Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-15
The New England Food Situation.

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| AAnH0ND, Agricultural Editor Oxford DEN
ocrss. Paris. He.
The New England Food Situation
As natural consequence of our un
| preparedness for war, great many com
mittees have been formed and an enor
NOUS number of activities undertaken
Some Of these movements are doubtless
semi-hysterical and positively harmful Ir
are constructive, and worthy Of consid
Grafton by New Euglanders.
The entire country ia awakipg to the
fact that an adequate supply of food IL
likely to prove one of the controlling
factors in the winning of the war, and
that the most effective step the United
States can take Immediately is to in.
crease its food production 90 that we
may not only feed ourselves but send a
steady stream of food-stuffs to our
Allies.
The food situation throughout the
world is quite clear. The devastated
portions OF Europe are In state border.
ing on actual starvation and the Central
Powers have but small margin. The
submarine attempt to cut of the British
Isles has been partially successful. The
case has been intensified by inability to
utilize Russia's surplus wheat supply,
and on top of all this the present crop
condition Of the entire world is critical.
Argentins's last crop was failure and
the Australian crop is too remote to be
a Lob ON ooonnnf ~ lock nf ehinc
In the United States, the 1915 wheat
crop was 6S9, 900, 900 bushels against the
1915 bumper crop of 1,025, 100000 bush.
els. The winter wheat crop condition
shows very low percentage and bids
fair to be SO, ,0OO, 900 bushels below last
years yield. The 1915 corn crop also
was 4OO, 900, 900 bushels below that OF
the previous year. The present prices OF
wheat and corn tell the story 10 q nut
shell. Furthermore, the high cost of
grain Is having drastic effect In curtsil.
ing the raising of livestock, which In
turn still further diminishes the food
supply. In some instances dairy herds
are being slaughtered.
That New England should do her part
10 this food crisis Is obvious. 1t is q
difficult task. Industry is at fever heat.
The revival of shipbuilding and the in
creased manufacture of munitions and
war materials generally bid fair to alb.
sorb nearly all Of the soant supply OF
available labor. The movement of men
from the farm to the factory In New
England and its obvious result need not
be dwelt upon here. 1t Is enough to say
that Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
produce less than one-fitth of what they
consume in the way of food-stuffs.
Experts are urging the business men
and bankers of New England commun-
tiles to give careful consideration and to
lend their influence in the direction Of
increasing New England's food supply.
Individual small gardens are valuable
help and in the aggregate will do quite q
little to relieve the strain, especially If
attention is given to canning the surplus
product. Community moveme ents. under
competent supervision, II taken up ag'
gressively, may accomplish much.
In this latter class. the Williamstown
and Gardner plans promise well. The
Williamstowp plan provides for a COM
munity manager and advisory committee.
and the operation by the community OF
a considerable tract of land loaned by
Williams College. The plan includes ex-
pert advice on what to plant and how to
plant. Flowing is to be done wholesale
Tor the entire community, and the work
ing of the land in small sections will be
done by volunteers who can spare some
time each day through the season for
cultivating and harvesting. The Gard
ner plan is quite different and coptem-
plates the utilization Of factory labor on
the farms, the factory managers loaning
a certain number of men for certain
specified time during the season.
A great effort should be made to In
duce and assist farmers to put imme-
diately into cultivation more acres than
thew have utilized In recent years. As
sistance to farmers can take the form OF
i'm mediate credit and assurances OF CO.
operation 10 providing labor. Farmers,
as q class, are not accustomed to obtain
ing credit and their natural difidence 10
this regard may be overcome by volun.
teering such credit. The farm labor
problem is one that each community
must solve for itself and all classes must
cooperate In such solution.
Regardless of war, more food-stuffs
should be produced in 1917. As q war
measure, having the support OF our
Allies ip mind, the question OF increased
food production In New England, we be-
lieve merits your best thought and at.
tention.-Ths First National Bank OF
Boston.