The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-11-10
0UTGROW|NG FOOD
SUPPLY
LEAN YEARS ARE UPON U.s."
DECLARED j. j. HILL BUT SEC
RETARY WILSON SAYS CONDy-
TONS CAN BE REMEDIED.

James Wilson. He has been moved
to voice his views on the future of
the American farmer by the opinions
of James j. Hill
There is a great deal of turth in
the statement of Mr.. Hill that the
country is outgrowing its food sup
ply he declared. 1T is question
that is commanding our attention,
and | have set a number of govern
ment scientists to work to discover
the causes for such a condition. [
can discuss the matter more fully, of
course, after the report of the ex-
perts is ready.
There are two great causes for
the lean years, continued he. "One
is the tendency of our new citizens
to concentrate in the cities, but the
other is the greatest.
THAT is the failure of the Ameri-
can farmer, as a class, to get out OF
his acreage by conservation of soil
and rotation of crops the amount of
yield he should.
Education will remedy this in
time, and great strides are now be-
ing made in this direction
Another trouble that cOnfronts
the farmer also confronts the baker
and the miller he continued. "That
is the tendency of the progressive
farmer not to market his grain as he
used to do. Instead. the corn and
other cereals raised on the farm go
to feed and fatten the stock, in which
there is still greater profit.
Thus the great crops of cereals
that appear on paper each year real
ly are imaginary so far as their di-
rect consumption by humankind is
concerned
"A significant and hopeful sign of
the times, however, is found in the
government reports of crop condi-
tiOns in the New England states,
where thousands of farms long since
considered practically worthless are
beginning to show better producing
reports.
While reports do not show that the |
farming interests in the great mid
Ia ic hn 40
stitute a warning to the western /
farmer to get more out of his soil. |
something that he can we'll do by
closer attention to the little things" -
Secretary Wilson is farmer Linn
self-one of the best in the country /
and knows what he is talking |
about. Near Tama, Iowa, in the CEN
ter of the richest territory of that |,
great farming state. the secretary has
a fine farm that he calls home Big |
barns and out-buldings rise up above
has waving fields and the farm is |
big money maker. He believes in /
practicing what he breaches, and is
trying to break records there.
Figures of the department of agri-
culture show one thing about west
erE farming conditions that should
interest every farmer: With the sole
INCEPTION of California. the western
states produced last year less yield |
per acre than the farmers of New
York. Pennsylvania and New Jersey
The other great problem, as laid
down by the secretary. is the crowd
ing of aliens in the great cities,
rather than taking up the OppOrtuni-
ties they have before them on the
farms of the west
In connection with this half of Mr..
Wilson's warning, the bureau of I'M
n igration has taken this question up
md is trying by every means at its
command to divert the tide of i'm
migration toward the farms and
away from the mills of the great
cities
The chief trouble found in scatter
ing the aliens is their desire to flock
together.
An italian, for instance, who lands
in New York and scarcely can speak
the English language, naturally fails
to take up the government agents
invitation to go on farm with en-
thusiasm Unused to the customs OF
the country, and awed, perhaps, by
hustle and excitement everywhere, |
tie immigrant turns to his compatri-
OTIS for sympathy and advice, and
finds these compatriots, of course. in
the cities Once settled there, he
stays
Conditions o. fai m labor are there
fare damage! by this. Instead Of
each immigrar' becoming food p!o-
ducer, along he ideas of Secra,trv
Wilson, each becomes food consum-
err, increasing the burden put on the
farming population.
That there is hope for the farmer,
however, Secretary Wilson firmly be-
lieves, and he fails to take as gloomy
view of the situation as Mr.. Hill
has taken.