Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-18
FARMER MUST
SAVE COUNTRY
William Butterworth, President
of Deere g Co., Speaks at
Summer Institute.
GREAT PROBLEM TO MEET
Scientific Agriculture Must Keep
Production Constantly Ahead
of Consumption.

Urbana, ILL.,, Aug. 1S.-A grave
danger is confronting this country to-
day because the increase in consump-
ton is much greater in proportion
than production, declared William
Butterworth, president of Deere &
company, in an address delivered
last evening before the midsummer
state farmers institute at the col
lege of agriculture, Urbana. He
also said that if the farmers of the
United States would adopt scientific
methods, combining grain and stock
farming, using necessary fertilizers,
they would increase the fertility of
the soil and solve the problem. He
said:
mo one connected with indus
trial affairs closely associated with
agriculture, the basis of all indus
try, can have failed to observe the
general effect of the practice of ag-
riculture upon the farm lands of
this country.
Many of the older farms in the
eastern states have practically been
abandoned for agricultural purposes
on account of a depletion of some of
the essential plant foods. However,
the average of wheat in many of
those states has been slightly increas-
ed, especially in Pennsylvania, Della
ware and Maryland, and the aver
age bushels per acre materially in
creased. Many of the farmers have
adopted scientific methods in the
way of deeper cultivation, rotation
of crops and the use of fertilizers.
The grave danger confronting this
country today is that the increase
in consumption is much greater in
proportion than production. The
natural increase in population immi-
grafton is approximately 100000,
requiring an additional 100000
bushels of grain. The cultivation
each year of an additional vast area
Of new western lands has provided
for the increase in our population
in the past, but now that practically
all of the land in the west is being
cultivated, we can see but one solu-
ton to the problem, and that is to |
Increase the yield per acre. Euro |
pean countries met this condition |
more than century ago, and with
land that was not as fertile as ours
is today. they have succeeded, by /
intensive farming. in increasing their
crops two and three-fold.
eff the farmers of the United States |
will adopt scientific methods, COM
bining grain and stock farming, US i
ing necessary fertilizers, they will in
crease the fertility of the soil and /
solve the problem which we are dis
cussing.
Manufacturers Realize Conditions.
at is but natural that a clear reali-
cation of these conditions and ten
denotes should be brought home to
the manufacturers of agricultural i'm
plements, and particularly to those
whose goods are sold in that section
of this country, east of the Missis-
sippi river.
For some time the speaker and his
associates have been quietly conduct
ing a somewhat thorough investiga-
ton as to the causes and possible
remedies for the depleted and worn
out farm lands of this country, in
the hope, too, of adding our efforts
and influence to the other agencies
which are organized to prevent the
depletion of American soils.
'In our search for correct reasons
and remedies, we have naturally
turned to the numerous and voluble
reports of the agricultural expert
ment stations in this and other coun-,
tries, and l may say in all frankness
that while we have accepted the sci
entific data from such institutions,
we have always reserved the privi-
lege of drawing our own conclusions
from the actual results reported.
FINALLY we have organized a de-
partment of soil fertility, and have
placed at its head a man of practical
experience in scientific farming, DR..