The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-09-17
sy Associated Press.

Syracuse, n. Y, Ser, ia discus
sion of the activities of the department
Of agriculture and the opportunities
for progress opsn to farmers, formed
the subject of the address delivered by
President Taft at the state fair grounds
today. The president said In part:
we are Spending S1s,oo0sooo q year
In the maintenance Of department OF
agriculture and we might as we'll face
the truth and realize that this expense.
instead Of decreasing, is bound to in
crease. have given much attention
to the matter Of economy and eff
cheney In government. While I do not
mean to say that the present depart
ment of agriculture In work 1t is doing
might not be made to do the same
work for less money b- closer knit or
ganization and greater care of It's ex-
penditures, am confident from looking
into the future of the department to
the pressing need for expansion of its
work, that increase in the appropria-
tons each year for that department
may be and ought to be expended in
the interest of the government.
MUCH GOOD DONE.
The amount of information which
the farmers have received and acted
upon in their farming business from
the bureau of plant industry, from the
bureau Of soils, and from the bureau
Of agriculture, can hardly be over
stated and the dependence of the well
fare of the country on this continued
spread of information for the i'm
provement Of agriculture ought to be
emphasized whenever opportunity
arises.
I'VE have today in this country. in
continental United States, about /, 900,-
00O.Q acres of land. OF this $4,000
600 acres are included in the acreage
of farms In the last ten years that
acreage did not increase more than 49,
100000 or a little over per cent. In
that same time our population in
acres, 477,Oo0,o00 are improved farm
land. The s73, 900, 900 includes wood
lands and unimproved land. The inn
proved land in farms has increased
abuot So ,000, 900 acres in ten years. or
Is per cent, but this, IT will be seen,
is not equal TO the increase In popula-
ton
Now as our population increases as
rapidly as it has heretofore, we shall
In so years have upwards of zoo. 00O, coo
people in this country to support on
this $4,000, 900 acres, much of which
is probably not capable Of producing a
great deal There are some $4,000, 600
acres of swamp lands that can be
drained and there are $4,000, 900 acres
Of land that can be irrigated, but with
all these, 1t Is perfectly palpable that
within the life Of many who are born
now, we shall be pressing the limit of
our self-support from the soil unless
some other method than by the mere
extension Of area be found for the in
creasing Gro production.
Tn the next hundred years, II this
is to be a self sustaining country, we
must adopt new methods Of farming
and pursue them with eagerness ana
Intelligent enterprise. There is as we
know, a movement from the farm to
the city. How can the present evils
that threaten the progress Of our agrf-
culture be remedied? How can the
movement from the farm to the city
be stopped?
How can proper labor be secured
upon the farm? Is there no remedy or
must we change our nature as, people
and all become manufacturing nation
and look for our future supplies to
some other source in some distant
countries which themselves are look
ing forward to a limit upon their pro-
duction?
an addition to all these elements
that are working to thu restoration of
the farms of increased efficiency in
their management Is the education that
is being given IN the country and on
and near the farm, IN scientific agrf-
culture In the states We have long
had agricultural colleges. Now these
are being supplemented by agricultural
high schools, all of which have the eff
feet TO create much more than here
tofore a closer farmer community and
to give growing youths q knowledge
Of the best methods of agriculture and
a prospect in the high prices Of farm
products of an adequate return for