Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1917-05-12

ed as one of the states leading farm
ers and best authorities on agricul
tural work, when asked today about
the food situation in West Virginia
talked very enthusiastically and with
deep interest. The senator takes the
position that the farmers who have
derived large incomes from oil, coal
and gas and left their farms have
made great mistake; that instead
of retiring to the cities and towns
and living off their incomes they
should have given more attention to
agricultural pursuits, and If they had
done this West Virginia would rank
much higher than it does among the
producing states. But he has great
faith in the patriotism of the sons
of West Virginia and that they will
prove it in this time of great need
by rallying to the farm as we'll as to
the colors.
To show his interest in the farm,
and to prove that it is far better to
till the soil than to depend upon stip-
ulated incomes, Mr. Silver is plant
ing 200 acres of corn, and large
acreage of beans, potatoes, tomatoes,
etc. He believes that by employing
up-to-date methods the yields will JUS
ify his efforts, and that his soil viii
prove very profitable. In discussing
the question the senator said:
"The total area of West Virginia is
approximately $4,000 square miles,
or about 100000 acres. At the
present time there are recorded &c.
900 farms of about 100 acres each, OF
atotal of 100000 acres, leaving G
balance of 100000 acres, or one.
third of the states area in absolute
waste land. or the recorded farms,
about sixty per cent of same is made
of hill and rolling land, which hill
land is only profitable as fruit grow
ms VI 81 dAihS plOpOoiIiOh. Twins
to the length of time required to bring
fruit trees into bearing, it is not feas-
ible at this time to plant fruit trees
with the expectations of getting the
fruit for use in this EMERGENCY.
1.-THE greatest and quickest relief
that West Virginia can give today is
from the use of her waste lands for
grazing purposes, due to the fact that
meats are now being imported into
the state and dressed carcasses are
costing from 16c to zoe per pound
for beef and pork, and zoe to SOC
for mutton, wholesale prices for the
whole carcass.
under present conditions of our
grazing lands, everything is ready for
the grazing of sheep and other meat
producing live stock Sheep being
the most profitable, from the fact
that they can be purchased at small
price per head, and quick returns,
both from the production of lambs
and wool, as we'll as supplying an
enormous supply of available fresh
meat Sheep are also very economi-
cal and profitable from the standpoint
that the cut-over land and waste
lands of the state, as well as large
portion of the grazing lands of our
farms would be cleared of weeds
brush and briars. and at the same
time the sheep are cleaning up this
land they are making large forest
fires impossible and are distributing
manure, which puts a much larger
area of the land in shape for the pro
duction of cattle.
"Take our 100000 acres of alb
solute waste land and then add tc
this 100000 untitled and unused
acres of recorded farm lands, make;
total of 100000 acres, and thi;
acreage carrying on an average o
one-half of one sheep per acre would
make 5,500,000 sheep. The wool ant
lambs from each sheep at conserv
alive estimate will average abou
$11.00 per head per year, or approx
mately $60,OO0,OOO.00 worth OF sheer
products. Five and one-half million
lambs at the average weight of Y
pounds each would make 3S5,O00,00
pounds of meat West Virginia will
voting population of about 250.00l
at the above production of mutton
makes approximately 1900 pounds o
meat per voter per year, and with
| population of about 100000 peopl
in the state, would mean about 30
pounds of mutton per year for eacl
individual, or practically one poun
per day.
Our state being large produce
of coal, oil. gas, timber and manufaC
tured products of all kinds, requirin
an unlimited amount of labor, an