Norwich bulletin., 1912-07-11
RELIEF THROUGH STATE FARMERS
President Jarvis Says Connecticut Agcuurasts Can Solve High Cost of Lving-Shoud be Big Increase in Titled Nutmeg Farms Could Raise All Supplies For Home Use.

In circular letter in which he urges membership in the Connecticut State Agricultural society, President Charles M. Jarvis voices an emphatic call for the people of Connecticut to return to the farm and to the production of the food crops which they themselves must use, and he urges that in such course will the people of Connecticut furnish their own solution of the problem of the high cost of living.
 How President Jarvis Views It.
 The greatest problem before the people of Connecticut today. is the high cost of living-it affects us all rich and poor, because never before have the necessities of life been as high as they are today.
 The future offers little relief, ex cept such relief as the people of Con necticut can give to themselves.
 Baron Won Lebeck said long ago:
 Perfect agriculture is the true foundation of trade and industry. It is a foundation of the riches of the states
 Little Food from Home Soil.
 All values come from the soil, and the state of Connecticut creates but a scant 25 per cent. of the food supplies which our people annually consume
 Note: Suppose that all the trunk lines connecting New England with the west should be tied up by the in va!sion of a foreign foe. or by a pro- longed strike or from any eXtraordi- nary cause whatever, how long could New England exist under these cir cumstances?
 Since 1850, SOOOOO acres, represent ing $24,000,OO0 of tillable land in Connecticut have gone back to the untillable condition.
 Losing 5000 Acres Yearly.
 Between 1900 and 1910 the decrease in our tillable lands has been 5000 acres per year, representing a taxable value of nearly one quarter of a mill lion or dollars-rnore money than our whole state agricultural appropria- tion.
 As manuacturing community our position is exceedingly hazardous, as all of our raw materials are i'm ported into the state and practically all our manufactured product is marketed outside of the state We produce nothing except one-quarter of the food supplies which our people | consume. We change the character of our raw product by adding labor. but we depend upon those outside of our state to supply us with the raw product and take our finished man ufactured articles.
 Buying 75 Per Cent. Outside. Worse still-75 per cent of what our ] people consume-the bread of their mouths-comes from outside of the 1 state.
 Stop one moment and think of this alarming condition-every thinking man must realize what it means.
 Less than 10 per cent. of our total area is under active cultivation, and only 20 per cent. of our total area is under any tillage whatever. Seventy l five per cent. of the total area of the 1 British islands is under cultivation. | Denmark. with an area about three 1 times the state of Connecticut, and a population of about the same density provides her people with all the food l that they consume and exports $50, | 100000 of food products to foreign l countries every year.
 | Japan-one If the oldest nations ot the earth-supports an ordinary house