The Washington times., 1918-01-31


nine State and Federal experimnt
stations. Thse Colleges and ex-
pertinent stations have a total
endowment OF plant and equip
ment of $4,000. 900 and an in
come Of more than $4,000 900.
with 1921 teachers, resident
student body OF 125 900, and a vast
additional number receiving in
struction at their homes. County
agents, joint officers OF the De
partment OF Agriculture and of
the colleges. are everywhere CO
operating with the farmers and
assisting them.
The number of extension work.
ers under the Smith-Lever act
and under the recent emergency
legislation has grown to $500
men and women working regu-
larly in the various communities
and taking to the farmer the lat
est scientific and practical infor-
nation.
Alongside these great public
agencies stand the very effective
voluntary organizations among
the farmers themselves which are
more and more learning the best
methods OF cooperation and the
best method OF putting to prac-
tical use the assistance derived
from governmental sources. 81
The banking legislation OF. the
last two or three years has given
the farmers access to the great
lendsble capital of the country,
and IL has become the duty both
OF the men in charge OF the Fed
ersl Reserve Banking System,
and % the Farm Loan Banking
System to see to IL that the
farmers obtain the credit. both
short term and long term, to
which they are entitled not only.
but which IL is imperatively
necessary should be extended to
them IL the present tasks Of the
country are to be adequately per-
formed. Both by direct purchase
OF nitrates and by the establish
ment OF plants to produce nitrates
the Government is doing its ut
most to assist in the problem OF
fertilization. The Department OF
Agriculture and other agencies
are actively assisting the farmers
TO locate. safeguard, and secure
at cost an adequate supply OF
sound seed. The department has
S2,5O0.OOO available for this pur-
pose now, and has ask ed the Coz
gress for S6.OO0.OOO more.
Labor Problem Difficult.
The labor problem is one of
great difficulty. and some OF the
best agencies OF the nation are
addressing themselves to the task
OF solving il. 80 far as il is pos
sible to solve it. Farmers have
not been exempted from the
draft I know that they would
not wish 10 be. | take il for
granted they would not wish TO
be put in a class by Themselves
in this respect. But the attention
of the War Department has been
very seriously centered upon the
task Of interfering with the la<-
Dor OF the farms as little as pos
sible. and under the new dVaft
regula tions believe that the
farmers OF the country will find
that their supply Of labor Is very
much less seriously drawn upon
than il was under the initial
draft. made before we had had
our present fun experience in
these perpleNing matters.t The
supply of labor in all Industries
is a matter we must look to and
are looking to with diligent care.
And let me say that The stimu-
lation of the agencies nave
enumerated has been responded
TO by the farmers in splendid
fashion. dare say that YOU
are aware that the farmers of
this country are az efficient as
any other farmers in The N-orlI.
They do not produce more per
acre than the farmers la Europe.
IL H. not necessary that they
should do 30. II would perhaps
be bad economy for them to at
tempt IL. But they do produce
bv two or three or four times
more per man. per unit Of labor
and capital. than the farmers of
any European country. They are
more alert and use more labor
saving DEVICES than any other
farmers in the world. And their
response to the demands Of the
present emergency has been in
every way remarkable. Last
spring their planting exceeded by
twelve million acres the largest
planting Of any previous year.
and the yields from the crops
were record-breaking yields. In
the fall OF 1917 wheat acreage
OF 42.I1O,OO0 was planted, which
was one million larger than for
any preceding year. three mil
lions greater than the leXt larg-
est and seven millions greater
than the preceding five-year av-
erage.
Must Exceed Achievements.
But ] ought TO say TO YOU that
Il Is not only necessary that these
should be repeated,