The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-05-04
Friday, May 4th, 1917
A WORD TO THE FARMERS OF
THIS STATE

I1C CI1OI W lti\l easy CIlS AOoA
supply in this State is meeting
one obstacle which it rests with
the farmers to remove, and that,
unless it be removed by the far
mers, is reasonably certain to
leave food production just as
before.
This obstacle is the apparent
reluctance of the farmer to make
any trial Of unframed labor.
We take it that if there is a
very considerable amount of ara
BILE land in this State which has
not yet been brought under cult
walton the chief reason lies in the
fact that the current supply of
farm labor is not sufficient to
handle it. With all due allow
ance for the possibilities of in
tensive farming. etc., the pro-
blem of increased production
must be solved on the basis of
prevailing agricultural habits and
estimates of what one man can
do. If this is so. then every
practical calculation of what can
be done and might be expected
to be done Immediately must be-
gin with an estimate of the labor
supply and if all the skilled farm
labor in sight is already at work,
production is already at its nor
NAL maximum.
1t is idle for the farmer to state
that he will plant more, proper
tionately to the additional amount
of trained farm labor given him.
The additional trained farm labor
is not in sight. The question is
not one merely of whether this
and that farmer shall be afforded
the opportunity to work his farm
more extensively and at the same
rate of profit for the new fields
as for the old. 1t is not for him
to lie back and say: Give me
perfect facilities and | will do, in
this time of war, as much as |
would gladly and naturally do in
peace time if | had the labor to
do it with. " It is the time for
extra effort on his part, and that
extra effort can take only the
form of increasing his cultivated
area to the utmost with such
help as can be given him, train
ing the help even while using it
and being content and glad for
every added bushel of grain or
potatoes raised, even if the profit
be less than normal and the
bother be greater.
The State Board of Agriculture
estimates the immediate farm
labor shortage in the State at
about 5000 hands. Unless these
men be found, the hoped-for in
crease in land under cultivation
cannot be realized. Now, the
farmers know perfectly we'll that
that help is not floating about in
ldleness in the counties them
selves. Either it must be obtain
ed from the cities; and practical
ly all of it from Baltimore city
alone, or it cannot be obtained at
all.
1t will be a considerable task
to raise 5000 volunteers for farm
work from this city in time to
help with the planting. This
can perhaps be done. The work
is being pushed with enthusiasm.
A fair proportion of the volun-
teers may be men with some ex-
perlence in farm work. If they
run better than one in five, new
ertheless, we would be much sur
prlsed. If the farmers are going
to Gull and weed out all the appli-
cants who come simply prepared
to do their best and learn while
they are doing it, the city would
have to find at least Is, 900 volun-
teers to raise 5000 acceptables.
The impossibiIity of this is
manifest. The city will do it's
part, and its full part, in secur-
ing labor for the farms if the
farmers will take what is given
them, make the best of it, be
patient with inexperience and
perhaps sacrifice somewhat of
their ideas of acreage yield and
expectation Of profit.
That some risk is attached
must be admitted. The public's
recognition of the risk and, with
it, of the tremendous value of
the farmers work and patriotism
ought to be sufficient guarantee
that some way will be found of
protecting him against loss. The
Government itself is frankly fac
ing this necessity and considering
and minimum regula.