The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-22
SOME NATIONAL
 CROP PROBL EMS
Great Changes Are Taking Place in Farming Conditions
EXPERTS BUSY AT WORK
Agricultural Department Is Doing Ev- erything to Cooperate With the Farmer and Aid Him to ln-
 prove His Condition.

Chicago, November 1.-The following address on Some National Problems ir l Crop Production" by E. T. Galloway chief of the bureau of plant industry, de. partment of agriculture, was delivered al the national farm land congress yester. ] day evening:
 l "A great change is taking place 1T farming conditions in this country, dut i chiefly to the westward movement of g large element of the farming population The national department of agriculture is endeavoring, in great variety of ways to aid those who are dependent on the land for livelihood, particularly those that are taking part in the opening up oi new agricultural regions. This latter class of our population is doing more than any othsr class to meet the nations future demand upon the soil, especially when we consider that of the millions oi
 farms now in operation in recognized farming communities. fully 50 per cent are actually decreasing in produetiveness, due to the unremitting and exhausting drain upon the land
 The bureau of plant industry of the na- tional department now has in operation g experimental stations scattered 1 throughout the vast region just west of the one-hundredth meridian and extend l ing to the Rocky mountains, popularly 1 known as the plains
 
 The problem in crop production under the trying conditions of this region are be- ing slowly but surely solved by scientific experimentation. The states are actively cooperating in this work through their agricultural experiment stations, and it is the policy of the department to seek and encourage the fullest cooperation wher- ever possible, both from public agencies and from private individuals.
 Dreaded Boil WeeviI.
 In the south a widely different but equally serious situation exists. The coming of the dreaded cotton boil weevil into this region brought home to the southern farmer with peculiar force the fact that he must follow a new and i'm proved agriculture in order to win his fight against the weeyil. The one-crop farm in the south is doomed to give place to a diversified farming, and the depart ment of agriculture for several years has been preaching this doctrine by means of extensive cooperative demonstrations with representative southern farmers. These demonstrat tions have met with as- founding success in bringing about a realization of the necessity for and de- | stability of improved farm practices. Not only the farmers but their youngest sons have been interested in this work. and it i is also being adopted in many of our southern schools.
 The department has found that one of the most valuable means of bringing through the detailed study of the prac- tices followed on representative farms throughout the country, and the applica- tion of these studies to a large number of farms, where a lesser degree of sue l cess has been attained. This work is conducted on large scale and has proved | very successful. as well as popular. Another method of aiding the farmer | in increasing the productiveness of his l farm is through the introduction of new 1 crops and the improvement of the existing varieties by breeding and selection. The l world is being searched for plants whcl will adapt themselves to varying condi- 1 tions and develop into possible new home industries, and many new crops or varie l ties have been added to our agriculture | in this way. Likewise through sys tematic breeding and selection varieties | of our staple crops of increased yield | ing power, greater resistance to cold | drought and disease or other improved 1 qualities have been developed and dis 1 seminated.
 Ravages of Insects.
 One of the greatest causes of loss tt the farmer is through the ravages O | insects and disease. The department il conducting a vigorous campaign agains these crop pests which is often carried | out by means of object lesson demonstra | tions among the farmers themselves. II this way the farmer is shown how to hell himself in combating the disease of hi crops and improved remedial measure have in this way been brought into wid use.
 | A further loss to the farmer occurs dur ing the shipping of his products. eithe | through decay or through unfavorabl marketing conditions. The departmen has been devoting considerable attention to this question: and Improvements il the handling and marketing of perishabl
 products have been brought about. Co
 operative methods are being formed fo
 marketing in many sections, to the grea
 benefit of the growers of the crops.
 An article on the problem facing tn
 American farmer, or the prospectiv
 farmer, today would be incomplete with
 out word of warning to the man who
 considering the purchase of farm in
 new and unfamiliar region. Of late nun
 erous land exploitation concerns hay
 sprung up, which make extravagan
 claims as to the possibilities of the sit
 uation of their operations. The prospec
 tive investor should use the greatest cat
 ton in placing his faith in these repre- sentations. It is advised that the as
 sistance of the state experiment station.
 boards of agriculture, or other publi
 agencies be sought by the farmer befor
 placing his capital in these ventures
 Such state organizations are always i
 position to give valuable advice regardin
 the value of lands and may often be tn
 means of averting loss and great disaI
 nointment to home-Seeker.