Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-31


Z Agriculture is the oldest occupatio
of man, by at least 4 few years. Folk
thru the ages have farmed principal
~ not to make a life but 10 proven
death.
p To be sure history tells US abou
certain farmers who were wealthy
but the most satisfaction they ob
tanned FROM this wealth was the prid,
of possession. which may not be IL
removed from the ambition OF ayarice
Some thing1 which are being Gale,
to The attention OF farmers to-day q.
recent discoveries Of science are e
be found in history, hundreds of year.
Old. but never before has there beer
such wide and useful application made
of the findings OF science to the ar
OF agriculture In the past fifty years
the period since the Civil war, farm
ing has advanced in 4 way never be
fore dreamed OF While am neither
prophet nor the soon of a phrophet
nevertheless il We may to degree
Judge the probable proportion OF a
structure by the appearance Of the
foundation. il seems that farming in
the next fifty years viii as far out
strip that OF the past half century as
the light OF the full neon outshines
that Of the faithful north star.
do not support that ALL or even
any considerable number of farmers
viii become millionaires, for farming
IA not highly profitable business,
and probably never will be- Million.
aires are made principally by speed
lation. While the speculative value or
unearned increment OF land has in.
duced many farmers to ride in lux.
ury. whose parents shaved for the ne
cessities of life. there are examples
In almost every locality which illus
trate the statement that only three
generations are necessary for the
cycle from need to comfort, then
wealth ana return.
The speculative value of land can
not be expected tO play so important
a part in the future as it has in the
past. The clause in the recent Farm
Loan Act. which states that the an.
paised valuation of land ON which a
loan is to be made shall be based on
what the land has been earning. tends
TO establish standard, toward which
investors in land have been looking.
Perhaps they have been looking at it
from a distance. but they have been
gradually drawing closer to it. Such
a valuation will OF course, have little
erect on the man who buys a farm
Tor a home, regardless Of the interest
ne can make on the investment Just
as our homes here in the city are not
expected to return the full legal rate
or interest, but the privacy, convent
ence and beauty of our homes. when
we can afford such, make~up to us the
balance on the per cent OF income.
DO not understand me to say that land
values will not go higher than they
are now. Just as surely as d four.
story building under normal condi-
tions is worth more than a one.storv
Of similar construction, so surely will
land be worth more as the net profits
from 1t approach and outstrip the prof.
It from other safe investments. While
the rise in price Of farm products has
helped the income from our specula.
tive values, better machinery. better
seed, and additional cultivation have
combined to draw more rapidly on
the plant food which is in the soil
me productive capacity of our soil
mas diminished In spite of our soil
becoming less fertile, better methods
OF FARMING tend still to maintain our
average crop yields. That our soil
should ever lack in plant food is a
eohai''oA once considered by our
farmers as being impossible. II il
now generally realized however that
we cannot both eat our candy ana
nave II, not even in the corn belt
Then how shall we proceed IN oh.
tam more candy? Or possibly il our
population continues the 20 to rs ner
cent increase, every decade. and wa
nave no more Great West to bring
uiller cultivation, the mass Of mr.
population may be looking for iust
q pam potato and piece of sow
bosom, without even a dream for can.
ay before the end of another half cen.
eury lhls may seem like the cry OF
an alarmist but let us consider II IN
view OF the following facts. The II s
census for 1890 gives an increase in
population of 1871 900 for Tho nre.
ceding decade, or 255 per cent more
than 1880 and in 1900 an Increase Of
40, ofo'ooo over the population in
ieoo or 2O7 per cent, and in 1910
an increase of 15,977OOO or q per
cent more than in 1900. How has
this steady increase in population AT.
'ectea our agricultural imports and OK.
ports 10 get fair perspective OF
'he conditions. let us compare two ten
year periods We will take the Ara,
period IRON 1894 to 1903 inclusive, and
me second period from 1904 TO 1919
inclusive, Each of these periods seem
70 90 FAIRLY representative Of norma,
eohu'tions' In the second period con
sluered, our imports made declded
increase. The imports Of cattle wer,