The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-09-26
By DOUGLAS MALCOLM

If ever America puts its hand to the
plow in its effort to feed the world, it
has assumed that responsibility now.
Not since the narrowing Gays follow
ing our own strife of the sixties have
the tillable acres Of this country faced
such a possible drain upon their
tountifulness. Without ever dimly
'.rophesying tn: duration of the war
now raging, we are already assured OF
the fact that next year this country
will be the storehouse of the world.
Every farm owner, every tenant and
every share worker will have his part
to play in fulfilling this great respon-
sibility. No matter how remote his
residence, he will hear Europe's call
for beef, bacon and bread, and on the
amount he has to sell will depend not
only his satisfaction of having served
his fellow men but the additional sat
isfaction of having served himself; for
big crops, much stock, many hogs next
year will mean big profits.
1t is thus that the American farmer
begins his fall work with two strings
to his bow. With one hand he is res
cuing the perishing and with the
other, he is reaching out for tangible
encouragement toward bank account
and better home.
Now is the Time to Start.
Now is his opportunity, and this
month is the time to lay his founda-
ton. There are two lines along which
he should plan his work, but only one
line along which he should work his
plan. First, he should utilize every
available part of his land, and second,
he should strive to ra:se the average
yield of his farm per acre. There will
be no danger of over production for
the crops sown this fail. The man
who has big yield will find big
market. But to get tnis yield mea:s
better kind of farming. Now would
be a good time to break away from
some old-fashioned ideas about the
mooA; from some other old-fashioned
ways of shallow blowing; and some
oldfashioned carelessness in cultivat-
ing; and some old-fashioned theories
in regard to seeding. In those parts
of the country which do Fall blowing
and Fall seeding, the way the seed bed
is made and the way the sowing is
done this Fall will determine the crop
per acre next year more than next
years rainfall, hot winds or frosts. IN
an experiment not long ago described
by +. l.. Peterson of the University
Farm at Davis, California, he says:
CAS- the pressure for supplies be-
comes greater, it becomes more evil
dent that the world cannot afforl
large farms skinned over with care
less culture. In an actual experiment
a gain of 200 per cent which was made
in the productiveness of certain area
100 PEI celt was found to be due to
better flowing and narrowing. so per
cent to better cultivation, and the rest
to bettcr aeed."
A lesson or two like that in every
COMMUTE would soon work its way
into farm operation in such a way
that several costly Practices sanction
ed b, time and custom would become
in short time as historical as cradl-
ing wheat and threshing it with fail
are now
The War Will Make Horses Too Costly
to Keep.
Oats and oil are in the throes of a
little war of their own just the same
as the human back once combatted
with the reaper knife. This strife is
last becoming more acute because the
already hlgh price OF horses is beng
accentutaed every day by the number
beng sold out OF the country for cav
airy mounts to be used abroad. The
dram upon the American horse supply
VIII soon be such that wherever pos
slble mechanical contrlvances will be
used to do their WofN. Were we to
begin at once, 1t Will require tve years
to replenlsh the, drain which the war
has already made upon the horse sup
ply OF the world. I@e United States
government Departures; or Agrlcul-
ture mas estimated that 1t costs Sl5 to
$50 per yeal to keep horse, and in
study. OF morse utility for a period
covering SIX years, 1t was found that
ne averaged only 30 hours OF work
per day as his contribution to lessen
ing the hign cost of living. IN con-
trast with this it was found that he
ate up the entire yield of one out of
every five acres which he helped to
cultivate. 1t has been shown too for
every hour he worked it cost about Is