The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-02
TEAM WORK.

TEAM "OIAh.
The International Harvester COM
pany has issued a circular to its
agents and employees everywhere urg-
ing them to do their bit in helping to
increase the food production of the
country.
Cyrus H Mccormick. president of
the company, writes as follows:
A special responsibility rests uyon
and close contact with the food pro-
ducing forces of the country-in fact,
we are a part of these forces. Our
first obligation is to give the farmers
the best and promptest service in sup
plying needed repairs and expert as
sistance, and to aid them in raising
more crops Of better quality and with
less waste.
The service ne can give in this
emergency is to be considered, not as
incidental 20 other business, out as of
first importance. 1t is my most ear
nest hope that our company shall be
second to none in its contribution of
efficient service 20 the country, and to
this end ask the best efforts of every
co-worker in the International Har-
vester organization.
Supplementing this Alex Legge,
the general manager, says:
Make it your business to see that
the farmers efforts to produce the
maximum yield are not hindered by
any lack of service on your part.
First be sure that you are doing your
part to the very best of your ability.
1t will then be in order for you further
to increase your usefulness by offering
helpful suggestions to others.
In attempting to do this let US first
review the situation briefly, that we
may have a better understanding of
the causes that led up to the present
emergency.
The demands for food made upon
the United States during the last two
years have reduced our supplies to
about half of what we usually have at
this time of the year. The government
reports that the average condition of
winter wheat on April l was 63.4 per
cent of normal. The Argentine, usual
1y a great food producer, has had a
crop failure.
| Many people nave the idea that our
grain production will not be affected
! by the war because the fighting lines
are not on our soil. The facts are that
| but very small percentage of the loss
Of production in Europe was due to
destruction by the armies. The real
! trouble that the war brought about in
! This connection was the decrease in
acreage even in territories far removed
r
ize this quickly has been tie greatest
mistake of some of the nations in
VOlVed in this war.
/ Another serious mistake of some of
the countries at war has been the
slaughter of their breeding stock. This
practice was encouraged in some coun-
tries, presumably with the idea of saw
ing the grain that was being fed to the
stock. The results have been disas-
trous-a serious shortage of milk, but
ter. animal fats and meat supplies.
Farmers should not let the high
price of beef, pork and mutton tempt
them to sell their breeding stock for
slaughter.
Every dairy COW will produce, in
milk and butter, each season far more
value in food products than she is
worth for beef purposes, and this will
be produced largely from forage crops
not otherwise available for human
food
/ Urge the growing of gardens-and
grow one yourself. Such land as can
be planted to garden truck will produce
| far more foodstuffs than it would in
cereal crops.
Raise more poultry. This is a quick
way of increasing the food supply.
Farmers are being urged to plant a
larger acreage. While much can be
accomplished in this way, the real gain
must come from an increased yield per
| acre. An average gain of one bushel
to the acre of the principal crops
grown will add far more to our food
supply than all that can be accom-
plished by increasing the acreage.
Increasing the yield per acre does
not require the purchase of more land
or added expense on the part of the
farmer, and it has the further ad-
vantage that gains made in this respect
will continue after the war emergency
has passed.