The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-10-29
CONTINUED
THE LEAN YEARS
ARE UPON US"
FROM PAGE ONE.

ANC VI ON OO
men, shouting in wretched con-
cert, I'VE want work." ~
For many years the United
States has made the mistake of
unduly assisting manufacture,
commerce and other activities
that center in the cities at the ex.
pense of the farm. We must pre-
serve jealousy the right and pos
sibility of free access to the soil.
This is the safeguard not only of
national wealth, but of national
character
For the sake Of the coming mil
lions, who will be helpless unless
each can be furnished with a piece
of tiIlabIe land, we should see that
the speculative abuses which
these land laws Of ours have fos-
tered are brought to an end.
1t is as well assured as any fut-
ure event can be that the popula-
ton of the United States will be
200, 100000 by about the middle of
the present century. Millions of
persons now living will see the
200, 100000 persons here. How are
they to be fed?
Suppose the average yearly per
| capita consumption of wheat is Six
and one-half bushels. 1t will then
require 1,300,0O0,000 bushels of
wheat for our bread supply. Twice
only in our history have we ex-
ceeded 700,000,000 bushels.
Possible increase of wheat pro-
duction by increasing acreage is
limited. We have no longer a great
area of free public lands.
We will be left practically with a
shortage of 400,000,000 bushels. A
supply to meet the coming. new de-
mand is nowhere in sight. / have
said many times in different arti-
Giles and addresses that price of
over rather than under 81 per
bushel might be expected here
after.
Suppose the United States pro-
duced % bushels per acre, or double
it's present showing. That would be
nothing extraordinary in view of
| what European countries have done
with inferior soils. 1t would have
added 100000 bushels to our
product last year.
Such close and careful cultiva-
ton as will yield the highest profit
| per acre can best be given to land
when it is cultivated in small
farms. Ten farmers, each cult
waiting from 40 to 100 acres, with
| tho NJ,
can earn a profit equal to that
taken from two or three times the
same area by slovenly tillage.
To raise the productivity of our
soil so per cent would be an in
crease greater in value than the
entire volume of our foreign trade.
These results can be brought
about by such instruction as we
now give in our technical schools
and institutes for the trades.
We cannot wait for the work of
the agricultural colleges, because
the emergency is one for the pres
ent generation.
If l could have m yway I should
build couple of warships less a
year. l would take that 100000
or $6.00O,000 a year and start at
least 1000 agricultural schools in
the United States at $4,000 year
each, in the shape of model farms
1t would require small amount
of land, all told, to place model
i farm in every agricultural county
in the United States.
| There should be a trained man
to each farm, say of 80 acres; and
a general superintendent, thor
oughly trained agriculturist, to
manage three or four counties and
visit the different farms All such
/ farms might he put under the gen.
eral supervision of the agricultural
college in that state.
| If any farmer was in doubt he
could visit it, see with his own eyes
and find out what he ought to have
| done and what he could do the
next time.
| To direct the minds of the young
to work upon the land as an honor
able and desirable career, and to
prepare them for work when they
return there by suitable instruc-
| Vim, 10 w QioHiOtC Soou SltiLCA-
ship and national security.
The farmer must cultivate no
more land than he can till thor
oughly. With less labor he gets
more results. Official statistics
show that the net profit from one
crop of 20 bushels of wheat to the
acre is as great as that from two
crops of 16 bushels to the acre.
There must be rotation of crops.
Ten years of single cropping will
pretty nearly wear out any but
the richest SOIL
There must be soil renovation by
! fertilizing, and the best fertilizer
Is manure.
Every farmer can and should
keep some cattle, sheep and hogs
on his place. The farmer cannot
| prosper until stock raising be-