The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-04
Present Yield Not Half Up to
Standard, Says Secre-
tary of Agriculture.
WILSON Is RECEIVED
WITH VARYING MOODS
Half of Great Audience Stand
Up and Others Shout,
"Sit Down"


of the United States are not producing
half what they should because of n
lack of practical education among
farmers was the statement made by
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson in an
address tonight at the Farmers union,
Secretary Wilson received A mixed
greeting from the largest audience that
has yet attended the sessions. A mo-
tion that the delegates arise when the
secretary entered was voted down with
cries of He IS no better than we are. -
When he appeared about half the au-
dience stood M while the others shout
ed "Sit DOWN.
He was roundly applauded at the con,
clusion of his address, however, and
presided during the rest of the ses
sion.
E'G believe the solution Of the cost Of
living problems lies, in good hands, ,,
said Mr. Wilson, "The farmers arc
awake, and no country is in danger
when that is the case. | have investi-
gated charges that the farmers have
combined to put up prices and rob the
community and have found they are
not true.
Farmer Needs Education.
"ln the past the manufacturers
asked no questions as to the continued
fertility of soil and no effort WAS made
TO educate the farmer, while the edu-
cation of the farmer g son, TO leave the
farm, went on. Manufacturing will not
succeed without an abundance of food
at reasonable prices, and now that
the farms IN the east have fallen away
below the standard Of productiveness,
the manufacturers are awakening to the
danger Of the underproduction
'The government continued for half
n century to give away fertile lands un-
til now we have little left but dry
lands. The farmer in the old days was
a good person, working for
what wages he could get and being
glad OF it. while his sons went away
from the farm.
"a new day has come. Our popu
lation is increasing a couple OF mil
hon or so a year, and our production
is not keeping pace with this growth:
Prices have gone up. Something must
be done.
'Of the fourteen states of the Mis-
sissippi valley not ono is producing
half the crops it should, because the
farmers have not been taught scientific
farming We can and will, ultimately.
double every crop we're growing, and
Of 200.000,000. When we've done that
the agriculturists of that day will show
how to double crops again,
Work of the Government.
"oThe government is straning every
effort to improve the soil and is accom-
plishing wonderful things, but there
remain other things to be done.
s'We are forgetting the old home
economies. One of the best things |
could recommend to you would be the
appointment of q committee to study
AZ q > cold
at wholesale In Louisiana Mt cents
a pound costs S cents n pound In the
north In paper bag.
'fThe farmer must he educated. We
need n countrywide university. If l
had nothing else to do / should be-
come lobbyist in my state of Iowa to
demand that agriculture be taught III
leges there. II We teach tho young
farmers, the old farmers Will soon take
interest.
"We must keep our young farmers
on the farm. Immigrants who have
lived on farms should be placed on
farms when they come to this country.
owe need agricultural teachers. We
need agricultural text books, but where
are we going to get thcm2 Some day
we will have a primer and all the read
ers, And that will be q STEP
Yoakum Storm Center.
B. =. Yoalkum, chairman Of the ex
ccutive board Of the Frisco system,
was the center of a demonstration late
this afternoon at the conclusion of his
address at The Farmers union conven
tion when he spoke on the subject of
the high cost of living and conserva-
tion.
AS he concluded, score or more dele
gates Jumped to their feet and hurled
questions at HIM.
Yoakum attempted to answer some
of the questions, but could not make
himself heard. Order was finally re
stored and the union officials apollo
| gized 10 Mr.. Yoalsum.
Most OF the questions directed at him
seemed TO relate 10 the failure Of the
railroads 10 grant reduced rates to
delegates.
T. A. Hovcrstad, superintendent Of
farmers Institutes Of North Dakota,
spoke tonight on "PracGcal Education
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