The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-05-15
The farmers Side of It


duce!" we think we note growing
spirit of resentment on the part OF
him who tills the soil A measure OF
this is characteristic, and can be over
looked but the matter should be care
fully examined to see that the class
I on which We must depend is not ir'
| ritated to an extent that causes dis
/ guct or results in no achievement
worth the effort
With al respect to those who are
urging the farmers to plant heavily,
We must say that this is not enough,
Even when pressed home upon him
that it is q patriotic duty TO SOW lar
beyond his customary amount he will
not Win he not como to the aid of
mis- country in this way? No. Why
net? The answer is simple. lie can
not
This does not apply to every farmer
and some, even many, are eNerting
| themselves TO the utmost as all
| should in this crisis. But it does apply
to probably the greater number OF our
| Vermont farmers whose situation Is
such that it is impossible Tor them to
obey the command, plant produce,'
The city man or vlleser has, we
! fear little comprehension OF what the
small farmer Is up against'ercry day
Of his tile 10 make his business Il
going concern" This farmer is no
! Stacker. He has never been. He
could not bc--ald cNist The first
cali Of nature makes him Just as ac-
| tive, just rs Industrious, just as ei.
| ncient as he can possibly lie under his
circumstances and conditions. lie
works rs hard and rs long as he can
work in order TO satisfy the absolute
| needs OF himself and family His day
is not eight, but eighteen hours or
thereabouts. lie does two days
work in one during the summer sea-
soll-one in the field, another ct the
chores This has not been from
choice .oy even ambition, but from
necessity 70 live mt all of his farm
he has had 10 turn of considerable
product lie has had 10 do this with
limited or no hired help His means
ana capital ere small 1t is u hard
scramble to make ends meet with fair
lack and often bad luck comes
Now comes this demand upon him.
He is urged to produce more. He just
hasn't link left to Jet out. He has
done all that he could heretofore. Anu
he throws up his hands IN helpless
ness mere call upon him to in
crease his paintings even for patrio-
tism. goes unheeded for the simple
reason that it is beyond his power to
comply.
A more practical step in furthoring
farm probe, n is 10 come TO The
farmers assistance with the things he
needs 10 enable MIN 10 do what is cN.
pocted OF him FIRST Of these is more
and better farm help at price he can
afford TO ray. For years the steady
drain OF men has taken them out Of
farm WORK until now it is wellnigh
impossible 10 .gcuro the services OF
an efficient farm laborcr. 10 become
such needs both hardening and oYperi-
ence. Village boys, however willing.
are poor help for the farmer m most
cases, and .u 9u cases Tor q consider
able period 10 is more work TO feed
them aud keep them satisfied than it
is the hardened farm hand So Chat
simply turning bows out onto the
farms supposing they are wiling to
gO-docs not answer the need. 4
more practical step is eXcusins from
school attendance farmers sons VINO
are away from home and giving them
school credit for work done on the
farm Another help viii be the plan
adopted of cuitailIng early season
highway improvements, and possibly
some help win ccmc IRON working
jail inmates On tGe hiahwa IN place
of regular farm hands. i,ut the prob
lem OF providing the farmer immedi-
ately with enoueh competent help to
warrant him in doubling his ploWed
acreage is still nsolved. Until it is,
or if it should not be- he cannot plant
what is expected OF him.
But labor is not all of it, He must
have seed. Many farmers haven't sul-
ficient seed to greatly extend their
acreage, providing this We're their on
~ lack There has been a strong de
mand Of many sold in response to it.
last fall or winter. retaining only
what they commonly use. This sud
den demand for big planting has come
since then aud finds Them short. The
efforts to establish 2 seed exchange
hive been of value, but the aggregate
amount available viii not plant all
that should be planted. Il IS safe 10
say that all that can he secured win
be sowed 1t is q time of shortage all
around and the scarcity and conse
quent high prices viii keep down the
acreage Farmers will hesitate tol
pay three dollars a bushel for seed
potatoes, having in mind that never
before have potatoes approached this
level and that the harvest may not
much more than pay for the seed
There is lack Of machinery for
farm purposes which if supplied
might help the labor situation some
what, and this lack is felt most by
farmers of limited capital and credit,
who otherwise misht increase their
output Some effort should be made
and in certain localities is being
madc-to supply this want by extend
ing financial aid to the growers. Here
is practical way of helping the farm !
or to produce
When. men plant they have in mind ]
the harvest and the returns of their