The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-04
War Will Result In Great
Agricultural Activity In England


missioner of South Africa immediate
lIy after the war he had further oppor-
tunity of enlarging his knowledge as
to agriculture.
Just before resigning as President
of the Board of Agriculture the other
day as a matter of principle due to
his views on the Irish question, Lord
Selborne consented to review briefly
the situation as to agriculture in an
interview with a representatives OF
The Associated Press.
81 have been highly gratified by
the ready response of the people gen.
orally to the idea of making the coun-
try more nearly self-supporting from
the soil', he said. II have made my
plea for the cultivation of the soil on
the grounds of patriotism; the farm
ers and laborers came forward first
to meet the emergency, and then the
girls and, women from the village
and even cities-some of the best
type of women, including many of
independent means, answering my call
out of pure, unadulterated patriotism.
These women have taken to the
soil enthusiastically and with the in
telligence that seems to characterize
everything they are undertaking. They
are living like laborers and are do
ing remarkably well all of the farm
aborer's work-milking and feeding
and looking after the stock like vet
Grams. Many of these even have mas
tered the work of handling horses and
can get as much work out of a team
! as any man.
Because of the splendid manner in
which the women have risen to the
occasion in this respect at a time
when farm work is Of vital Importance
to the nation, we feel justified in the
belief that we are going to pull agri
culture through this crisis in spite oil
many APPARENTLY insuperable Difficult
ties.
1--WE realize that the problem o.
making as much progress as VIZ
should in war time presents its hand
icaps. Among these, in addition t
the shortage of farm labor alread!
indicated, is the difficulty of obtain
ing sufficient supplies of fertilizer
and modern machinery that are 81
necessary in farming to the creates
advantage now. Then there is tn,
shortage in shipping tonnage, restrict
ing at many turns our requirements il
the matter Of supplies from overseas
1--WE have asked the farmer t
maintain the full cultivation of tn
bsoil and the upkeep of his flocks an
herds during the course of the wal
and to increase them whenever poi
sible. Under the unparalleled diff
: culties encountered he has responde
r wonderfully. The difficulties of thi
= particular season will be understood
/ in view of our efforts to replace wit
J. women the men absent from the sol
r Owing to the custom being agains
5 women working on the land in Eni
; Hand, the problem has been partic,
+ larly difficult. The English type {
!, farm laborer is highly skilled and
+ fine fellow. He would rather have HI
i women folks looking after the HON
0 and maintaining the children an
Q working less about the farm.
: "The only English counties l
q which exception is found to this a
n titude, or where women work habit,
s ally on the land are NORTHUMBERLAND
l. Cumberland and Wesmoreland an
( parts of Durham.
e "Of course there is distinctio
between what countries with high
Z centralized governments, like those
: France and Germany, can accor
it plish in such change in national Iii
q as we are attempting here in Englan
Il land in what we can accomplish. r
q fer to their facilities for quick orgal
y ization. In France, for instance, thel
E. is a perfect in every department an
It a mayor in every commune, viii
practically the whole of Germany
h population it at the order of the go
.e., eminent. What those countries can I
0. by compulsion we must accomplis
If by voluntary and spontaneous effoI
10 And the machine here, therefore,
N necessarily slower.
IS "But the spirit of the people he
IN is aroused, and, as usual when tn
n. is so, the desired result is bound
ct follow.