The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1913-05-15
TIE Business of Farming.


The press, the legislatures and
congress are now giving more at
tention to matters relating to the
development of the agricultural
interests of the country than ever
before in the history of this ma
ton.
The widespread interest in a
most important subject is attrlbu-
table to two causes. First, there
is a general spirit of progress pre-
valent in every line of industry;
and second, the increase of popu-
Iation without a corresponding in
crease in agricultural production
has aroused public interest in the
matter of improved methods OF
farming, because such improve
ment is essential to prevent fur
Their increase in the cost of living.
That most instructive writer,
Frank Parker Stockinbridge in the
last issue of Hearst's Magazine,
deals with the question OF the bus
mess of farming under the head
of Ready Money for the Far
mer."
His observations are well wor-
thy serious consideration, and what
is said herein will be mainly par
aphrasc of what is said in a most
instructive article.
Now for the first time Ameri-
cans are beginning to learn some
thing of the business of farming.
We have learned the art of
farming. Every important tech
nical improvement in agriculture
has originated in the United
States.
We know the science Of farming
too, and the agencies provided by
the state and national governments
have 50 developed agricultural
science until there is more accu.
rate and useful knowledge of pow
err and profitable farming methods
available to the American farmer
without art than there ever was
before, here or elsewhere, since
time began.
We have more available agri-
cultural land of the best quality
than almost any other nation or
group of nations and a higher
average of soil fertility than Eu-
rope; almost as much untitled vir-
gin soil as we have yet put under
the pillow, and yet the cost of farm
products to the consumer is in
creasing faster in America than
anyw here else in the world. Not
only is this true, but the profits
the-4AmerieaaH farmer .aaEHeg are not
increasing except in few former
mer localities and are diminishing
iE some sections.
1t will be doubtless surprising
to many readers of the article to
know that Germany is getting
crops nearly three times as large
as we get from every acre of land,
while in France the farmer has a
surplus to invest in securities
which pay far less per cent than
any to be obtained in this coun-
try, and the people there pay less
for food than we do.
The most striking illustration of
what can be done by improved
methods of farming, stock raising
and dalrylng the world has ever
seen is furnished by Denmark.
That little country where for
many months every year it is cold
er then it ever is in Texas, has on
Iv $500, 900 people yet they have
$3.50, 5000 in their saving banks
and export $9O,OOO,O0O worth of
butter, eggs and bacon annually,
and have climbed from state of
almost restitution to a higher
average of prosperity than ever
before exerted in an entire nation
in all history, and all from farm
ing.
This may seem almost beyond
belief; despite the fact that Mr..
Stockinbridge stands in the very
front rank of modern-day writer's
on such themes, but it is a fact
which has been stated by many
writer's.
A few more than half the peo-
pie there are in Texas, in an in
hospitable cline, where the land
is covered by snow and ice for
months in the year, and where the
land has been cultivated for a