Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-10-11
BOYS AND GIRLS WHO FLOCK TO CITY
CAN FIND BETTER LIFE ON THE FARM

chamber of commerce, pays a secretary
a good salary TO locate industries but II
is utterly Indifferent. so far as the ex-
penditure Of money is concerned. to
building up the farming community by
which is surrounded.
call attention to the fact that agricul-
tural education is after all a universal
problem. and that the city which strives
so for industry is to be commended only
In proportion as II strives also for the
development of the surrounding country,
for in the building up Of this community
there is more definite benefit TO be de-
rived on the part of the city than in the
location OF several great industries. 1t
will pay the city to strive TO make agri-
culture a permanent industry in the coun-
try instead OF an extraordinary waste Of
energy and destruction of land, as it fire.
Quently Is at present What is needed to
make the country prosperous and an
ideal place in which to live is a city home
I'm the country. We must strivetoeducate
our people that II is cheaper to live in
the country. and infinitely better from
every point of view for the rising gener-
alton than to move ito the city and
take on the burdens of city taxes and
city Hfe under the mistaken notion that
only there can culture and opportunity
be found.
INTELLIGENT FARMERS A PERMA-
NENT ASSET.
The city must come to realize that the
farmer is a permanent asset. and that its
prosperity is dependenton his success.
When the farmer is overcharged for his
fertilizer or his foodstuff and looked upon
as the legitimate prey OF all who live in
the town, the rural community viii not
prosper. The cost OF living, if this kind
OF practice is to continue, will become
infinitely higher until there is more
clearly defined recognition on the part
OF the city man that what is sauce for
the goose Is sauce for the gander." A
tremendous howl has gone up over the
cost OF living. and there Is a great de-
sire on the part of city residents for peo-
pie TO rush back to the land in large
enough numbers 70 reduce the cost of the
necessities Of life. This does not seem
to he a very generous or proper position
for one class of citizens to take to-
wards another. The farmer has borne
the burden long enough. and unless the
CITY puts more Of its time, money and
effort into a consideration Of how the
rural districts may be made more pleas
ant to live in and the profits OF the
farmed more certain and his protection
in trade and commerce better assured,
the cost Of living will continue to in
crease Certainly, the exodus from the
country to the city win never be stopped
by urging one part of the population to
return to the land so that prices may be
reduced and living made cheap and desir-
able for the balance.
II Is important to remember that all
who live in the country are not farmers,
which makes IL all the more imperative
for us TO readjust our present plan OF
public education. Fifty per cent OF those
who live on the land probably barely
make ends meet, IL we may Judge from
the last census report. Twenty-Five per
cent more make a small profit. but the
real prosperity Of the country is depend
ent on the twenty-five per cent which ac-
tually farm with discriminating intelli
gence. because OF a proper conception Of
the relation Of science TO agricultural
progress. To illustrate: There were on
the 234.691 farms and ranges in Georgia
in 1899, 1.424.29s hogs. The average num-
Der of hogs per farmer was. therefore,
GO; the average value Of each animal was
sIso. and the average investment per
farm a1.40 There were in Georgia 2,2l6
So persons, or Go of hog per individual
The value of the live stock per farm in
1850 was SS01.00: of the lands per acre.
SiAo5. In 1900 the value Of the live stock
per farm was 1872 co.: of the land. S10.93
per acre. Is 1t surprising that the meat
purchased chiefly from the west each
week amounts to $4,000 and that in spite
Of ffteen-cent cotton. the farmer nets
probably less than seven cents per