The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-09-06
FIFTY BILLIONS Y
n. FOR FARMERS.
CeITect Methods Would Increase
Yield Of Acres.
the SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY.
Growing These essts 10 the Basis Of
scientific Farming and the Most
ere6tabls-crop Rotation . Great
omprover Of the Soil.

Scientific Farming and the Most
eresitabls-crop Rotation . Great
lmprevsr Of the Soil.
Between forty and Hfty billion DOL
hrs yenr i what the American farm.
er should iip ge: ting out of his acres
instead OF the present sum Of eight bill
Jon, according to the statement Of W.
X Winterhalter Of San Francisco. a
crop expert. who has adopted the
unique profession of consulting agri-
culturist" by the exact study Of
soil and crop possibilities ard the ap.
plication Of correct methods Of farm
management" he declares, "the yield
Of American farm lands can be multi.
piled fvefold."
Mr. Winterhalter believes that Amer
Scans will be compelled to make both a
science and a business Of farming in
view Of the fact that consumption IL
Increasing 80 much more rapidly than
production 81 far as foodstuffs are con.
cerned. He insists that the day will
csme when each farming district will
have Its expert agricultural adviser, n
man with the entire chemistry Of farm
Ing at his fingers ends, and under such
conditions the present farm acreage
viii yield several times the present pro.
daction.
Mr.. Winterhalter's profession Is un.
0oubtedly the rarest In the United
States, but he expects II to grow rap
IDLY. He asserts that the consulting
agriculturist bears the same relation
TO the prospective farm purchaser as
the mining engineer bears to the pro.
spective mine owner or as the bond
expert bears to the prospective in
vestor.
I'VE are pioneers,' explained Mr..
Wlnterhalter. but the time is soon
coming when man would no more
think Of purchasing large tract Of
land without getting a professional
opinion than he would think OF going
through an attack of typhoid fever
without a doctor. Competition has
forced on the farmer the realization
that he can no longer buy piece Of
land at haphazard. scratch II and sc.
cure a decent living. TO be sure OF
bis crops he must have expert advice
on the quality OF the soil and the cll-
mate and the nature OF the agricui.
tural products he may properly pro-
duce.
"Millions Of dollars are lost annually
through capitalists and farmers igno-
rantly yielding to the seductions Of
the land boomer. Sometimes there IL
an abundance Of water. but this mere
" brings out the alkali. which renders
the land useless. Again. the soil proves
10 he no clayey that the farmers dis
cover II can produce nothing but
bricks--not even gold bricks. II II the
province OF the consulting agrlcultur.
ist to enable the farmer to avoid such
hopeless and nnproductive lands ana
to teach him how TO rotate his crops
and get the best results from his par.
ticular tract Of soil"
Mr.. Winterhalter. who has been an
agricultural expert for twHnty.two
years, has been instrumental In spread.
ing the culture OF the sugar beet
through the west. not only for Its own
agricultural value. but because Of its
great usefulness M n conserver Of the
coil.
The sugar beet" he said, "is the
basis NJ scientific farming ana the most
profitable crop rotation. Its culture
raises the standard OF Intelligence In a
farm community. II opens new ave.
nueS for labor. II neccssltntes the use
Of the most modern farm machinery
Moreover. u great advantage of the
sugar beet to the farmer IN that II
makes him independent OF the specu.
lator. lie knows the price he win get
before he plants. And the beet crop Ia
. great soil improver, owing to the
intensive cultivation II requires.
This In a most important point. be.
cRuse we are rapidly getting to the end
Vt our edditiona) available government
and state lands IN those sections Of the
Uuitsd States where intensified agricui.
sure can be practiced with good profit.
OF course there are extensive dry farm
areas left. but we do not know how far
ws cen 20 with these. 30 far II In
most essential that our farmers should
,sarA to get two or three times the
present yield from one acre and con.
csutrate on smaller areas. We must
- away from the erroneous idea that
q takes 100 to 800 acres to support a
tamiiy. In Europe a family II sup.
pertsd ON M little az ten acres.
The average American farmer does
not yet appreciate the benefits OF IN.
tsnsive cultivation. but he Is rapidly
osarning. However. he has still much
% learn from his European brother
about the preparation OF land aud the
care and cultivation OF the crop. This
Il true Of the sugar beet crop as well
a. others. But on the manufacturing
side OF the sugar beet industry our
msthods are generally equal or superl.
~ 10 those abroad. The business "
younger here, and therefore we have