Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-02-07
Good Present and Bright Future.

1t is surely not too late In the new
year to cast about and see what prog
ress has been made in the twelve months
just passed. With all due regards t.
cei tain conditions in certain sections OF
our state, where people have gone wild
over the one crop idea, We believe that
Line tenths of the farmers in Maine al
in far better financial circumstances III n
they have been at any previous period
in our remembrance. So far as rep rt
ed, the census reveals great increase in
the value of farm land since 1900, aud
this applies to both the Western and
Eastern farms. 1t means that the farm
er's capital has increased aside from any
additions he has made to it. The growth
OF the consuming population has made a
market for his products at prices which
add value to the land that produces
them. 1t would be easy to present fig
ures showing, for several states at least,
substantial advances in lands, due main
ly to the greater value of their products,
but it is not necessary to do so because
values of land and prices of produc .
are not the most important things in
agricultural PROCESS. They indicate bet
ter times for farmers; but the founda,
tion of real agricultural prosperity il
not in prices, it is in things not express
ed in figures or shown by statistics
Permanent prosperity must rest at last
on the intelligence Of farmers, the agr-
cultural intelligence perhaps We should
say. High prices can relieve financial
stringency, but they cannot alone make
agriculture permanently successful
Nothing but enlightened production,
economical in all senses, can do this.
How are we in respect to our enlighten.
ment as compared with the farmers of
previons generations?
We firmly believe that the farmers Of
to-day are better off than those of any
other time in the things that insure a
permanently successful agriculture.
Never before has the world seen so wide
a dissemination of agricultural knowl-
edge or so much seeking after it; never
before so many helpful facts, so much
thinking aud figuring. In these things
is the only sure foundation of future
success. According to our enlighten-
ment will be our progress in agricul-
tural production and in things equally
important, such as distribution and
equality in taxation.
Leaving fundamental things for
moment, the near future of agriculture
looks good so far as it can be force asted.
The census figures thus far reveal the
fact that consumers are still increasing
in numbers much faster tha' producers.
The movement back to the land. while
of some magnitude, is not yet sufficient
to offset the movement into other in
dustries as their development goes on.
There are more vast areas of cheap land
to be cultivated in,the immediate future
in this country, and in most countries
where such lands are available the lack
of intelligence forbids rapid develop
ment. We should like to compare the
farmers situation with that of the man
in other lines of work, but space for
bids. Suffice it to say that the farmer is
never "out of job" his family is never
hungry or in danger Of being so, he is
free from the domination of organiza-
tions or the tyranny of employers, his
home is part of his business-and it is
going to be good business if he does
his part with skill and industry. Let US
take heart and press on, remembering
mistakes and failures only to learn BY
them, confident that the reward is GER
tain to the faithful follower of agricul-
ture.-Turf, Farm and Home.