The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-11

fo@A0 A@vA0ot 0CPcnuS ctltlreiy upOH our lagricultural preparedness declares Ad- luiiral George P. Colvocoress, U. s. N, kretired. In . paper read recently before ythe IAtchfield grange. In it the noted naval ofncer deplores the wastefulness lOf Americans and the decline of agri- lcuitural pursuits here. He declares lthat every man who can make two po- tatoes grow where one grew before is !a public benefactor. His paper fol flows:
 1 We hear a great deal concerning military preparedness in these times of awakening public spirit and patriot Ism. We hear also something of in
 dustrial preparedness since engineers and manufacturers throughout the jcountry are employed to an extent be- lyond their capacities in almost every line that can produce munitions, arms
 and things that can be used by the Iwarring nations of Europe. These Iproductions bring in money-they ap- }pea1 to the instincts of the many and Ia golden harvest is being ,reaped in tevery branch industry
 So, also, the. armers, especially in tho great grain fields of the West are enjoying unprecedented prosper dty, with hopes of more, as the months of this terrible world conflict go on l The law of compensation makes Europe's loss our gain and great pros lperity smiles for while on our fair Hand.
 In the smug sense of satisfaction that comes to us-though be it said there is no lack of pity and charity for the unhappy nations-it is well to Ipause and think of the future that will surely follow this period of infiat- Led prices and high pay for labor. The sIpendulum will swink back-and even if we escape being drawn into the 1struggles the conflicting nations (which God grant we may) strain and stress will be brought upon our people
 In the effort to return to a normal, lhealthy' condition
 If. on the other hand, we become itnvolved in war the dangers will be still greater, and it may be we'll to linquire how far we are. preparing for either contingency. Since am ispeaking to you. Changers tonight, I lwould ask, how much have you thought of the agricultural prepared ness of our country, and what could 1you do as patriotic citizens?
 1 We may, send our sons to the war, land go ourselves if able, with the same Ispirit that animated our forefathers Itn the days of '76, 1861 and 1898. But lafter all the backbone of prepared ness will depend upon the power to sustain our armies, keep up the supply of men and munitions and in the final analysis rest upon the agr-cussura, !populaticnx of our land Germany with all her masterly system of prepa. hraton-her KuItur-which is a mis- understood term, for 1t really means temciency, not our word culture, with all her foresight which for forty years
 haS been exerted with view to the
 successful prosecution of this war Germany, say, is now feeling the tpressure of want of food, and although she asserts that there is enough to sus- tain her to the end, there is grave evil oence to the contrary and strong mea-
 sures nave been taken tQ keep up the supply on a living basis Many sec- uons or the country Ere suffering and m conquered Poland, Serbia and Bel E1um the unfortunate inhabitants are fstarvfng or barely kept alive by the cnarftaDle contributions of neutral na-
 tions- Cattle are. very scarce. milk 1s hardly procufable for the babies land so many hogs were reck1eszIv slaughtered at the commencement ar tthe war that the fats necessary to proper nutrition are no longer obtain-
 hble. k II
 do not know what steps have been Itaken by our country, if any, with a Wewsto preparing agriculturally for Ine National defense. Our govern
 ment interferes very rarely in snch matters, leaving them to the intelli-
 gence of free and enlightened neo- pie What is being done for such . fcontingency? Every man that can make two potatoes grvw where one grew before is public benefactor. and
 this is true of every kind of prod,,ct l have recently come from the stat or Georgia and it seemed that the neo- pie there were more alive to the neces-
 sittes of the times than those in soyoa other parts of the country. Al Az
 lanta met gentleman who had bee,, active in Interesting 30,000 engineers m all parts of the Union in the cause for National Defense. The country was being canvassed to ascertain in lWnat way engineering eIectri- tcal mechanical-could be made usefnI
 m army or navy. How many of inc ilnoustrfal factories could be turned in ! lto mpnition plants, how the railroa 4 . icould be utilized for transporta Al or Eand many other things pertainfne to
 tneir profession. That was without fcompensation or government aid ana Fan the lace of some discouragements we are said to be the most wastef,,l people in the world. The waste of an ordinary American family. if is sta+- Ied, would support the average French Family. Allowing for some exarre- Irauon, this may be true. Look at tha fcnitfvatable land going to waste ;r every section of the country, see tbe l1allen trees rotting in the woods and ltne grass whitening in the fields chok- leo with weeds In Italy and France have often seen women and chiIdran }careluily gathering every fallen boueb
 From the trees, and grass along tba lroadside. Where are the fine cattle that once won prizes in our countv 1airs! The sheep that grazed on inc fnln-Ades? Alas many of our once
 Tar meadows are over-grown with lhard-hack and wretched CUTS are so
 numerous that. forsooth, the sheen can mo longer be kept because rAev are
 worried to death by them.
 { Neglect and impoverishment of tba
 land and decline in cattle raising have markedly reduced the production of New England farms within our recol- tYarffov,