Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-10-25
WHERE. WILL THE WORLD Gil
IT'S FOOD?

populhlloni WIN the fhilo OF IhII
products remaining the same, I
twenty years large part of the peo
pie Of The world will be going 4
bed supperless, is the predic ton o
James j. I'm, than whom there :
no higher authority I'm the land Man
other thoughtful students Of the pres
ent conditions and tendencies or N,
times are IN accord with the view
OF Mr. I'm. In fact, the truth abou
the high cost Of living Is to be foun,
In the fact that we are beginning tC
consume more than we produce
Something must be done TO consery,
the waste products of the land
In 1850 the population Of the Unit.
ed States was about 3lOO00OO. Fifty
years later IN 1910, It had Increased
to over 80 millions. Twenty-Five years
hence II VIII probably be liO millions
and In ffty years approximately 200
millions. Coupled with the above in
crease in consumers the consideration
Of the bread supply-our wheat crop
is Of prime importance. For ten
years the United States wheat acre
age has been fairly stationary about
40 millions Of acres. which Is about
ono-half acre 10 each person. The
total yield per annum has varied from
522 million to 7iS million bushels,
giving an average of about $50 mil
lions. The average yield per acre
has been about 1913 bushels-a ltt!a
over ~ bushels per person. The OLD
World average per acre is from two
to three times as much, on ground
that has been titled for many cen
turtles. our Experiment Stations and
many scientific farmers are raising
from 25 to so bushels to the acre, ana
even more. The poor, haphazard,
sllp-shod methods, so common, are
responsible for the low average yield.
The government reports show that
most of the fertile land which we
can devote to cereals is already util-
ized and there can be very little or
no Increase In wheat acreage" The
limit has been nearly reached. This
leaves but one solution. which is to
make every acre cultivated give a
larger yield"
The Department of Agriculture was
created years ago to help the farmer
get better results. It has done, and
is doing, a splendid work I'm research.
investigation and demonstration 1t
has gathered worldwide information
which, If applied in practice, would
bring to our country benefits beyond
our conception. II would double and
treble the output of the farms. The
State Agricultural Colleges have done,
and are doing, excellent work. but
they realize their limitations. They
have neither the men nor the money
necessary TO take the new knowledge
to the farmers of the respective com
munItles and help them to apply It
In practice on their farms.
1t has been thoroughly demonstrat-
ed that the sending out of bulletins,
or men to lecture at farmers gather
ings' does not meet the requirements.
AS rule these bulletins and ad-
dresses are too technical for general
comprehension. In order to apply the
same In practice successfully, the
local conditions of the farm must be
considered, and the methods adapted
to meet them. Hence II is the consen
sus of opinion Of those who are ia
miliar with the subject that the most
ractical way TO get the new knowl-
edge into use and benefit both the
farmer and the public by increasing
he food supply, is to send into every
agricultural county in the land and
maintain there a capable agriculturist |
With "A college training-a soil expert, |
I you please-to help the farmers
'pply the new knowledge to their
arms II will take money 10 do this.
out it viii repay thousand fold. II
$ big proposition, and 1t must be
handled in n big way.
II is matter OF as much concern
o the people in cities and ccnters Of
population as 1t is to the strictly rural
population. We must begin now to
lot only bring about higher degree
# intensified farming. but we must
earn TO conserve the productive quail.
ties OF the soil. Retter farming and
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