The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-10

"A INOILA OhhOl AdllIGL SCnl 4 A1C
Minneapolis Journal the following let
ter:
Thinks Increased Yields Dangerous.
"A farmer who wants to know what
is going on in the world reads The
Journal, and somehow We feel that
your paper ought to be on our side.
About all, or at least q very large
portion Of the receipts Of our farms
reach the Golfers of your merchants
and dealers. Then when we want to
take a knock off from the burden
some Iabors Of the farm, it is to
Minneapolis we go for recreation and
to see things.
The article published in The Jour
nal of Jan. 3, under the caption u.
j.. Hill displays revolutionary farming
results" like other similar Items, has
been read you might say by the
whole Of North Dakota The nub of
the thing, looking at 1t from the view
Of the farmer and in a selfish light,
Is how much more money will it put
in the hands of the farmer? Now
in going down the list Of compare
tive Yields / find that under the new
scientific methods the yield OF wheat,
barley and oats is increased 80 per
cent or Whereabouts. If by means
within the ability of the farmers to
adopt the new revolutionary methods
y IGAA0 eFGOAA0 w ~ A@NA
as much as the article states, the
question is what would become of the
farmer?
In 1911 we had a moderate yield Of
wheat and the price was SO near $1,
sometimes slightly above, THAT 1t
was a dollar wheat ear. Flax brought
from 50 to $2.25 per bushel; barley,
75tto IS cents, with the former figure
about the average; oats, 40 to 90
cents. In 1912 we had the help OF
heaven without the additional cost
of phosphates. Yields of everything
but flax were much better than in
1911, and the result is that the price
we get for wheat is about SO to 20
cents, flax SLOT, barley 80, oats 20,
without figuring in the decimals, we
| get 80 per cent less for wheat SO per
cent less for flax, and oats, and so
per cent less for barley, for the sole
reason that we happened to increase
our Yields in 1912 " e 1911.
What we are getting at is this: II
by scientific methods u farms are
made to produce any where near the
Yields given in the article alluded to.
what would become OF Is farmers?
do not know: On account of the low
prices the farmers are unable to pay
their debts this year., the country
merchants are away behind in their
PAYMENTS. If you do not believe this,
ask any Minneapolis jobber Or agri-
cultural dealer, AS the farmer pays,
so these men are paid.
Who is trying to improve In the con-
duct Of his farm
Devils Lake, N. D., Jan. s.
The Journals Reply.
The Journal replied editorially as
Il r-f1--,-. A 20 v1anft rnvsrpE at
Devils Lake, NJ. D., raises serious OBJ
| lection to the experiments and efforts
Of j, u. Hill and others to increase the
n~roductfyity of northwestern farm
Hands. on the singular ground that II
means increase in total product and
CONSEQUENT lowering OF prices realized
by the farmer. He points out in his
letter printed elsewhere on this page
that the crop in 1911 was small. and
that in consequence farmers reailzed
| ton prices for their grain, whereas In
lIqT2 the was large and prices
have In consequence seriously de-
IcIined-t0 the great loss OF the farm
er.
Al moments thought will convince
orr farmer friend that his argument IS
Iunfenable. even when considered from
Ibis own Individual standpoint. Sup
pose by intensive farming methods me-
is able to double the yield per acre OF
his wheat fields. Suppose his neigh
bors do likewise, and in consequence
the price of wheat drops TO half its
former price. Still he would be maxi
ing greater profit. For 1t would cost
yery little more to- raise the increased
Weld Der acre than to take off the
present Inadequate crop. As the yield
lner acre increases, in other words. the
Icost of production per bushel steadily
decreases. Thus 1t is more profitable
to raise thirty bushels Of 5O-cent
wheat than to raise fifteen bushels OF
HdoiIar wheat ON an acre Of Il The
money received III each case would pc
SIS. but much less would have tc
ID taken out OF this for cost OF pro-
| auction In case of the high yield than
lin case DC the low one. The 50-cent
wheat would give q greater net profit
Blt as & matter Of fact Increased
lproduction III the northwest would
| have no such depressing effect on
prices I'll our farmer friend fears. The
Fact is thatsthe world is producing less
wheat ana other grains h there is
| demand for American grain exports
are steadily declining because we eai
up 1T home nearly an we raise. The
Iprobieim of the not distant future Il
| going til be. How to raise enough foou
70 feed the world Under these con
Edifions prices must cor1tinuailE tend
lto be high. The wise farmer lis he whE
Eraiseg the utmost possible from Hi
land. ana whp az the Same time Re-.