The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-30

J in prices has gone TO millions Of
farm owners and not to few grea'
landlords. At the same time, Il
would be unfortunate for the general
public welfare II the prices of farm
products should continue TO advance
faster than those Of other products
and faster than wages and salaries
The second great effect, of the
disparity between the growth OF
population and of agricultural pro
duction Is seen I'm the falling of
of exports Of agricultural products
and In the beginning of importation
OF products such as we formerly sent
abroad IN large quantities. Ter
years ago the United States exported
over 300.000.0O0 pounds of fresh
beef. Today II is importing beef
from Argentina. We are likely 10
become wheat importers in a short
time. Not merely for sentimental
reasons but for serious economic
reasons the people of the United
States do not want to become de.
pendent upon other countries for
their IOOu supply.
Causes CT the Failure.
The principal causes of the fail.
ure of the food supply TO keep pace
with the population are: Immigra.
tion and the concentration OF i'm.
migrants in cities: the movement
of native population fro mcountry
10 city; the practica exhaustion of
| free public lands vel adapted to
farming and the comparative slow.
ness in the improvement OF agricul
tural methods.
1T viii not be a satisfactory rem.
edymerely to apply more labor to the
land. The much greater produc.
tivity per acre in Europe Is largely
attributable 70 the use OF many
more laborers. The production per
capita OF agricultural population Is
lower in most European countries
than here. We do need more labor
on the SOIL. but we also need 10
make that labor mere efficient In
order that each added laborer may
produce at least as much as those
who were working before. What.
ever new land Is brought under
cultivation hereafter Is likely to be
interior to that now under cultiva.
ton. The land already under cul.
tlvation tends through soil exhaus.
ton to produce less per acre. These
two tendencies, which the econom-
lists designate as the law of de-
! creasing returns in agriculture" can
be Offset only by technical improve.
ments In agricultural methods. Con.
sequently the work of such bodies
as the Southern Minnesota Better
Development league and Of such
institutions as the Department OF
Agriculture of the university OF
Minnesota Is the most important
means Of restoring the equilibrium
between the growth of agricultural
production and that OF population IS
Last Nights Session.
! In opening the evening session
OF the convention last night c. w.
Glotfelter said that he had been
waiting all during the convention
for some one to give definition
OF "Better Farinint and since
no one has given a definition he
would offer his. II Is this: Better
farming Is doing the right thing at
the right time On the farm"
Cr. E. Dana Durand gave the first
address of the evening, his subject
being Population and Food Supply. 81
f. T. Winship of Owatonna was
asked to take place on the even.
ing program and responded with an
address on Cow Efficiency"
Il have a great deal of interest
IN cows" he said and I also have
great interest in highways as your
townsman. John Holman knows
Steel county though has won a
reputation as a dairy county and
has been carrying of the gold
medals on butter for years. You
can't have a daily country without
the people. but we have the people
In Southern Minnesota. Some years
ago a man was sent out 10 take a
census Of the efficiency and chancina
to work In Steel county. found
that only 10 per cent were paying
fo- their feed.
Il became interested end with
some other men formed an associa
ticn In which we now have abon,
$500 cows which are tested every
thirty days. At first we could moi
find more than four cows which
would average 40 pounds of butter
a month. Now we have more than
100 which will produce more than
90 pounds Of butter a month";" =
| The Cost System.
hr. Winship then went on to tel
OF the cost system" which should
be used In figuring the profit or
cows. which includes food, labor and
so forth.
One COW we had made butter IA,
at cos. OF Is cents pound fol
the year. The COW brought n.
a profit of ss7 besides her cal,
which sold for sz25. There should
be no talk OF not being able to farm
profitnbly on 800 land. And we
have the people in southern Min
nesota to do H."
II. +. Dawes. president OF the
South Dakota Corn and Crauar.