The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-01
= By Bion H. Butler
Especial to News and Observer

Especial to News and Observer
Aberdeen, March ga few weeks
ago an association of farmers was or
gsnized at Aberdeen, which, if it shall!
hold together and carry cut the ideas
Of its promoters, means a sinnificant
stimulus to the agriculture of North
Carolina.
Back of the organization are such
mon as Leonard Tufts, Of Pinehurs<,
DR.. Walter II. Page, the New York
publisher. Raphael w. Pumpelly, one
Of the progressive northern crowd that
has been investing and developing in
this section in the last year or two.
and others of equal prominence.
Ordinarily farmers association
might not signify great deal. Posi-
bly, this one does not. Possibly on the
other hand. it signifies all that it may.
sn that case the results will be differ
ant, and to understand the possibilities
it is necessary to introduce some inIor-
nation that throws light on the prog
ress Of agriculture and the demand OF
the country on the farms Of the. United
States.
The figures Of the last census are not
available. out those of previous years
are, and they serve the purpose OF
comparison, and show what is to be
expected in the natural order OF Things
for the immediate future.
TO begin with, it must be understood
that fully half Of the area OF the
United States is OF doubtful value as
farm land. In the country west OF
q line drawn northward from the CEN
ter Of Texas the rainfall is too slight
TO make farming a certain profita ble
venture except in those limited spots
where irrigation Is possible at high
cost.
A comparatively narrow strip along
the Pacific coast is suitable FOR Iarm-
ing, but in a general way nothing west
OF the middle Ot Kansas and Texas Is
dependable on any large scale.
When Galusha Grow secured the
passage Of his government land bill
giving free, to all who came, farm I'D
the region from Ohio to Kansas, OF
wherever desirable land might DC
found farther west, few had any idea
that the public domain would be sivef
away by the close Of the century.
But that is what has happened, anC
the United States now has little lant
left that is Of any value. In the hail
century practically all Of the country
from Georgia and Ohio to the west
ward has been settled and made into
farms. The movement to the west haf
not set in very strong until about 1870
Dy Wn!cn tlfNc inc L nltcC ce<tlcS CeHSu
reported total of more than aOI, 900,
900 acres in farms. Thirty years late
that had more than doubled, addin'
more Of an acreage i'll thirty year
than had been created in the previou
two hundred and sixty year of Amerl
can colonization
This has been at the rate of oye
900, 900 acres of land year. At cl
present time, with the rapid addition
10 the farms of this country, the farm
are not meeting the requirement
made upon them nearly so we'll as i
the past, showing that the fQms ar
not increasing at rate to keep up wit
the increase of population
The west, with its free farms
practically filled up, ana The MAJ
who wants land pays fifty dollars a
acre for 1t. The country from Mary
land northward is pretty we'll filled III
and farms are high, the climate sever'
the growing season short. and farmin
in many sections almost impossible.
II eleven million acres are to l.