropy? What Is the cause. and can a
remedy be found?
The land, our kindly, patient Mother
Earth. upon which not only prosperity.
but life itself, depends. is year after year
being robbed and impoverished. Our av-
y
was less than fourteen bushels per acre.
This is less than 1t was thirty years ago.
Instead of improving we are going back
ward.
Builder Up of the Nation.
The farmer has always been the state
builder, the pioneer. He 1t is who has
built up and made the nation what it Is,
and the general government can discharge
the obligation it owes the great agricul-
tural interests In no better way than in
spending money freely in bettering agri-
cultural conditions.
France. with her abounding prosperity.
her marvellous wealth of agricultural re-
sources, which have made her the cred
itor nation of the world maintains $1,000
rural schools with agricultural depart
ments in the shape of gardens and small
fields where systematic scientific cultiva-
ton and conservation of the soil Is
taught
Since 1873 Belgium has required every
school in the kingdom to maintain field
not less than thIrty-nine and half
square rods for the purpose of instructinz
the pupils in this most important work.
Here is where this work of education
should begin. and instruction Of this char
acter undertaken by our rural schools.
where the farmer boys and girls attend.
would be speedily and powerfully reflected
in improved methods on the farms.
The increased value of corn. wheat. oats
and barley In the United States provided
the average yield per acre of the same
crops in Germany had been raised. and
assuming a production of fifty bushels OF
corn to the acre. would have amounted
to the stupendous total during the year
1907 of 81, 2S0.00o.000. while the increased
value of the same cereals of the crop OF
1909 computed on the ]" ~-s. would
have been So, ,25oo0o.C
None Superior Id II or Climate.
/ There Is no soil or climate that is nat
| urally superior to that OF the United
| States. and no nation on earth can pro-
duce a larger crop per acre than this
country If our soil is intelligently titled.
In April of this year the New YORK
Central railroad rendered to the New
| York State College of Agriculture the use
| of a special train. consisting of a combi-
/ nation car, four coaches and a dining
] car, for a trip through that portion OF the
/ state traversed by our lines. Twenty -ont
| professors and advanced students OF the
| New York State College of Agriculture
| at Cornell university and the agriculture
l school at st. Lawrence university made
/ I'D the party Thirty-one towns were Wis
/ tied, and lectures were given to audi
| ences ranging from 200 to 600 earnest. in
| terested farmers.
The object of the trip was to awaker
/ interest. to prepare the ground for thu
| seed to be sown later. These trips will
/ be repeated and extended and we hope /
/ Is but the beginning of a broad and com
/ prehensive scheme OF education. Lee
/ lures of this kind are beneficial, but th
/ things that will accomplish results ar
object lessons-opportunities for the farm
er to see the thing done instead of beini
told how 1t can be done.
The first requisite is a thorough awak
! ening of our people to a realization o
/ the startling significance the overshadow
! ing importance of this condition. then
systematic. thorough sleepless, persever
ing campaign of education. The genera
/ government should give 1t first plac
l among the questions pressing for consid
| GRAFTON.
The railroads should cooperate with tn
state agricultural colleges and with all In
| stitutions having departments OF agricul
ture In arranging for meetings OF farm
ers in villages and country school house
for the purpose of. preaching this grea
| gospel of better methods. which mean
more profitable farming / am going t
l recommend to the owners of the road
/ with which | am connected the purchas
! of land TO be operated as experiments
farms, according to the most advance
methods of seed selection. fertilization an
cultivation. at the expense of the roac
but under the auspices Of the agriculture
college Of the state in which the farm
located If this recommendation is adopt
ed | shall hope to see 1t followed by
majority of the roads OF the country.
What the Cost of Warship Would DE-
The United States Is building two @
l three great battleships almost every yeal
which cost. fully equipped. perhaps a
average Of $9000.oo0 each. and it cost
close to 81, ,000000 a year each to man. sur
l ply and maintain them. What one {
these fighting machines costs the govern
| ment would establish and fully equip tw
splendid experimental farms Of $40 acre
each in every state in the Union. to
operated by the general government.
The establishment of such farms by tn
| government would soon be followed b
100 acre farms owned and operated by tt
| state In every county in our great agricu
turai states. Such farms. once estal
lished. would not only be self SUSTAINING
but. In my opinion. would show hant
some profit. The effect of such a sy,