Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-08-20
VALUABLE POINTERS
ON FARM QUESTION
w. J. spillman Gives common-sens,
Advice-Fieures of 1910 Crop
Production.

Production.
In connection win Governor Glass
cocks advocacy of the Back to tn
farm" movement, says The Wheeling
Intelligencer, the efforts OF which
are already being felt in West Viz
ginia to some extent, the views o
some authorities Of national Ieputa
ton are very interesting. One of tn,
most noted of these authorities is w
J. Spillman, who in the year book o
the national department of agricul
ture, gives in plain language some
very valuable and practical advice Il
city bred men contemplating re
moval TO the country.
Mr. Spillman begins by stating that
the man who would succ~ed on the
farm must be endowed with the spirit
of work. He next takes up the three
grades Of farm conditions, the farm
laborer, the tenant and the proprietor,
and shows that it is possible for the
laborer to- become tenant and then
by work, study and frugality to
attain TO the position of a proprietor.
He points out, however, that there is
no opportunity for an employee TO
pass by gradual steps to a position CT
importance in the industry, as is true
of most city positions. He reaches the
conclusion that it is impracticable for
the city man to become a farmer by
first taking the position of farm
Iaborer.
Begin on Small Scale.
1T is still less feasible" he says,
for the city man with no knowledge
of farming to begin as a tenant
farmer. The tenant must pay rent
and must know how to farm 10 make
ends meet. Whenever it is feasible,
a very good plan for the city man who
has no knowledge of farming and VINO
desires to become a farmer, is to
move to the suburbs and begin as
gardner. A few have moved boldly to
the country and by hard work have
been successful Such changes are
usually ammompanied by the severest
kind of hard work and hardship. Farm
ing requires not only experience, but
a great deal of detailed knowledge of
many things. Part of this knowledge
can be gained from books, but great
deal of it can only be gained by ex-
perience. In practically all cases, the
beginning should be made, not as a
farm laborer or a tenant, but as a
small proprietor
Crop Report.
The Annual Crop and Business Re-
port" of the Continental and CONNER
eial National Bank, of Chicago, which
Will be issued today, will say, in part:
Nature has not been prodigal in herI
Yields cf grains, forage, vegetables
and fruits, but has given us harvests
his year ample for the requirements
If the country. On the whole, thel
otal wheat output exceeds the de-
nand for bread and seed. Corn, upon
which so much of the nations pros
Derity and support depends, promises
an excellent yield. Our reports indi-
cate a total wheat crop of 657,000,000I
bushels, or S0,O00.000 less than last
7ear's record production but equal to-
4 ten years average production. Corn
promises a yield of 3,010,000,000I
bushels, or 225,00O,000 bushels above
he previous season and % per cent
over q ten years average crop. The
pats yield viii exceed last years ex-
,ellent production, with total of
,071 100000 bushels. 200,000,000 over
he ten year average. Barley will ex-
coed last years crop of 12S,oOO,0OOI
bushels. and rye will exceed the
previous season, being 31,500,00OI
comparing with 30,e00OOOI
bushels The total production of these
grains, as reported no us, is 4906,O0O-
goo bushels.while the ten year aver
age is 4,43l, 100000 bushels. Cotton
indicates a crop of 100000 bales, or
100000 bales above last year.
Agricultural investment and energy
is we'll repaid, for seldom has year
Of such changeable conditions result
ed N 50 large a production of food
stufs. The farmer has cause for re-
ioicing, and the nation for thanks
giving that its material affairs viii be
preserved and expanded through the
g, fl 0ipnc,y Of &c food u1,pp1ips Z"