The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-12-31
MAKE LIVING CHEAPER
INTENSIVE FARMING rs NECEs-
SARY, is OPINION OF PROBES
sOR MILTON WHITNEY.
is PREPARING A BULLETIN

| NAhANt VI IhO ChASCU CtttOCS 0uA SaSA "a
Soils Draws Especial Attention to
the Vast Amount of Uncultivated
Lands in Country.
JWASHINGTON.-Th lever that
will break the backbone of high
prices of foodstuffs is more intensive
farming, cultivation of unoccupied
Hands near the large cities and more
intelligent method of agriculture, is
the opinion expressed by Professor
Milton Whitney, chief of the bureau
Of soils, United States department Of
agriculture. DR.. Whitney is the lead
ing authority on soils and their uses,
and his many publications on soils
and their adaptation to crop produc-
ton, and their relation to food con-
sumption, have attracted worldwide
attention.
DR.. Whitney is preparing bulletin
on soils of the country and their re-
lation to the nations future food
supply. The doctor draws especial
attention to the vast amount of un-
cultivated areas of land, the decline
in the cultivated areas compared with
the rapid increase of population.
The country is advancing in every
line" said DR.. Whitney. People
are living better than ever before.
AS result we are stronger physically
and mentally. We are consuming
more foodstuffs per capita than the
population of the European coun-
tries, and l would not for moment
attempt to discourage less food con-
sumption. But it is plain that until
we get a larger supply of foodstuff
and the period of high salaries con-
tinues We can expect the present high
cost of living to continue.
80, let us touch the producing
side of the question. For instance,
the states north of the Potomac and
east of the Ohio rivers have total
area of 112,322,S8O acres The area
under cultivation in this territory is
estimated at a little over 40,000,000
acres. Added to this 27,000,000
acres used for forestry. So we have
over 42,O00,0 900 acres of idle land in
the territory lying in the states.
During the past thirty years the
amount of land in use has steadily
until now it is about 20
per cent less than in 1880, while the
country as whole has been growing
at a phenomenal rate.
"The number of persons engaged
in agricultural pursuits in the states
above mentioned has also decreased
during the past 80 years, while the
total population has very largely in
creased.
There are at present. mark you,
about 100000 persons engaged in
agriculture in the area under consid-
GRAFTON with population Of over 3d.
600, 900 non-agricultural producers
to be fed
"The bureau of soils estimates that
the land under cultivation in the area
can be made to yield at least four
times as much as at present by more
intelligent and intensive methods of
farming. Moreover, the same up-to-
date methods used on the idle land
will have yielding capacity of over
eight times as much as at present.
Careful investigations conducted
by the bureau proves that these lands
are well adapted to all classes of
crops from the early fruit, truck and
vegetables to the latest storage fruits
and vegetables for winter use, and to
the most intensive dairy farming.
1.-THE theory that decadence of agri-
culture in this region was due to the
exhaustion OF soils to long continued
cultivation has proved unfounded by
careful study and by officials of the
department of agriculture.
"The conditions in the eastern sec
ton of the country are similar to
those existing in other sections of the
country. So, whether the cost of liv-
ing is to be reduced or not, it is
perfectly plain to even the layman
mind that to feed the present and
constant growing population of the
country greater production of food
stuffs must be raised.
ITO do this more people have got
to return to the fields; it is necessary
to put more land under cultivation;
more improved methods Of agricult-
ure, and more intensified farming
must be followed.
81 expect that this will be done at
no distant date, but until it is done
and prosperous times continue to pre-
vail am afraid that we cannot ex-
pect a substantial reduction in the
high cost of living"