Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-17

wv ASHINGTON. April 12,-This will be won
wv in the wheat fields 1t will take man power and
" money power in full measure. Blood and treas
the price of victory the greatest of wars does
not fail to call for it's sacrifice But behind the men
who risk their lives, behind the guns that burn up
treasure there must be the mammoth, ceaseless no"
of food for workers and fighters.
To of food flows in flood, to assure
that there is enough for America, lavish surplus
for Americas ales-that is of the greatest prob
lens that the nation The endless miles Of rich
land in this country and the efficiency of American
farmers give good guarantee that the problem will be
solved But quicker and the better the solution the
victory Every extra bushel of grain that
the nation raise pound of meat the nation
from waste. shortening OF the strus-
gle saving life. There is task more impor-
today than the production and saving Of FOOD
Every woman and child in America has share
and duty in It,
In the warning nations of Europe there is govern
supervision raising food buying and food
cooking Each nation has deliberately organized
government department to look after the larder we
long way from needing food dictator In America
but in honor bound to hungry world to raise
and eat our food on war basis. Moreover, already
have government department. deliberately organ
zed the efficient production Of food, to point
how it be most economically distributed and
eaten That department is the federal department Of
agriculture
In the department Of agriculture. with the state
colleges and workers who cooperate with it, the United
States has establishment for the working out of
agricultural problems-which food problems
greater than that of other three nations in the
world combined.
The department today stands confronted by
immense task. In the next few months it will play
part in the life of the nation than before
1t is better fitted play such than the
majority of Americans realize. 1t has been growing
and extending its activities such rate in the last
few that the public has hardly kept with It,
AS the center OF organized American agricul
ture, the department is not only to America,
France England. Belgium and the other nations
who look to for food whose value hardly be
overestmated This is time for every American to
understand just what the department is, what 1t is
doing and what It do, that he will give due
weight it's advice and by intelligent cooperation,
help solve the nations problem the effective
way.
The department the largest scientific establish
ment in the world In the last years working
has shot up from 5000 to 1900.
The work 1t does In plant and animal Investigations
not surpassed anywhere. The effectiveness OF that
is reflected in the efficiency of the average
farmer. We hear great deal about the remark
able efficiency of farmers in Belgium and Japan where
intensive cultivation is carried high degree and the
yield per large But yield per not
the test of efficiency in this country have
many and few farmers. The American farmer
afford go for intensive cultivation His
problem is to get the greatest possible yield,
but Measured by this test, actually
from to six times efficient any other farmer
in the world.
This efficiency, which is going to be taxed to the
limit in the next is the result of things
the amount Of land at disposal the intelligence
American farmers class the lavish of labor
saving machinery, and not least the scientific
methods of cultivation worked by department