The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-09-11

crease Of farm population. Sentiment,
now appears to be right for reversing
this situation. Not only in many Of
our large cities excessively crowded,
so that conditions are almost unbear-
able, but agriculture has become high
ly attractive, and is strongly appeal
ing to, the urban residents. At least,
the possibilities are there to q greater
extent than ever before and it remains
for the practical men and women to
work out q substantial success. With
these facts in mind, and after care
fully considering opportunities and
general conditions in town and coun-
try, thousands Of city people are eager
to acquire land and become farmers.
It is feasible for city men and women
to take land and engage IN farming.
If they apply to agriculture those
principles which make for success in
common, affairs they win succeed on
the land, It is brains, good manage
ment and hard work that wins and it
Is the same in farming. SpeciRcsI
knowledge Of farming will be acquir-
ed in due time, and every family that
moves from the city to the country
is helping TO- solve the grestest.of, our
sociological and economic questions.
Dwellers in cities are not only buy
ing farm literature but they are read
ing it and studying, it in the public Ii
braries as never before. This is be-
cause they are dissatisfied with their
present environment and desire rad
ical change from The conditions Of life
now confronting the average family
in the city. There are many such per-
sons who realize they would be better
off on farms and in fact that their
sole chance Of raising to state of in
dependence rests in the requirement
Of lands. Thousands therefore are
turning to rural life and thousands
more like them yearn for land owner.
ship and homes in the country. These
city people realize that they would in
crease their own prosperity and lessen
the cost Of living for many others if
they would in considerable numbers
engage in the agricultural vocation
and become established on land owned
by themselves. Persons Of average
intelligence understand the direct re-
lationship Of agriculture with the
economic and social problems Of the
day. The extent to which city resi-
dents are thinking along this line and
wishing for information Of practical
character to assist them in making
the turn s'back to the soil" is one of
my greatest ambitions. Farming
must be family affair just as much
as it ever has been, but the right
way is not to make drudge Of any
person. Each person who is required
to perform any Of the labor should
have it 50 shaped that it will stimu-
late energy, sense Of responsibility
and love for calling and will keep the
boys and girls on the farms and that
the lure Of the bright lights will not
appeal to them as sweetly as the wav-
ing green fields, the country groves,
the wild flowers or the singing brooks.
Take the condition Of the world as it
is today with reference to food stuffs
all of Europe and portions Of Asia
starving and stocks of food depleted.
The supplies are gone and we are liv-
ing today from hand to mouth while
all Of Europe are reaching to Amer
lea with outstretched hands for food.
Now there is no way to get food ex-
cept from the land and Uncle Sam
has given all his land away, and most
of it has been placed under cultivation
within the last fifty years. Take
North Dakota for instance, most Of
the state has been settled since 1885,
thirty-four years ago, and look what
q chapter she has written. It is now
estimated by our ablest statisticians
that she will produce this year crops
valued at six hundred million dollars.
Think Of It! One thousand dollars for
every man, woman and child within
her confines. Can any other state
make such showing as this ?Not one
in the Union! And take . look at the
public schools, q school fund that IS
second to none IN the union, fund
that win be sufficient to educate her.
children for all time. Our trainers Of
the constitution were wise IN this.