The Washington herald., 1913-09-07
Truman G. Palmer Student and Writer on Agricultural
ST. cts, Takes Issue with Thomas Nixon Carver, of
Rural Organization Department

To the Editor: If the announcement
made in a half-page interview in your
issue of August "A with Thomas Nixon
Carver, a recent acquisition of the De-
partment of Agriculture, is to be taken
seriously as presaging the future policy
of that great institution, the end OF its
usefulness seems near at hand.
With its 1000 scientists, this great de-
partment outranks any similar institu-
ton in the world, and, in common with
all others. the central thought in its
activities is to teach farmers how TO
secure a greater yield from their fields.
Mr.. Carver has been teaching political
economy at Harvard University, but now
has secured leave OF absence and an
nOunCes that he has been employed by
Secretary OF Agriculture Houston 10
teach business methods to G0Oo,Ooo Amer
lean farmers, through a newly created
rural organization" the object of which
he says. is 10 bring like classes in the
same neighborhoOd into close and help
tul relations and TO stTaighten out the
curves between producers and con-
sumers."
Tends 10 Rural Bcttcrrcnt.
While the purpose Of Mr.. Carver's new
mission il somewhat vaguely stated, no
doubt it will prove to be of benefit 10
the American farmer and, as with good
roads, rural mortgage banks, and many
other subsidiary aids. suggested or under
way, will tend to increase his happiness
and proST erity.
The serious aspect of Mr.. Carver's
elaborate interview is the fact that if his
ideas be adopted, not only will our farm
ers no longer he taught how to increase
the yield Of their fields. but they will be
taught that high Yields per acre mean
unsCieutiiic and Improbable farming.
The enrichment Of the soil deep plow-
ing thorough cultivation. and other arts
of agriculture. which make for increased
yields, Mr.. Carver throws TO the winds.
He brushes them aside with flourish OF
the hand. brands them as Eeing undesir-
able. and de, lares ih favor cf the slip
shod methods of farming whereby the
area tiIledN rather than tA yield per
ayIe, il tn, measure If successful farm
ing.
He declares that intensive farming is
expensive farming and extensive farming
is economical farming Admitting that
the European farmer secures double the
yield per acre that the American farmer
secures. he asserts, nevertheless, that
the American farmer is the most sci
entifc farmer in the world"
He saws:
1t is the purpose of Secretary HOus-
ton to establish better business methods
among the asriculturFts of the United
States. Better farming. as the phrase
goes. has been accomplished. Amefl-
cans are The most scientlnc and success
rul farmers in the world. They know
h,w to grow crops economically. say
this knowing that there is good deal
Of palaver abroad-mOOnShine, ! call 1T
concerning intensive farming Certain
foreign countries are being held up De
fore Americans as models of efficient and |
profitable efforts in agriculture.
Now. getting right down TO the truth
Intensive farming is expensive farming.
Extensive farming. on the other hand. is
economical farming. We hear that so
much per acre of particular crop mas
been produced in Europe The hEures
are astonishing. An acre and its yield
in countries where land is scarce, is the
mea sure of achievement. In the United
States where land is abundant. man
himself should be the measure of all ag-