The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-12-14

ana Nfiicd NV NplNtNi sbs4fi tuAut'S
SO mountain Hons. and 3.tg2 bobcats
and lynNes. 10 10 estimated that the
destruction or these pests resulted in
q saving OF livestock valued at So
3TG.6hO.
THE cooperative state campaigns
organized 20 cNferminate native ro-
dents. mainly prairie dogs. ground
squirrels. pocket gophcrs. and Jack
rabbits, which annually destroy $50.
600. 900 worth OF food ana feed pro-
ducts. proved 20 he practical and OF
great immediate value IN Increasing
grain and forage production. TO do
stroy ground squirrels and prairie
dogs on more than 3.2ab,O 600 acres Of
agricultural lands In Montana, tb.Ss5
farmers distributed 2Tg tons OF poison
cd grain prepared under direction.
while iH North Dakota 3L,T96 treated
once approximately 100000 acres
ana a second time over 1000. 009
acres covered IN similar campaigns
during the preceding " years. In
Idaho the work has been In progress
IN 80 counties. with o than 1000
farmers and officials assisting: and II
In planned 90 include every county in
tho state ncxt year. Similar work was
organized and IN In progress In Wash
ington. oregon. Wyoming, Utah, Colo
RADIO. Nevada. california. Arizona. aud
New Mexico In cooperation with agri-
cultural college extension depart
mcnts. state councils OF defense, and
other local organizations. Several
million bushels OF grain, and much hay
ana forage were saved through these
efforts. which will be continued on an
enlarged scale during the coming year.
National Forest Ranges.
- very material increase was
brought about in the production OF
meat and wool on the forest ranges.
Careful observation OF range condi-
and study OF the methods which
would secure the most complete utili-
zation of the forage disclosed thai a
very considerable increase in the num-
Der OF animals was possible without
ovcrgtpzing the forests. The number
OF cattle under permit for the 1919
was nearly e.i40.B00. and of
sheep more than S.4bo. 600. In two
years there were placed ON tho forests
approximately 10000 900 additional
head OF livestock. representing about
00O.0 pounds OF beef. 10000. 600
OF mutton. and f.0o0.00O OF wool
The season of 1918 strikinrly H.
Illustrated the advantages which the
forest range offer To the
livestock industry. Through
out the west the ranges outside the
were generally in bad shape on
account of dronth conditions, The
business Is becoming precari-
Gus for wnc who are dependent
npon the ope public range: many are
out, and the number of range
is being reduced. ON tho other
hand. the y of the national forest
Is increasing and their produce
tivtty rs rising under the system Of
- go
control Of these ranges
moro manifest than at the present
Land settlement.
The secretnry emphasizes tho i'm
portance Of encouraging the owner
ship n farms. lie says:
1t would be desirable 90 facilitate
land settlement In more orderly fash
This he effected in a meas
are by systematic effort on the pnrt
of the federal government. the states.
and the several communities through
agencies 10 furnish more
reliable Information. intelligent gu1d-
ance, ana weli-considcred settlement
plans. Tho nation has suffered not a
little from irresponsible and haphaz-
ard private dirCstion OF settlement. In
many sections, especially in the newer
and more rapidly developing ones. the
has been complicated by tho
activities OF promoters whose main
concern was 10 dispose OF their prop
They too frequently succeed
In attracting farmers to localities re-
mote from markets whore they either
failed 10 produce crops or met with
disaster through lack OF market out
lets or adequate marketing arrange
1t Is particularly vital that. by ev.
cry feasible means. the processes of
ownership OF farms be en-
couragcd and h%nstcned. This process
is real In spite of appearances to tho
contrary. II has been too generally
assumed and represented hat tenancy
has increased ut the expense of owner
ship nnd that We are witnessing agri-
culturnl deterioration In this direction.
Tenancy does present aspects which
should cause great concern. but IFS
bright sides hnyc not been sufficiently
considered. The situation docs not
warrant a pcshlnistic conclusion. In
the 80 years from 1850 "a 1919 tho
number OF farms In tho United states
increased from 1908. 600 TO $500. 600,
the number of those owned from p
$4,000 TO 1907 600, q gain Of 1929
600, OF 34.3 per cent and the number
operated by tenants from l.O26,00O to
2,35b,000. q gain OF 1.830.0 or 1898
per cent. But In 1910. uve-cighths OF
the farms and GS per cent of the acre
agc Of all land In farms were operated
by owncrs ana SO per cent of the inn
proved land. Tho number OF farms
Increased faaiar than tho agricultural
population. Tho only class not oper-
atng farms who could take them up
werr the Younger men. and IL rs large
~ from thom that the class OF tenants
has G. recruited.
I'm u recent study OF tho eases OF
1000 farmers. mainly IN the middle
western states lying IN the Mississippi
valley. II WAS found hat more than
90 per cent were brought up on
farms. that an per rent remained
ON their fathers farms until they be-
came owners ana - i.er cent until
they became ~tcnunts. then owners;
that 1915 per cent pagsed from wage
carnors 10 ownership, skipping the
tenant stage; and that IS per cen
We're first farm boys, then wage earn
ols, later tenants. and finally ow ncrs
II rs stated on the basis of ccnsu sta
tistics, That 90 per cont of the farm
ors under 20 years OF age are tenants,
while the percentage falls with age. ~
that among those IS years old and
bow only 20 per cent are tenants
In the older sections OF the country
- 90 a. H.