Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-28
Western Farms Must Produce Enough
for Home and Abroad.
Will SQUARE BALANCE OF TRADE
We Cannot Afford to Buy from Other
Nations, de Says.
URGES ECONOMY OF THE GROUND
Decrease in Yield Due 10 WastefuI
Methods thar Wear Cut
Lana-HenI Basis Of
Evil.

VIEW YORK April Causes that Tend
.l increase the niEh cost 1r living anu the
proper conservation Of the soil the
remedy c1r the lncrsase we're subject mat
tsrs aI an address, to-day 1y Secretary OK
A--icuit1rH Iaznss Wilson Def1re the New
York Produce exchange
Secretary Wilson OF the Department OF
Agriculture urged proper conservation 1f
ne soil as tie only permanent means of
relief from a continuation of Increase IN
the cost Jf living. we cannot afford 90
buy food from foreign Countries he said.
and We must see 10 IL tiat our western
farms produce enough. not only for home
consumption. but also ~ sell abroad and
square up the balances OF trade.
Secretary Wilson sad IN part
The cost Of living calls for careful in
uuirv into the causas that have operated
10 bring about conditions taar are new to
AS as people. We have had great
abundance OF food prices that We're lower
than most other countries with which We
compete in commerce ana manufacturing.
Compensation FOR skill anu labor has been
comparatively high in our country, but
Increased cost OF living mas become dis
,urbing factor that cannot be adjusted ar
present To the satisfaction OF those con-
. cerned.
The major part OF our people in rhe east
Are beng fed from the Mississippi valley
I anu the states Of the south draw much
/ from the same source. I an wei satisfied
that the soils OF that valley are being
subjected gradually to the same unwtse
. treatment that 50 seriously reduced the
( soils east of the AIeghenies anu south o.
the Ohio.
( Education for Fa-mers-
The necessity tor education of the
I farmer is Impressed our people and
Z steps are being taken in all our states
I and territories 20 this end. Sciences are
/ being applied and research made into
| CAUSES and results. Education iH being ex-
tended into primary schools in many OF our
STATES Federal and state governments are
1 spending money freely for this purpose and
y students are multiplying The results Of
research ara being printed and literature
: Of rlie farm is growing.
( TIE states east OF the Alegheniss are
/ foremost in commerce. manufacrur1ng, arts
/ and sciences. wealth and influences. They
have overlooked agriculture permitting
4 their soils % deteraorafe. and ara reaching
[ out 10 the west Tor food products The soil
I r0bber began MIS- balefui practice there and
has gone westward until the lighr rainfall
4 regions refused 20 Yield pTofira5lv- The de-
. uertura1ton Of eastern soils would have been
I prevented long ago had there been no
cheap. riCh soils in the Mississippi valley
OF had demand been closer up to. supply
/ Western lands are dearur and have gone
beyond the reHCh Of poor people. The lands
/ Of the east and south ara reduced IN pro-
ilICrlva power, but they are cheap. they are
I convenient 10 good markets. uley can be
1 improved and they viii be- but the methods
by which a farm IS improved is quite diff
ferenr from thai by which ii was reduced.
Lgnoraucs permitted the soil to become un-
productive. the highest intelligence is re-
quirsd 10 bring back fertility.
Comprehensive View Needed.
Importation Of food will bring about a
change in our economics. a revolution in
our policies. which may De avoided by bet
ter farming and a comprehensive view OF
me situation by those VINO deal in big
things. whether carrying, commerce. manu-
featuring OF finance.
our people ara not grouped together. Too
many grew crops during the lasr half sf
the nineteenth century Farming was a
poor business during that period ana did
not invite people. The abundance OF meats
ana grains ana low prices for them gave
little encouragemenr % the Young farmer
10 devote his life 10 agriculture. The farm
Went 10 the renter and poverty because the
renter rarely had the capital 20 maintain
conditions that would keep up fertility He
lad a short lease and no lnducemenr % i'm
prove
Whoever rents land % be handled this
way a1anduns his 1a-m there and then
II becomes poorer each year until Il
ceases 90 yield yrufitabiy.
Every state should organize To conserve
fertility or its soil.