Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-11-07

ii American farmers would rdlSi
food crops as Europeans do we woulC
not have to pay as much for our liv.
ing. Even Russia beats US sever
bushels on potatoes.
With over 100000 acres in wheat
II we split the difference between Ger
many with 20 bushels an acre and the
United Kingdom with 33 bushels, we
should, instead of a $50, 900, 900 bushe
crop, have a crop of over a billion
and a half bushels, more than twice
what we did raise last year. If in 40
years we had advanced in wheat Gull
ture as Belgium did in 20 years our
national wealth would have increased
S600.000,00O last year.
The empire of Germany with total
area less than the state of Texas pro-
duces annually seven times more pota-
toes than are produced in all the states
of the Union. Yet these European
fields were under cultivation for cen
turtles before the ships were builded
which landed Columbus on our shores.
In every calling except that of farm
ing we have demonstrated the superb
GRITTY of American efficiency. Corn is
the American grain king. So adapted
are our soil and climate to its growth
that we produce IS per cent of the
worlds crop. Yet within 40 years our
average production of this crop has
fallen from 1852 bushels the acre to
25.4, and We have about reached the
maximum acreage which can be de-
voted to corn. This steady falling off
in the yield TO the acre means net
annual loss to the nation of $50, 000,-
600. If by scientific agriculture we
had regularly increased our yield of
corn, one-fourth of l per cent a year,
or 10 per cent in 40 years, our national
wealth would have been increased
last year s17o,OO0,O00.
The average ear Of SEED corn has
about 500 kernels, each of which, if
it should grow. should produce a stalk
bearing one ear. This would mean 500
ears. or about eight bushels, which at
so cents a bushel, would sell for 81
Not counting the labor or caring for
the corn that is what each ear of seed
corn it worth. 1t requires just as much |
labor to plant poor ear of corn as it !
does to plant a good ear, and the poor |
ear does not give anything in return /
for the time and work.
There are approximately $4,000, 900 |
acres of land in the United Ste les de-
voted to the cultivation of corn. This
would mean 1,140 200, 900 bushels of
corn, which, at so cents a bushel
would have a value of 1870, 900, 900
The farmers of the country are losing
hundreds of millions of dollars each
year because they don't, or won't test
heir corn seed, and the same thing
lpplies to practically all other grains
let scientific agriculture be taught in
'ur country schools.
During the last census our cattle de-
.reased e,500,000 head, so that while
'ur population increased 81 per cent,
'ur cattle decreased in number Al per
ent
United States department of agricul-
ure, the average yield of cotton to the
ere for the 10 years ending with the
eason of 1909 was 1S4.7 pounds. I'm
er the instruction of the cotton Gull
ure department Of the Southern rail-
ray in many cases the yield Of seed
otton was LAPS pounds to the acre.
$ compared with 4S2 pounds on SINH
II lands where such instruction was
ot followed This was equivalent to
early one bale of lint cotton to the
ere. as compared with a little more
han anethird of a bale produced by
ne old methods of farming.
What was accomplished in cotton
ould be as easily done on the food
rops. The lands should be better pre- E
AIRED. be fortified more intelligently :
nd with the sort of fertilizers that
ill put back into the soil what the
rowing crops take out, and, this plan
'llowed. the problem of feeding the !,
will be solved.
REAkS A COLD IN A JIFFY! +
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