New-York tribune., 1918-06-03
5000 Tractors at Work

o,OOO Tractors at Work
Five thousand tractors are at work
IN this state. Of these, the state owns
seventy. We wrote every tractor own
er IN the state a few weeks ago. ask
Ing him to take it upon himself to
go around among his neighbcrs and
see that all the ground available
should be planted We asked each of
these tractor owners to make some
equitable arrangement with his less
fortunate neighbor whereby the acres
should be planted and titled. For our
part, we promised to give the tractors
expert mechanical oversight, the same
as we give to our state owned ma
chimes.
We have had q surprising response
to this appeal. More than one thou
sand tractor owners replied, saying
that as soon as they got in their own
crops their tractors would be placed
at the disposal of the non-owners. This
is one OF the most inspiring things
that has happened in my experience.
these are hard times for the little
farmer Farm machinery is very cost
ly. and hard to get hold Of The spirit
OF cooperation abroad in this state
means that the little farmer, or the
farmer whose boys have gone into the
army or navy will have help right
through the summer.
Labor Specialists Employed
"The state this year engaged thirty
men and six women as labor special
lists. These specialists have been CO.
Commission, with the result that about
$4,000 farmhands in cities and fac
tory towns were induced to return to
the farms, reducing the net loss on
account OF the war to $4,000.
There still remains deplorable
shortage, but l believe we are better
OIL than we were year ago. There
was marked reluctance in some locali-
ties on the part of farmers to plant
up to the limit, for fear that at harvest
time there would be no available labor.
To meet this difficulty, we have or
ganized emergency farm help in 249
small cities and villages, and the work
OF organizing more is going on. Pledges
people to sell SO many days labor to
the farmers when called upon. In fifty
districts where the canvasses have
been completed we have pledges for
10000 days work. In one village of
1,400 inhabitants we received pledges
of 1000 days work. This help is OBJ
tanned from among those who are
above the draft age, or who cannot ~
to war AS a result of this canvass
the reluctant farmers in almost every
instance are planting to the limit.
Auto Service To Be Formed
"In connection with this work there
will be organized an automobile SER
vice to distribute all this help to the
farms and return it at night. The au-
tomobile service is in each instance
purely voluntary.
"Not the least important work by
the state this year is our pig cam
paign. Our slogan is, "A brood sow on
every farm, and pig in every house.
| wrote all village trustees, asking that
where an ordinance existed preventing
the keeping of pigs within corporation
limits, such ordinance be repealed or
suspended during the war. Only eight
assent to the proposition. Six hundred
thousand spring pigs were born this
year. Boys and girls all over the
state have organized pig clubs, and
they little realize how largely they
are contributing to the solution of the
food supply problem.
"Last year the old food supply COM
mission bought three ditching ma
chimes to work at the drainage. The
results were so gratifying that the
demand for an extension Of this SER
vice was insistent. Ten new machines,
costing $4,000, were bought. These
machines will each cxcavate about
seventy-ive rods Of ditching a day.
One ditcher will do the work of about
forty men. The productivity of the
soil is about doubled by ditching.
"As I said before, the tangible re-
suits arc most gratifying, but the pa
triotic cooperative spirit among city
people, townspeople and the farmers
is about the most inspiring thing of