Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-16
HAS CAUSE FOR HOPE
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First PageD
farm land The S133.0Uon includes
wood land and unimprovcd land. The
improved land in farms has increased
about tS!.Hn,UN0 in ten years or some T.,
per cent. but this. it will be seen. is not
equal to the increase in population.
Pressure of Population.
Now. if our population increases as
rapidly as 1t has heretofore we shall in
fifty years have upward of 100000 900 of
people in this country to support on this
SD. 0No.Oo0 acres, much of which is prob
ably not capable OF producing great
deal. There are some .DH,.nD acres OF
swamp land that can be drained and
there are o5,V0NO acres of land mat
can he irrigated: but with all these Ii is
perfectly palpabic that within the iite OF
MANY who arc born Eow We shall be
pressing to the limit Of our seif-suppoi,
from the soil unless some other method
than the extension of area he found Tor
the increasing of our crop production.
In the next iCO years. if this is 10 be
a self sustaining country. we must ADOPT
new methods of farming and pursue them
with eagerness and Intelligent ente--
prise. There has been. as We know. a
movement from the farm TO the city.
How can these present evils that threat
en- the progress of our agriculture De
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 a people ana All
become manufacturing nation ana lock
for our future supplies to some othcf
source in distant countries which them
selves are looking forward To limit
uron their production?
Has Hope of the Future.
Il am an optimist and believe that sit
uations, however. threatening or imme-
dately discouraging. have in themselves
elements that justify hope of betterment.
Tie increased price of farm products
has increased the value of the farms and
has made more certain the profit of
farming. That necessarily works upon
the cupidity of those in the past who
have gone into the city. because it offers
a prospect of better income and more
comfortable living. Today. with inn
proved roads, with suburban railways.
with the telephone, with rural free de-
livery and, l hope soon. with the parcels
post. the life of the farmer Will approxi-
mate much more nearly that of his city
brother than 1t ever has in the past In
addition to all these elements that are
working to the restoration to the farms
of increased efficiency in their manage
ment is the education which is given in
the country and on and near the farm
in scientific agriculture. In the states
we have long had agricultural colleges.
Now these are being supplemented by az
ricultural high schools and by what are
called the consolidated rural schools, all
of which have the effect to create much
more than heretofore a closer farmer
community and to give growing youth
knowledge of the best methods or agri-
culture and a prospect, In the h1sh prices
of farm products, of an adequate return
for modern farming on proper principles.
Education of the Farmer.
This will give to the brothers who stay
on the farm a much more certain pros
pect of good income and a comfortable
living than those who seek to join pro-
LESSONS or TO engage in business in which
the chances for the profits and com
Portable livelihood for the individual are
growing less, while those upon the farms
are rapidly increasing. The promotion of
this movement Of vocational education
Of the embryo farmer in the sons OF the
present farmer is as high function as
any government department could per-
form. and that is what is being pressed
forward under the Secretary of Asricuf-
ture in every state in this nation. The
vocational schools must be increased in
-
county in every state there shall be
trained agriculturst. to be paid by the
county. who shall by actual experiments
on the different farms in the county IL
luStrate the proper methods of tilling
crops. or retaining them, who shall give
the benefit of his experience as to the
proper organization of farms rs well as
the improvement in the breed of plants
stock.
Effect on Coming Generations.
1T is thought by such experiment in
high schools and agricultural colleges a
stimulus may be given the present gem
GRAFTON Of farmers. that its effect upon the
coming generation will be doubled. OF
course. we must observe economy in
every expenditure of the government, and
we must not allow our enthusiasm in
favor of a particular cause to blind us to
the necessity of care in the disbursement
of public money. but l am bound to
say that l do not know any part of the
government business in which the public
receives more certain advantage than
from money expended under the appro-
priation bills for the Agricultural De-
partment of the United States
Effect of State Fairs.
In closing his speech the President
said:
1T has given me great pleasure to at
tend this fair. one of the greatest of its
kind in the world. and to find in it. and
all like enterprises. another stimulus to
the improvement of agricultural methods
in the exhibition of the remarkable re-
suits Of close attention to the workings
of nature and industry and patience. to-
gather with common sense and business
management. The revival of interest in
the state fairs all over the country Is an
indication of the movement for better
agricultural methods and more thorough
agricultural education. 1t is one of the
happiest auguries of the future of this
country that the federal government aud
the state governments have shown the
greatest capacity for their closest Coop
Grafton in the development of agricultural