El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-14

ANAaA gEUB4E UlA AAAaAAeAG ANAeAAAA1 ~
the development Of lands under the
Elephant Butte project. I viii say at
the outset tina: one OF the great needs
OF this valley at present is the stand
ardiZing or harmOnlZlnE OF opinions
one Of the most bewilderiug condi-
tons with which the prospective buy
er is confronted on visiting the valley
is the almost total lack Of agreement
among local people as to the valley 5
adaptabilities.
The great diversity of opinion IS
due largely TO the fact that each party
has drawn his conclusions from a dlI-
ferent set of premises with some OF
the pertinent factors overlooked. No
adequate conception of the needs Of
the valley or OF its probable agrlcuI-
tural future can be formed without
some knowledge Of agricultural con-
ditiOns throughout the world ana eS-
pecially in the United States, CANADA
and South America We might Just
as well profit by some fundamental
facts first as last I viii preseAt some
OF these facts and each reader may
draw his own conclusions
Diversified Farming Best.
While there has been much talk OF
late years about the need OF more
extensive farming. 1t has been proved
bevond question that extensive diver
sified farming, and not intensive farm
ing should be advocated. where labor
is expensive and land plentiful as in
the United States.
The percentage of our population liv-
ing upon farms is constantly decreas-
ing and will of necessity continue 70
decrease neutrality-suspicious. the mistaken
though well intended efforts to start
q back to the land" movement me
fact that a constantly decreasing per
ce1tage of our population can feed the
nation is one Of the most positive
signs Of national progress, since great
or numbers are thereby enabled TO de-
vote themselves TO developing our nat
uraI resources and follow other useful
pursuits.
As the Nation Advances.
Amply this rule to the nations Of the
world and see if il does not hold true
that. other factors being equal tne
smaller the percentage OF tarmeIs' lne
moro advanced the nation Economists
are agreed that labor-saNing deFices'
instead of throwing men out OF en-
pIoyment. as is commonly supposed
actually increase the opportunities Tor
labor.
vast urdevelcDed natural resources ana
al the same time a nation Of poverty
and the prey Of other and more mod
ern nations.
THE poiicy of China has been TO re
sssr the introduction Of modern meth
o5s for fear their use would precipi-
tate serious internal disturbances ny
throwing so many of the people out
OF employment The truth IS that win
their crude methods. it requires near
IL all Of the population working mos
Of the time to feed the nation 1hefe
are too few left over TO develop heI
other resources and 20 III otneF US
fuI and needful occupations hgitLu
DIT KoliauE Yih- secretary OF the III
nese legation at Washington ana
graduate Of Cornell UNIVERSITY uaAe
the statement that nine-tenths OF ms
OeOule are tillers Of the SOIL y ial 5c
h.
part OF the remaining TENN are =
ermen- Fortunately FOR China sne IS
ava lzenfng 10 the necessity Of modern
izfnc- and is now studying the coho--
lions Of other nations
Cannot Force Yield Here
The American farmer has oIten oeeN
c-fffrfzed because he has not Increased
his average yields per acre as mas lIe
T.rronean farmer, where labor IS prem
tifuI and cheap and Where Iahu -
scarce. In many instances lne -AliiSI
loan farmer has been forced TO De
crease his yield to reduce the cost %
production and prevent an oEerprouu,c
lion. Conditions are not such tnf the
American farmer can afford 10 iorc-
from the soil the highest ylelu the
soil is capable Of producing
Corn statistics for the stare OF 1o"@
for the last several years show 'ilat
the biggest crop brought the lea91
money not per busheL Dul LOT the eli-
tire crop. while the smallest crop sou
for the most money. In other words,
the amounts which the farmer received
for his corn crops were e-oul inverse
" unconditional to the size OF inc cfol,S-
Ths same is true OF potato crops IN
the principal. potato producing us
tricts. 60
Annie growers are rejoicing inns
year over the prospects OF sHOI
crop, while in many OF tne s Sc. @ l,ll,7
producing centers. the bumper cIoP
81 last wear could not be sold for enough
Peaches are fed TO hogs and given
away nearly every year In more man
half Of the states Of the union Inc
feeding Of peaches to hogs Is not a
distinction belonging TO the klO GIallue
valley. The weekly Kansas City StaI
Of September /, tells OF y Peach eIut !
an New York" when during the pre- Q
vious week the finest peaches sold 1or /
20 cents. uer crate. The practical farm !
er knows these facts by his own eA-
perience and has his convictions NeIl-
fia5 bv official statistics and the pun :
lie press. He is afraid OF oVerpIouu0
When Prices Drop.
On this point, I wish to quote III;
T. \. Carver, advisor in agriculture!
economies of the l. s department OF
and professor OF economies
of Harvard university ..,+
How many people are there, OUT
side of the farming classes, VINO Ieat
I've how definitely the volume oA d5.L
.cT1t4ra1 production depends upon tne
nrices which the farmers get Tor men
1roducts2 During the closing years OL
+be last century. England was sulAei
inc from agricultural depression IN
1887 a parliamentary commission We
conducting inquiries into the slale OF
agriculture and the reasons thereIor-
q great deal has been said aDout IN
tersive agriculture and the increase
of crop Yields as an offset to the low
prices which products were Drlnsihs.
Tbe sublime intelligelces which SET
forth this theory did not seem 10 De
blessed with even a sense OF humoI.
Otherwise, they would have seen the
2 bsurdftv Of trying to increase tne
supply Of farm products as remedy
for low prices
Increased Yields Costly.
s-Sir John Lawes. probably the great
est nromoter Of agricultural sciences
i'm modern times. was called betore
the commission and was able to prove
conclusively that as you increase your
Weld beyond a moderate amount. each
bushel added to the yield costs you
more and more, and that the last
busheI so added always costs you more
than any OF the others He also showed |
that. when prices wee low, the indi-
vfdual farmer must reduce, rather than ;
increase his yield because. under such
Intensive cultivation rs will force high
Weld the last bushels would then pc Z