Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-11
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
inquir md nddr TinD lpach
ment vii appen
pEsest will be
YIELD TO BE MAINTAINED
GREATER FROM EFFICIENCY

I'm one week." says the Progressive
counties of the South. 900 able bodied
young negroes left for training
camp. out OF tho Souths 100000
negroes not less than 100000 will be
| taken by the draft, and OF cur white
| population probably 100000 will be
drawn. Thus 100000 young. vigorous
workers will he withdrawn from pro-
duct!ve industries. This means. he
cause the South is largely rural and
| agricultural. that Southern agriculture
is 10 lose 4 heavy proportion of It's
most efficient labor.
"Hut this is not ali. Within the pa st
! Twelve months probably not less than
100000 negroes. att'ac;s'! by high
wages in tho North. have left the South.
Many thousands of our boys have vol
UNFAIRLY enlisted III the army and navy,
and they are Sti!l going. Finally, in
CusfrieS of all Kinds are running at
the highest pitch ever known, and the
wages they arc paying are still fur
thei den!ctinE our farm abor supply.
I'm the face of this abor shortage
we a." confronted with an urgent need
tor not only maintaining crop produce
tior. but Tor actually increasing it,
For our fighting men must be fed and
clothed. Can the South solve the prob
lem? Can we. with Il decreased labor
Z.
yields?
|. To do il, some radical changes are
necessary. lneilicicncy III methods and
machines must DC cast INTO the SCRAP
heap With less human labor. what
We have mast be made TO count TO
the utmost. What arc some Of tho
ways in which this may be done?
j. Increase, rather than decrease the
acreage in cultivation. Labor is scarce
but labor-saving machinery must be
used TO take its place. Two and three
horse brca kins rlows. or tractors In
some instances. and two-row cultiva-
tors must be used to take the place
OF the man power VIC have hitherto
used. Don't let the fields lie cut for
lack of help; buy labor saving ma
chinery and keep them busy.
-. Make every acre do it's best This
is time for intensive effort on an
extensive scale. Prices of crops are
double the normal. and we arc justified
in doubling the expense. If necessary
OF making them. Every possible pound
OF barnyard manure should be saved
and put on tho fields and commercial
fertilizers should he used heavily.
These are high-priced. but proportion
ate!y they are not as hiEh-priced as
the crops we sell.
.. Take in tho waste places. This
Is II time when every acre should be
required to render AN account Of itself.
TO work. Wet bottoms hi,lsidcs grown
up in bushes and bricrs. so-called pas
lures that row no crasS--thcse should
all be rccla lined and put to work with
out delay.
"i.-Usc live stock 10 consume
wastes. The farmer without GOOD
H""E OF hens to consume BARNARD
wastes. two or three scws to take care
of the kitchen slop and few cows
I" takc care Of field wastes that would
"'her"lse bring us no rcturn-a farm
without these is not an efficiently man
aged farm.
fhe mcttlc Of the Southern farmer
Is TO he tested. lie must prove him
self efficient or be failure. Now
"hiie tn" rewards for efficiency arc
f't"ter IMAM ever before, Will. our
country has need of efficiency ne rcyor
before. we simply cannot afford no. To
measure up. II is our great oppor-
tunity for service"