The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-10-19
bond FATE
8MAY REST IN
FARMER HANDS
Slow Sales in The Cities
May Make It Necessary
to Call Him to The Rescue

Cleveland, Especial -The farmer
came nobly to the rescue In the food
crisis last spring. He will have to
come to the rescue again, quickly and
substantially, II the Second Liberty
Loan is to have the big over-subscrip-
ton that had been hoped for 1t. So
far In every district the city subscrip-
tons have been coming slower than
had been expected. Whether the late
onrush, that always features sale
like this. will be suficiently strong to
make up for the early hardness re-
mains to be seen.
In the first bond drive the farmer
failed signally In meeting expecta-
lions. There were two chief reasons
for this. He wasn't at all sure then
how his crops would turn out, for the
weather conditions were unpromising
and he was short handed Then he
wasn't solicited as were his brothers
In the city. Where he subscribed to
the bond Issue 1t was from feeling Of
patriotism purely and simply. He
hunted up his banker and placed his
order and went back TO the fields.
This time 1t will be different.
throughout the Fourth Federal Re-
serve district every county has Its or
ganixation, planning to make farm
TO farm canvass upon just as ex-
tensive and careful scale as Is being
done In the cities. No farmer may Of
fer - an excuse that he was not ap-
preached. And In no district In all the
country IL the farmer In better finan'
cial condition to respond. Crops have
not been better In years. Prices have
not been 80 high since the civil war.
Ohio farmers will be called upon to
bear the greater portion Of the burden
for the craft. The Pennsylvania and
West Virginia counties In the district
are not particularly strong In an agrf
cultural way. Their richness lies In
other lines-coal, oil, lumber and man.
ufacturing. The Kentucky territory,
for the main part, is but lightly popu-
lated, yet the farmers in that section
have done better this year than In the
last two decades. And early reports
indicate that they are responding we'll
to Uncle Sans call.
Here are some Of the reasons why
the Ohio farmer should subscribe lib
orally. and in considering them one
should not overlook the fact that this
Is an exceptional year, crops and
prices are at the top mark. and the
figures offered are those Of seven
years ago.
Ohio in 1910 had 2l,105, 708 acres Of
farm land. of which 1s,227.96S acres
were under cultivation; total value
$1,000, es4,6s9. This Ii approximately
one-twentieth of the entire farm value
of the United States. Operating these
farms were 272.o45 farmers, Of whom
192,1O4 were actual owners, the rest
being either managers or tenant-farm-
ers. The average value Of farm lands
then was 1894 an acre.
Complete figures upon the value OF
farm products are not obtainable, but
those applying to the chief farm
products are interesting. Ohio lro-
ducsd in 1909. 157,613,300 bushels of
corn, worth $S3,327. 300, at an average
price Of IS cents bushel. Today the
price Is around 50 q bushel. The pO-
tatO production totaled 20,332,9S4
bushels, worth $9,377,765, at an aver
age price Of IS cents q bushel. Pota-
toes this fall will bring close to 81 a
bushel. Oats brought the farmer $23,.
212,352 for a production Of 57.501,O46
bushels, at Al cents a bushel. Present
price 81 cents. Wheat represented
(aI,112,s75 for s0,663.704 bushels, at
90 cents . bushel. This year 1t will
bring at least 1920 q bushel.
In addition to these items Ohio
looms large In the raising Of livestock
and poultry. With livestock valua-
ton Of $197.332,112. in 1909. Ohio was
surpassed only by Illinois. Iowa. Mis-
souri,, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.
And with poultry products valued at
approximately $2S.000.00o, Ohio gave
place only to Iowa, Illinois and Mis-
souri,.
Farm production this year will sur
pass In II Of these lines. save perhaps