The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1917-05-07
FOOD MORE VITAL
{ THAN NEW ARMIES
OKLAHOMA MODELLING TO
D0 HER SHARE IN FEED
ING WORLD.
COUNTY AGENTS DIRECT WORK
Director James A. Wilson Tells How
State and Nation Expect to
Helm ,iave Oh World
Famine.
America has heard q wsr.worn, fam

ibe.threafened, world cry for rood. we
are facing serious food shortage N
our own country. England, Franco
Belgium, all Of our allies, are looking
10 the American farmer for relief
President Wilson, Congress, govern
ors, bankers, army officers and every
sble.lunged American citizen are ap
pealing to The farmer for his best Of
forts.
Thus has our civilization changed
aimee colonial days. The heroes OF 76
left the hammer on the bench and
the plow in the furrow' and we're on
70 fight the foe. The man who leaves
the plow for the trench is not hero
In 1917 The hero Is the man who
stays at home and raises food that
others may eat. The proposed plan
for q military conscript leaves the
farmer out; in fact some well mean
ing persons would conscript town loaf.
sfs for farm service.
just how serious is this food short.
age, anyway? The International IN.
stitute OF Agriculture. located at Rome
says thai the world supply Of corn
wheat, rye, barley and oats is lSQ
00n,n00 bushels less than the normal
requirements for countries open to
trade. The whole world Is now on
short rations. The most widely known
packer in America recently advocated
two meatless days week to conserve
our supply Chemists are urging that
the milling per cent Of wheat Hour
" advanced TO something near the
basis practiced by European countries
fiat are hard pressed for food. Ne
partment OF Agriculture statistics
show that the wheat crop has been cut
something like 5Oo00.0OO. Our allies
hare pointed out that failure OF food
supplies may mean 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 tho
trenches. Instead Of shedding blood
for his country, he Is called upon TO
sweat 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 IS
probably no buster man in Oklahoma
than James A. Wilson, director OF the
cooperative extension work in asrl-
cudture and home economics which
the Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lsge and the United States Depart
meni Of Agriculture are doing in thls
state. Mr.. Wilson has Go men agents
and "a women agents working under
his direction TO supplement the ef'
forts Of these men and women en-.
raged In farm and home demonstra-
tion work. staff OF specialists Is enl'
rloyed. with headquarters al stu
water. There are number OF coun'
ties rou seeking agents and II Is pos
sibe that before the summer Is over
every county In the state will be or
sanirsd. At present there are mol
funds enough available to meet the
EXTENSION DIVISIONS part of this obi
eation, hut II is presumed that " the
plsa Of Secretary Houston fof S2a,
600 ,0eo emergency appropriation Tor
agriculture goes through, more funds
may be available soon.
The lest legislature paved the wav
Cor greater cooperation In The farm
and home demonstration work hy max
,ns Il possible for county commission
srs to appropriate, after July l. up to
$1,000 a scar for This work The Rank
ers Association Cottonseed Crushsra
Association. and other organizations
have offered TO assist financially
The boys and girls of the farms are
also being mobiized for greater agri.
cultural production. More than $4,000
oi these young people now belong to
the Corn, Cotton. Wheat, Pig Canning.
Bread. Rotation. Calf. Bee. Grain. Sor-
shum, Peanut or Poultry clubs Each
one OF these clubs has its own organ
isation and the work OF IT'S members
Ia carefully directed by mon and
women agents and the officials NJ
saltwater In past years these boys
and girls have been required to Ale re
ports showing the success attained in
their work. These reports were yalu.
able In checking up the results and
showing mistakes. but the reports will
not be insisted upon this year
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, It is thought that Okla
homa can raise 1OO0.O0O bales Of cot
ion without increasing last years acre
are materially. Feed crops must moi
he overlooked Second crop potatoes
should be planted for storage Every
healthy SOW in the state should bs
bred for fall ltters The sale OF female
stock of all kinds to packing plants
should be discouraged. 0klahoma
should hend her energies TO the pro
duction and conservation OF food with
the same determination and energy
with which we would expe foreign
foe. says Mr. Wilson. In fact, it ma,
mean jlst that.