Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-12-20

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country. He made an especial point OF
pairing the conditions in Connecticut
necticut and in Denmark.
TN the former locality, with a
smaller area, there is greater density
Of population, and the vast majority
Of the population are engaged In or
supported by manufacturing, leaving
but 10 per cent engaged in agricul-
ture. In Denmark IL per cent of the
population are engaged in nanufactur-
ing and go per cent In agriculture.
In Connecticut the proportion Of land
devoted to agriculture is constantly
diminishing; in Denmark Il is con.
stantly Increasing In each decade, he
says, enough land in Connecticut goes
back into wilderness to support. If
properly farmed, a city Of the size
OF New Haven. Since 1850 enough
land has been abandoned to support
The present population OF the State
But the land under tlllage, being ~
per cent Of the area of the State,
would feed three times the present
population IL properly used.
Mr. Elliott contrasted particular,
tie production of milk, butter ami
cheese in the two locations. and ask
why cannot Connecticut do as well"
as Denmark? Well, we viii tell him
one reason. There is no doubt that
F! Connecticut is admirably located for
supplying not only It's own cities, but
New York, with food products. But
one leading reason why it cannot do
as well as Denmark or Belgium, or
any other half dozen European locali-
ties, is the high price of labor and
Its almost certain diversion into in
dustrial pursuits.
"The feature that Mr.. Elliott brings
out exists strongly In the case OF
Connecticut and in varying degrees
all over the State of the East. 1t in.
dicates the need of correction. This
country has enough untitled land to
feed 1t. But in planning how It
8 to be brought into production we
must bear In mind that the problem
Is changed from the European one in
the fact that labor is high-priced here
and low priced In Europe"
Mr.. Theodore Imbach, formerly Of
this city, for ten years connected
with the University at Morgantown.
and now a resident of that city, takes
exception to the conclusions Of the
Dispatch in the following communion
! ton:
Having read your answer to Presi.
dent Howard Elliotts address at New
Haven, | cannot agree that the prob
lem is the high price of labor here
and the low price in Europe. In
Europe the lands are high, methods
are pr'mitive-75 per cent of work is
done by hand and backbreaking meth.
DDS. In this country lands are cheap,
and with all improved machinery used
cost of production is a great deal
lower than in Europe. The success
.of Denmark and European countries
are due to cooperation in buying, sell
ing, and intensive methods of grow.
ing. In this country 80 to so per cent
of prices paid by consumers go for
commissions. They also have more
effective government cooperation in
instructive methods of better farm
ing.
Our greatest difficulty is too much
scientific teaching of theory and not
scientific farming, In this State
more than 80 per cent of the agricul-
tural instructors know nothing them.
selves, while so per cent of our agri-
cultural students are striving to be.
come instructors and not going back
to the farm. This county, with the
State farm here, is one of the poorest
agricultural counties in the State. not
IN soil, but in farmers and truckers
! do not know of one farmer that is
farm'ng by instructions furnished by
this institution. or could afford to. al
though it is costing thousands of dol
lars 10 maintain There is more time
spent trying to teach the common
farmers the technical name of
grasshopper than telling him how to
Danish them One practical cooper
alive country demonstration is worth
more than 100 lecturers on theory"
ST. MARYs DISTRICT