The Washington herald., 1910-02-13

knowing it, pinches himself
I'm my country, it is the practice of
the land owner to supply the seed and
to pay half OF the cost Of thrashing. The
crops are divided equally between him
and the tenant \ renter. if ne is worth
anything at all, wants to make money.
Such man is the one to keep The live
stock belongs 70 him and he is supposed
to feed il out of his snare of the crops.
1t is well, therefore. to encourage him
to increase the number of his cattle, pigs.
and horses-to give him every opportunity.
in short. to become a capitalist. Farms
managed in that way are very profitable
Investments"
How do You explain the dear prices
of food? ."
Il might attribute the high cost of
# what one eats to the protective tariff.
Senator Thompson answered which you
could take seriously or as a joke but l
won't. AS / see the matter. the demand
for food is growing faster than the supply
of food. Every city ana large town in the
country Is drawing men away from the
land. Farmers sons are going into the
mills and factories. The railroads, en-
ploying millions of hands. are draining
the farms of their best labor
Going to the City.
While the cities are booming the
country, in a sense. is. languishing Every
man who leaves a farm to become
brakeman street car conductor. or a
clerk in a store, ceases 10 be a food pro-
Queer and begins to be a food consumer.
Multiply that man by 100000, or by
5.e0oG 600 of other men and then count up
the pounds OF food they eat. and il viii
be seen that the balance between pro-
duction and consumption is not being
maintained
Furthermore Senator Thompson con
tnued to say, the cost Of producing all
OF our staple farm products is increasing
rapidly Up 20 seven years ago we could
hire men for so a month during the
eight months Of the farming season. We
must now pay $3j or so a month for in
ferior labor Indeed. good hands are so
hard 20 get that many farmers Of my
acquaintance have rented their land and
moved into neighborins villages. Most
Of the men whom We are compelled TO
employ come from the country east Of US
and are native Americans
THE average American farm Iaborer
demands plenty to eat. a soft bed, and
light work He is independent to the
point OF impotence, and Is constantly
looking for an excuse to quit his job
and move on When given directions
about his tasks. he must be approached
with humility and fear; otherwise, he will
demand his wages and disappear down
the road, and some other farmer VIII be
obliged to hire him. The best men we
get are Scandinavians. but only few Of
them. comparatively. are coming to the
United States. Labor conditions through
out the West are serious, economically.
and. besides, are actually exasperating 10
the farmers"
Back to the Farm
How can young men be induced 10
stay on the farms and help their faith
ers?" / inquired.
Many suggestions have been made, bat
the only way 10 attach a young man 10
the soil is to educate him. and then 10
give him a chance TO make a practical
application of his knowledge. Fully IS
per cent Of the boys who graduate from
our agricultural colleges take I'D farming
as their permanent occupation. They 20
away from intellectual darkness, from
dismal homes. where the long DAYS are
filed with drudgery. and where the meth
DDS have remained unchanged since the
time OF their great-grandfathers, into life.
light, energy and happiness.
They learn that agriculture Is both
business and science. They discover
that the modern farmer Is the most in
dependent man on earth; that he has no
superintendent to threaten him with the
loss Of his place and wages. that no boss
can bully him, that customers come to
him with the money in their hands; thai
he has instant sale for everything he
produces. and that wheat. corn beet. and
cotton never so out of fashion. So they
return 20 the home farms and are COM
petent and enthusiastic They work with !
their heads and hands They get tangible |
and immediate results, and the intel /
leCtUal interest and exercise that is neces-
sary If one is to take any joy in his
work.
Must he Up to Date.
Furthermore. the young college aEri- !
culturalist soon has the old men in the T!
neighborhOod running to him for advice |
and instruction. He finds that ne has
become leader and a teacher. and in /
the winter he arranges for lectures on |
farming, fruit growing. and the care of |
live stock. Perhaps he establishes 2
ZOO AT NEW YORK.