The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-07-11
The COMING PROBLEM OF
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
by Cyrus H: Mccormick, President
International Harvester Co.

entering upon a new era III THIS
country How quickly or how slowly
this Charfge will take place rests large
ly with the farmer. New methods
must come, or ayoidable harm may
result. Professor Hugo D6VrieS, the
eminent Dutch BotaniSt, recently de-
clared that unless the science and
practice OF agriculture be developed,
the world will face famine within d.
few centuries. Professor Hopkins in a,
lecture delivered at the late Land Show
in Chicago gave warning to the man
of agriculture, and dWelt upon the
diminishing productivity per acre OF
American farms, The problem Is
worthy of the attention Of the best
men of the nation.
The world has outlived the rule of
thumb. Manufacturing methods OF
ten years ago have been supplanted by
thorough organization Efficiency,
now developed to remarkable extent,
is the WatchWord Of every modern
undertaking.. We were very crude up
to ten years ago. Even then our ideas
were somewhat imma ture. Business
ethics have undergone changes OF
marked progress. Some current meth
DDS of so.called legitimate business
!, transactions of a decade ago would not
today be countenanced or permitted.
The same spirit of evolution has
touched the farm and the factory.
Former methods of farming are now
deemed Wasteful, and like earlier
methods of manufacture are now con-
:, signed to the industrial scrap heap.
where discarded ideas must find their
; way.
In agriculture, handful of farsee-
ing, indefatigable men like Professor
: Holden of Iowa, Professor Moore OF
= Wisconsin, Professor Hayes and the
= late Professor Knapp, have grasped
the significance Of certain great funda-
mental facts of mighty Importance.
Important, not only to the man who
plants any kind Of seed in the earth
If expecting to harvest therefrom, but Of
# equal significance to all mankind.
e With an enthusiasm that amounted
=, to zealotry, these men have for some
d years dedicated their lives to preach
S ing the gospel Of intelligent farming.
Y The Roadway already made within the
It comparatively narrow scope OF their
n ldbors is Unreasonable. Possibly many
" old farmers, in a way, have known
n some of the facts that these men have
Is taken up and exploited with all of the
freshness of discovery; but the appli-
IS cation of an idea TO these facts, the un-
IS firing preaching and supplicating, the
N unselfsh devotion of these particular
It men of these particular men to this
s: particular cause, is what has actually
t, counted in the world of agriculture,
P. lust as labors of that character always
D. count in every other field of endeavor.
f, The man with a good idea which he
IN conceals is of little value to the world.
v. We have reached place in the me-
n, chanical development of farm machine
n. cry where one may say the striking
Ii, changes of thefuture will come through
It, improved methods rather than from
II, further improvements in machinery;
H. and yet some improvements in ma
rt chinery will continue until the end OF
time.
IT, The revolution that followed inVen'
IS, ton of harvesting machines marked
lip the beginning of new era-wonderful
he in its results, and proVidential in its
la opportuneness. We who are familiar
ay with the breadstuff needs OF the world
MT today cannot fail to be deeply I'M
IN pressed with the timeliness as well as
lie with the worldwide Of the work Of
the pioneers whose foresight and skill
as whose ingenuity and lndomitablt
ial perseverance gave to mankind thu
lat modern harvesting machine the value
.er of which to humanity is beyond oul
computation.
Today we are chiefly concerned witt
the f1tllre. A new order OF things j
inevitable. It's realization will resul
IG in great public good, may avert distinc
He public distress, and its coming shoui
)R, be fastened. With view OF accelera1
ing this movement and encouraging
it's development, the Internat!ona
Harvester Company has secured tn
help of Professor Perry G, Holden
In, Iowa, in order that they may give I
we the nation the services of an untirin
or and efficient scientific farmer, WI
OF understands, as few men do, the pro
\, ~ lens and their remedy. We, who ha,
NAA~ A., y1flainh Nh