Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-01-19
EFFORT TO DOUBLE THE
YIELD AMERICAN FARMS

lOINs ~. u, Jan. ia
bill of great import was introduced
in the house of representatives today
by Representative Lever, of South
Carolina, and in the senate jointly
by Senators Hoke Smith and Page.
The bill provides for the further en-
dowment and support of agricultural
colleges TO enable them to assist In
getting into practice the best meth
DDS of agriculture evolved by opera
tion of the plan of establishing and
maintaining agricultural colleges and
experiment stations in the various
states.
This measure is the joint work of
the National Soil Fertility league,
the Executive Committee of the Col
leges of Agriculture and the states
men above named. 1t is in line with
President Taft's recommendation in
his address at the National Conserva-
tion congress at Kansas City, Mo-,
September %. 1t has the support of
the house leaders of both parties,
and 1t may be regarded as an omni-
partisan measure.
General Plan.
According to the general plan out
of which this measure springs, II is
proposed that the procedure shall
consist of getting into general prac-
tice the best methods known of scien-
tiic agriculture by employing trained
agriculturists, or practical farm
demonstrators, skilled in the most
approved methods of farm practice,
to take to the farmer on his own
farm the information or knowledge
that will enable him, the latter, to
interpret and adopt to his local con-
ditions the best methods of farming
In plain terms, it will as rapidly as
possible, place a trained, practical
man, selected and directed by the
respective state agricultural colleges,
permanently in each agricultural
county of the United States, and en-
abes the farmer to become master
of his calling aided by the best SER
vices the country can furnish, and
supported by federal and state funds.
According to the provisions of the
bill there will be an appropriation
beginning at the rate of less than one
cent per capita and will approximate
three cents per capita by the time the
annual appropriation shall have in
creased from 100000 per year, the
starting point, to a little over three
million dollars, when it reaches the
maximum. To have a clear idea of
the distribution of these funds it
must be understood that each state
receiving its share of the fund must
appropriate an equal amount for this
purpose.
Increase be Heavy.
Most authorities have expressed
the belief that the operation of this
plan will in few years increase the
farm output at least so per cent
That means an increase of wealth
per capita of about $50 per annum,
and it adds to the country's assets
four and one-half billions in national
resources The average acreage of
Europe gives from two to three times
the yield of the American farms, not
withstanding their soil has been pro-
ducing for centuries more than the
lands have been cropped here.
In the presidents opinion this
promises to be the most valuable
constructive legislation of recent
years Speaker Clark says the mind
cannot grasp the benefits that should
grow out of this movement. Ma
jority Leader Underwood expresses
the belief that it will do more good
to more people than any other single
enactment in a generation.
Look at these figures: We must
produce more or eat less.