Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1912-01-20
NATIONAL SOIL
FERTILITY LEAGUE
Introduce Bill in Congress to
Provide for Scientific Farm
ing Throughout Country

A Washington dispatch says: bill
of great import was introduced in the
House of Representatives on Wednesday.
January II, by Representative Lever, of
South Carolina, and on the same day it
was presented in the Senate jointly
bv Senators Hoke Smith and Page. The
bill provides for the further endowment
and support of agricultural colleges and
experiment stations i'll the various
States.
This measure is the joint work of the
National Soil Fertility League, the Ex
ecutive Committee of the Colleges of
Agriculture and the statesmen above
named 1t is i'll line with the Presi
dents recommendation in his address at
the National Conservation Congress at
Kansas City, Mo, September Is, 1911,
it has the support of the House leaders
OF both parties, and it may be regarded
as an omni partisan measure.
According to the general plan out Of
which this measure springs, it is pro-
i''''' tiiht NV PipNc'uiS small 'oiiSiot VI
getting into general practice the best
methods known of scientific 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 inter.
pref and adapt to MS local conditions the
best methods of farming. In plain
terms, it will. as rapidly as possible,
place trained, practical man, selected
and directed by the respective State ag
ricultural colleges. permanently in each
agricultural county of the United States,
and enables the farmer to become master
OF his calling aided by the best services
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 APP
preparation shall have increased $780,
600 per year. the starting point. to a lit
tie over three million dollars, when it
reaches the maximum. To have clear
idea OF the distribution of these funds it
must be understood that each State re.
ceiving its share of the fund must appro-
pirate an equal amount for this purpose
Most authorities have expressed the
belief that the operation of this plan
will, i'll a few years, increase the farm
an increase of wealth per capita of about
$50 per annum and 1t adds to the coun-
trys 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
witlstanding their soil has beer produc-
ing for centuries more than the lands
have been cropped here.
In the Presidents opinion this prom
Uses 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. Majority leader Underwood
expresses the belief that it will do more
good to more people than any other sin
gle enactment in a generation. III. III.
Gross, of Chicago, President of the Ma
tional Soil Fertility League, says he has
submitted this specific plan to every az
ricultural college in the land. there has
been no adverse criticism and about 9S
per cent have strongly Endorsed it, il has
been approved by about four hundred
public bodies, such as boards OF trade,
commercial associations, business mems
clubs, women's clubs, etc, and nearly a
thousand influential newspapers have ex
pressed a Willingness to support it.