The Democratic advocate., 1909-11-19
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, Nov 10, igol
WAR AND WHEAT.

largest, but also the fastest in the
world, having made a speed record Of
22A knots There are faster ships,
but they are not battleships In ad-
dition to speed, she has enormous gun
power and experts pronounce her the
most formidable fighting machine ever
built. At present the United States
has two OF these "dreadnoughts. 3"
England has four. According to the
present program Of building, when
we have four. England will have ten
or eleven. and Germany no doubt as
many. II we wish to keep up we will
have to build more, especially as we
have our Pacific possessions to guard
against possible attack from the grow
Ing power OF Japan, which, according
to Maj. Gen. ]. P. Story, U. s. A.. now
has control OF the Pacific. We bought
the Philippine Islands for the pur-
pose. as it was said at the time, OF
providing a base for war operations,
offensive and defensive, in case Of
trouble In the East; and now the Joint
Army and Navy Board. after years OF
deliberations. have decided that they
are unsuitable for this object and
Pearl Harbor. the harbor of Honolulu
is to be made the GibTalter OF the Pa
cific. Hawaii was acquired during
President CleVelands administration
and SO the purchase OF the Philippine
Islands finally turns out TO be a
waste of money, so far as a base for
warlike operations is concerned. and
the present holding OF them a loss.
In connection with these prepara-
tons for war, we have the serious
statement Of Mr.. James J. Hill, that
the armed fleets Of an enemy ap
preaching our harbors, would be no
more alarming, than the relentless ad
vance Of a day when we shall have
neither sufficient food nor the means
to purchase II for our population" :,
Coming from such an emminent
source these words should be given
thought and consideration. Hia
statement is based not only upon study
but also upon his personal and prac-
teal knowledge of the great agrlcul
tural lands OF this country and the
rapid settlement OF the North West.
and he claims, that at the present rate
OF increase. our population In fifty
years will be 100000. 900; that at that
tune. according to our standard Of llv-
Ing, we will not produce enough food.
as the increase in the production OF
cereals does not now keep step with
the increase in population; and TAX
ing wheat as a standard for edible
grains, that even now we have TO
provide from some source for an an
nual deficit of more than $4,000 900
bushels"
His remedy is improved cultivation
by means of which the fertility Of the
soil can be preserved, and he suggests
that we build less battleshlps and use
the money for starting model farm.
over the country. This Is a good sug-
gestion.for seeing the model farms and
the advantages OF improved meth
ods, the farmers OF each community
would readily adopt them.
And little reflection makes us ap-
preciate the need Of more intensified
farming. Formerly a rich agelcuitu-
raj community. New England is now
region of game preserves and re-
creative spots for the rich. The fer
thity of the soil becoming exhausted.
her people moved West, and the tide
Is still flowing westward leaving
abandoned farms in its wake. A few
years hence there'll be no new lands
10 cultivate. The average Yield OF
wheat per acre has been about four
teen bushels for 30 years, showing
that it has required new soils with
large crops to make up for the
small yield of those that are depleted.
In Europe and Great Britain, with a
soil naturally inferior to ours in fer
dlity, the average yield is 26 TO %
bushels per acre. Americans are the
most wasteful people in the world
we are now using three times as
much timber per year as is grown.
This Is a serious condition, but the
waste Of soil fertility by improper
methods of cultivation and lack OF
fertilization will prove more fatal. We
must call halt, and begin to save and
fatten up what we have left The
land does not wear out. II is starved
out.
In parts of Carroll county we do
better than the IA bushels per acre
for the whole United States, but how
much better than that is our general
average? Not much. we. doubt ii il Is
Ave bushels more. Did you ever stop
and think though that the cost Of
your crop, outside OF the threshing,
Is practically the same whether yoh
raise fifteen or thirty bushels per
acre? All the land planted must be
plowed and narrowed, and then the
wheat must be sowed and cut. The
Year Book takes the price and cost
Of production Of wheat for ten years
Ia lhs b. s. aud finds the average price