Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-09-28

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the application Of the same methods
would produce Just a. large crops
here a. abroad.
zone OF the great reasons for dis,
couragement felt by many Who have
written on this subject Is found in the
movement Of the population from
farm to city. This has reached such
q point that the urban population ia
now As per cent Of the total, while
the rural population is but 43 per
cent, counting as urban all who live
in cities exceeding $500 inhabitants.
This movement has been persistent,
and has made 1t very difficult for
| the farmers 10 secure adequate agri-
cultural labor, with an increase In the
price Of labor which naturally fol-
lows such condition. Still we ought
to realize that enormous advances In
the machinery used on the farm has
reduced the necessity for Q great
number Of farm hands on each farm.
Mr.. Holmes, Of the department OF
agriculture, in the year book Of that
department Of 1893, points out that
between the years 1855 and 1894, the
time Of human labor required to pro-
duce one bushel OF corn on an average
declined from four hours and "a min
utes to Al minutes, and the cost OF
the human labor to produce this bush
ell declined from 35A cents to 101s
cents. Between 1880 and 1896 the
time Of human labor required for the
production Of bushel Of wheat was
reduced from three hours to 10 min
utes, while the price Of the labor re-
quired for this purpose declined from
TN cents to 31z cents. Between
1850 and 1894, the time of human la
Dor required for the production OF
ton of hay was reduced from 35h
hours to II hours and "a minutes, and
the cost Of labor per ton was reduced
from $S.06 to $1.29.
I'm 1899, the calculation made with
respect to the reduction In the cost
OF labor for the production of seven
crops Of that year over the old time
manner Of production in the fifties and
sixties, shows it to have been $751;
100000 for one year. But while 1t is
possible to say that there may be
in the future improvements in ma
chinery which will reduce the num-
Der Of necessary hands on the farm,
It is quite certain that in this regard
the prospect Of economy in labor for
the future is not to be compared with
that which has been effected In the
last 80 years. Hence we must regard
the question Of available population
and available labor In that population
for the cultivation of the fields as an
important consideration. MY impress
sion from an examination of the fig-
ures is that the change in this last
decade from farm to city has not
been as great in its percentage as 1t
was in a previous decade, and II this
be true, It indicates that there IS IN
the present situation an element that
will help to cure the difficulty. Farm
prices are increasing SO rapidly and
the profits of farming are becoming
apparently so much more certain and
substantial. While the acreage OF
the improved land only increased
65,OOO,0O0, or Is per cent, and the to-
tai acreage only per cent, the value
of the farms in money increased from
O,000, 100000 to $40000,0OO,O0O In
ten years,-an enormous advance.
This Of course was due somewhat to
the investment Of additional money
In the Improvement of land, and some
what to the increase in the supply OF
gold which had the effect of advanc-
ing all prices, but the chief cause for
the advance is in the increase in the
price of farm products at the farm.
So great is this increase that the
value OF the average farm now has
gone from 1862 to $6,440, while the
average value per acre increased from
1881 to $4,000. In addition to this,
comforts of farm life have been SO
greatly added to in the last ten years
BY the rural free delivery, the sub
urban electric railway, the telephone
and the automobile, that there Is like
ly in the next ten years to be a halt
in this change toward the city, and
more people are likely to engage in
gainfuI occupation on the farm in
proportion than has heretofore been
the case. Such an effect would be
the natural result OF the actual econo-
mic operation of the increase in the
value of the farm product, and the
increase In the certainty Of farming
profits. 1t is the business Of the coun-
try, in so far as 1t can direct the mat
ter, to furnish the means, by which
this economic force shall exert itself
along the lines Of easiest and best in
crease Of production. OF course the
by furnishing assistance
In irrigation increases the amount OF
tillable land, and tSe state, II they I'M
dertake the drainage Of swamp lands,
viii do the same thing. The cost Of
such Improvements will be consider,
able, and will affect the farming
profit, but the result generally in such
cases is to give such great crops per
acre that the farmer can well AFFORD
to pay interest on the increased ex-
penses, Increased acreage from any
other source is likely to be, however,
In more stubborn land, calling for
greater effort in tillage and yielding
less per acre. We may reasonably
Infer from the high prices Of the de-
cade Immediately passed that every
thing was done BY those who owned
land to enlarge the acreage where
hat was easy or practical. and that
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