Graham guardian., 1912-04-12

| 10 per cent. The area devoted to
wheat in 1909 as compared with that
of 1899 shows reduction of about
100000 acres, but an increase in
production of nearly $4,000, ,00O
bushels, and an increase in value OF
IT'S per cent
With an increase of more than
10,000.h00 acres of hay and forage
crops and an increased production
of nearly 18,000,0 900 tons, there is an
increase in value of 70 per cent.
With an increase in the number
of horses owned in the United States
in 1909 over 1899 of nearly 1.500. 600,
and Notwithstanding the hundreds
of thousands of automobiles which
have come into use there is an in
crease in the value of these horses
of 81, l80, ,000, 900, or more than 13l
per cent. Just thiuk what a boon
automobiles have been after all!
With an increase Of 9r9, ,00O
mules, the comparison covering the
same respective periods, there is an
increase in value of 1926, ,000, 900, or
166 per cent.
The census REPORT shows the
following figures applicable to poui-
try, including turkeys, chickens,
ducks and geese: In 1909 the mum.
Der was $50, ,623, 900; in 1910, 291,.
365, 900, an increase of nearly A..
100000, or 1872 per cent, while the
value increased nearly SOS, 1000, 900,
or practically 80 per cent.
Wheat is the most important food
staple of the white man, and New
York State, with a population OF
something over 5000, 900, consuming
| per capita about 5.4 bushels per
annum, requires approximately 50.-
100000 bushels of wheat each year
to feed the people living within its
borders.
The farmers of the State pro
duce on an average only 1000, 900
bushels year, leaving a deficiency
of 43,000,000 bushels each year.
which must be made up by drawing
upon the surplus of other states.
In 1910 only eighteen of the
forty-eight States produced sufficient
wheat for their own consumption,
and with the rapid increase in pop
ulation, unless an increase in pro-
duction per acre can be brought
about, it is only a question of a
short time when the United States
will become a large wheat and -four
importing rather than an EXPORT
ing nation.
Potatoes, like Whaat~afe food
staple Of almost every American
family, andthe empire of Germany,
with atotal area less tban the State
ofTexas, produces annually more
than seven times the number of
bushels of potatoes that are pro-
duced in all Of the States Of the
Union combined.
The only hope for. checking the
rising prices of farm products is a
vigorous, earnest, persevering cam
paign for better methods of seed
selection. fertilization and cultiva-
tion.
While present prices are high,
as compared with the abncrmally
low prices which obtained for more
than thirty years after the close of
the Civil War, these prices are..not
unreasonably high. They do not, in
my opinion. afford the producer
more than a moderate margin of
profit, and | do not believe we shall
ever see any material recession in
them.
The utmost that can be hoped for
is to maintain level of prices for
farm products somewhere near the
present basis and prevent futher
advance in the cost of living to a
level which will mean great suffer
ing for many and danger for all.
This eansonly be accomplished by
increase in the product
per acre Of the nations farms, which |
must be brought about by 8 cam
paign for better Agricultural meth
ods such as | have above sugges ed.
h:r. Brown while admitting that
the Agricultural Bureau at Wash- |
ington has rendered the farmer
great aid, and that it has done and
is doing splendid work, sad that its
field is limited, for the territory is
too wide for any one institution to
cover.
The hope of our country" he
continued, lies in our agricultural
colleges. Such institutions as the
agricultural colleges of Illinois. Wis
consin, Iowa and that at Cornell
have done wonderful work and each
year they are equipping young men
and women for the task of taking
hold of land long since worked to
death and rejuvenating it and reap
ing from it big and remarkable
crops. That is what we must look
forward to. Our cities are over
crowded now, and each year they
are becoming more so. The country
boy, firing of the quiet of his SUR
roundings, longs for the bright
lights and hustle and sbustle of the
big city. He comes to town eager
and willing to do anything that will