Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-04-13
PAGE SAYS GROW MORE FOOD, AND TELLS YOU HOW
Practical Suggestions Off, Tered by Commissioner of
 Agriculture.

ofle or the strongest letters that has yet been issued to the farmers of the state py the state agricultural depart meht, and one that in strenuous man. her supports and supplements the appeals being made to the people of lhe state and of the other states of the south, was issued yesterday by John Il. Page, commissioner of agriculture for Arkansas.
 MT. Page points out that in time of war there is always a scarcity of food ana feedstuff, that prices for such necessities always rise. and that often many of the people must go hungry, because there is not supply suffi- clently large to feed everybody. Con- certed action by the farmers, he de- clares, can prevent such a condition in this country, and as patriotic citi- zens the farmers should adopt such common-sense methods as may so easily provide not only enough food stuff for the people of the United States, with it's army and navy, but may provide such surplus as can feed the armies and navies of the country's allies in the war against the imperial German government.
 MT. Pages letter gives these rules for the farmers, the carrying out of which will not only mean that every Arkansas farmer will feed himself and his family, but will have some thing left for his. on-producing neighbors in the big cities:
 v>cs enough to supply all our needs and half as much more. Why? Because 75 per cent of the people live on the farm. If every farmer raised only enough for his own needs 9 per cent of our people would have to supply themselves from elsewhere, and the food products might not be easy to get. Then again, the crop season might he bad and the yield small. In that event the 50 per cent extra cal culated upon will take care of the deficiency. If crops are good, the surplus will sell this year at good prices, for the world needs and must have foodstufs and feed.
 "2 Keep all female livestock and breed all that are suitable. With the price of meat so high it is little less than criminal to slaughter or sell for slaughter either milch COWS or brood sows. Every one in existence in the United States should be kept for breeding purposes. Keep the brood mares and breed them to horses. Don't raise mules. Raise horses, for only in that way can the breeding stock be kept up.
 s. Plant plenty of corn. It is the greatest farm product we have. It fills many needs and wants, and we cannot produce a surplus this year. It is good for man or beast.
 A. Do not overcrop yourself. Labor will be scarce. Every man who takes up arms lessens the labor. Don't make the mistake of planting more than you can cultivate. Plant less, and if you have surplus of labor you can work your crop better, and longer, and it will make a bigger yield. This is cc nrlon sense, and you should heed it. From 8 to 10 million dollars are lost in Arkansas every year by farmers overcropping and underworking Decrease the acreage; increase the yield.
 "5. Plant good stuff. Get good seed. The prices arc going to be high and you can afford to buy good seed and raise the best.
 .6. Get away from the crop mort gage and keep away from it. It is neither your friend nor benefactor, but only a poor makeshift.
 e. Plant plenty of COW peas and goobers, both of which are good for food, good for feed and good for the land.
 "S. Make plenty of hay and save it, for it is good and cheap feed.
 "9. Remember that a pound of pork is worth as much as or more than pound of cotton; that you can buy the cotton with the pork easier than you can buy the pork with the cotton, and that you can eat the pork