The Marshall republican., 1913-12-12
FARM PROBLEMS

D"'hu r. fiouStuhs otsTttufy VI hB-
riculture, spoke on THE Organiza-
tion OF American Agriculture" before
the forty-seventh annual session OF
the National Grange OF Patrons Of
Husbandry at Manchester. n, IL.
IN, his INTRODUCTION Secretary
Houston stated that Il was time that
all Intelligent, people put their heads
together to consider rural conditions,
which presented not n class problem.
but n national problem, affecting city
and rural populations alike.
lie said, in part: "A question fire.
quently asked in Washington of those
connected with agriculture is wheth-
or W. have reached the limit OF our
supply OF the necessaries OF life, and
whether or not anything can be done
to decrease the cost Of living. have
systematically refused TO deal off
hand with this vastly important prob
lem. as 80 many OF the interyiewers
1T Ia one of vast Importance and
completely. There arc many avenues
OF approach to e.; many controlling
factors and no simple remedy. Hut !
not n OF the pessimists. do
entertain the thought for n sec
ond that we have appoximated the
limit OF Dur output from the soil. Az
n matter OF fact, we have Just begun
to attack the problem. We have not
even reached the end OF the pioneer
Ing stage. and have only In a very.
few localities developed conditions
where maximum returns may be Sc
But we have Enthusiastically reach.
I'd the period where we must think
and plan and work. We can no
longer rely on the bounty OF natures.
There are evidences that Providence
Is ceaslng Its protective supervision OF
fools and Americans. Conditions are
emerging which. II not fundamental
~ dealt with. wiz lead M into GER
ious embarrnssments. II IN well for
is TO face the facts and get our bear
Ings. 1ian''
~ Much Land Not Improved.
with a population OF less thnn
$4,000, Deb OF people living on more
5000. 200 square miles. Il 10
ridiculous to speak MS ~ our terri.
tory had been more than pioneered.
The population per square mile IN
The Union does not exceed thirty-one.
ind ranges from seyen-tenths OF d
per cent in Nevada To SOS In Rhode
According to the best statistics
available. II appears that the total
irable land In the Union IN approx
$685. 900 900 acres; that only
lbont 100000, 900 OF this Is included
"a farms end improved; that over
100, aoo. 900 Is unimproved and not
included In farms, and the remainder
IS unimproved lands included In farms
TO the best Suesses I can
iecure. II appears that less than 40
Der cent OF the land is reasonably
we'll cultivated. and less than i2 per
'ent OF II IL yielding maximum re- I
.urns.
That We have practically reached
he stage where we have ceased to
20 an exporting nation OF food pro-.
and are becoming dependent on
uoreign nations for the n~ecessaries of
lie, IL a sad commentary upon our
Use OF the opportunities beautifully
bestowed upon us. We had better
face the fact that We are re-
inefficient. take stock OF our
ihortcomings and earnestly seek the
That we are suffering the penal
les OF too great ease of living and
u making u living oyer too long q
'oriod Is obvious. We have followed
he curse OF least resistance and
followed 1t to the limit. We
now face the problem of plannn
ng, OF the systematic direction OF
'ur energy, and of Invoking tho aid
u poiepee and Of the beffbsMJnyeh
Id is not singular iAcrealrI
tydfnt I'VE should find ourselves In
'ur present plight. Recklessness and
waste have been incident TO, our,
conquest OF a continent.
nd We have had u minds too ex-
lusively directed to the establish-
nent OF industrial supremacy In the
teen race for competition with fore
gn natioHs.
THE problem OF the individual
armer has received scant enough
attention. and the probi
of rural lie as a,whele has, ,un-
u recently been, practically ignored,
XIV rs wv SUN
ST0I RHRG Svaatl'