The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-08-16
FOOD MORE VITAL
THAN NEW ARMIES
OKLAHOMA MODELLING TO
DO HER SHARE IN FEED
ING WORLD.
COUNTY AGENTS DIRECT WORK
Director James A. Wilson Tells How
State and Nation Expect TO
Help ,tave on World
Famine.


ine-threatened. world cry for food. We
are facing a serious food shortage in
q W country. England, France.
Belgium. all OF our allies. are looking
20 the American farmer for relief.
President Wilson. Congress. govern.
~ors. bankers. army officers and every
able-lunged American citizen are az,
pealing TO the farmer for his best ef'
forts.
Thus has our civilization changed
since colonial days. The heroes OF rs
left "the hammer on the bench and
the pillow In the furrow" and were on
to fight the foe. The nan who leaves
the pillow for the trench is not a hero
In 1917. The hero Is the man who
stays at home and raises food that
others may eat. The proposed plan
for a military conscript leaves the
farmer out; in fact some well mean
ing persons would conscript town loaf
ers for farm service.
Just how serious is this food short.
age. anyway? The International In
stitute of Agriculture. located at Rome,
Gays ina tile NOTIu buDDlF VI oAh |
wheat, rye. barley and oats is $780,
100000 bushels less han the normal
requirements for countries open TO
trade. The whole world is now on
short r%ations. The most widely known
packer in America recently advocated
two neatless days a week To conserve
our supply. Chemists are urging that
the milling per cent OF wheat -four
be advanced to something near the
basis practlced by European countries
that are hard pressed for food. De
partment OF Agriculture statistics
show that the wheat crop has been cut
something like 50,000.000 Our allies
have pointed out that failure Of food
supplies may mean a loss OF the war.
Here, then, Is TO be the contribution
of the American farmer in the great
world war. The nation does not want
him TO take his place in the trenches,
Our allies do not want him in the
trenches. Instead Of shedding blood
TOR his country, he Is called upon to
sweet Q little harder in the fields.
President Wilson says the American
farmer can win the war. The states
men OF France and England have said
the American farmer can win the war.
At this particular time there rs
probably no buster man in Oklahoma
than James 4. Wilson. director Of. the :
cooperative extension work in agri- J
and heEe econ6mies which
Zoe Agricultural and Mechanical Col !
lee and !n,e United ststss peRsrt. }
msht Of Agriculture are doing III 'nh
state. Mr.. Wilson has 65 men agents
and "a women agents working under
his direction. To supplement the ef-
forts of these men and women en-
lsaged in farm and home demdnstra'
ton work. a staff OF specialists Is en-
ployed. with headquarters at still
water. There are a number OF coun'
ties now seeking agents and II Is pos
'sible that before the summer Is over
every county in the state will be or
eanized. At present there are mol
funds enough available to meet the
Extension Divisions part OF this obi
cation, but 1t Is presumed that. II the
plea OF Secretary Houston for a s2b,-
o0o, 900 emergency appropriation Tor
agriculture goes through, more funds
may be available soon.
The last legislature paved the way
for greater cooperation In the farm
and home demonstration work by max
ing Il possible for county commission
ers TO appropriate, after July l, up TO
1920 a year for this work. The Bank
ers Association. Cottonseed Crushers
Association. and other organizations
have offered TO assist financially.
The boys and girls OF the farms are
also being modified for greater agri'
cultural production. More than 1900
OF these young people now belong 70
the Corn. Cotton, Wheat. Pig, Canning,
Bread, Rotation. Calf, Bee, Grain, Sor-
ghum, Peanut or Poultry clubs. Each
one OF these clubs has Its own organ
ization and the work OF its members
is carefully directed by men and
women agents and the officials at
Saltwater. In past years these boys
and girls have been required 10 file re.
ports showing the success attained In
their work. These reports were valu.
able In checking up the results and
showing mistakes. but the reports will
not be insisted upon this ear.
Now Is the time, OF all times, says
Mr.. Wilson, when Oklahoma should
diversity her crops. More cotton on
the same acreage is expected. BY
proper cultivation and selection Of
seed and land. II Is thought that Okla.
,homa can raise 1000. 600 bales OF cot
TON without increasing last years acre.
age materially. Feed crops must not
be overlooked. Second crop potatoes
should be planted for storage. Every
healthy SOW in the state should be
bred for fall filters. The sale of female
stock Of all kinds to packing plants
should be discouraged. Oklahoma
sAould hand hAr eneraiea 10 the nrc.