The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-30
Europe's Lesson To Vermont.

Inc speech uellNefeu Dy SeHdlOT
Page of this State in the United
States Senate recently on his vOca-
tional education bill has been is
sued as a Senate document and it
contains much valuable information
which proves clearly the need OF the
work which the measure proposes 10
accomplish.
One of the most interesting por-
tons of the speech is that part de-
voted to the need of a much greater
| teaching of better agricultural meth
DDS We have been so boastsul as a
nation, so fond of proclaiming cur
superiority to all the rest of the
world, that il is rather humiliatins TO
! learn how much greater progress
! Germany has made in agricultural
matters during the past thirty years
| than we have made.
Taking the increase in the yield Of
! five staple crops during the period
from 1873 to 1909 inclusive we ind
that in rye Germany increased her
production 81 per cent, and The
! United States only 10 per cent. n
wheat Germany increased her produc-
tion 5S per cent and the United
States only II per cent. In barley
Germany increased her production SO
per cent and the United States only
per cent. In potatoes Germany in
creased her production so per cent
and the United States only per
cent.
| Germany with an area equal only
to the State of Minnesota, Iowa> and
! Missouri. produces three-fifths as
much oats. four-fifths as much hops,
four-hfths as much barley. three
times as much sugar. six times as
many potatoes sd nine times as
much rye as The United States In
! 1907 from 3,Ooo go acres. Germany
/ harvested 3oHJ.t 100000 bushels OF
1 wheat, barley, rye, oats and pota-
) toes In The san year from SS,5OO,-
/ coo acres devoted 20 the same crops
! the United states harvested 1873
000 600 bushes From less than halt
the area Germ. raised nearly twice
the number of bushels OF these sta
pie crops. II we have secured the
same yield per acre that Germany
obtained from the five crops men
/ toned our farmers would have added
/ to the material wealth IN the year
| 1907. 81 100. 100000
Senator Page well says. The fact
that Germany has been cropping her
land for centuries is all the evidence
We need that il We will follow in her
footsteps in the way Of progressive
farming We may restore our lands as
she has done.
Senator Page also takes France as
an illustration of what an old coun-
try. the soil of which has been Cul-
tivated Tor centuries. can do i'm crop
raising The area of France is prac-
ticaliy the same as our three greatest
wheat producing states. Kansas. Min
nesota and North Dakota. Since the
introduction of beet culture the soil
OF France has been made more pro
ductive and in 1907. 10000, 600 acres
were soWn TO wheat. the same area
sowu iu the three American states
mentioned. The crop in France was
325.O00.0o0 bushels and in Kansas.
Minnesota and North Dakota. ISIS. OO0.-
coo bushels The American yield per
acre was IL bushels and that OF
France. 20.3 bushels.
IN discussing the lessons that we
may learn from France Governor
Harmon OF Ohio. has said They
have $4,000 agricultural schools in
France. every one OF them with a lit
tie plot around %. where they not
merely teach boys out of books. but
send them TO the field TO learn what
must De done 20 make things grow
under the smile of God: aud the re-
suit Is that France is the greatest
producer and the " test creditor
nation in the world AZ. while We
are just beginning 9 = up in this
country"
We are not people we
Americans. and nearly as
superior 90 eve. So. 50 a. We