The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1918-04-02
BY ROBERT c. sKERRETT, in the
New York Sun.

the United States In these
words David Lubin, the Amer
lean representative IN the In
- ternationnl Institute Of Agri-
culture mt Rome, recently summed up
the burden Of food production which
stress OF war has placed upon the
shoulders of the farmers Of the United
Stntes.
Heavy ms this obligation would he In
normal times. the task has become
much more difficult by reason OF our
entry into the conflict. II will not suf'
flee that we merely restrain appetites
that have developed during long PEE
RODS of plenty and prosperity. Self
denial will undoubtedly contribute to
IN exportable surplus, hut notable
hardships may he imposed upon us In
order that we may contribute vital
foodsturfs 10 our allies in the course
OF the current year.
The crying need, II we are 10 have
sufficient food for ourselves and u
liberal volume To send abroad, Is u
proper supply Of capable farm labor.
Many things have been promised by
The constituted authorities, but rela-
lively little has been achieved in meet
ing the situation squarcly and furnish
Ing n really practical solution Of this
fundamental problem.
The up 10 date filler Of the soil IS
no doubt patriotic. but he has suffered
through the reaction Of his prompt re-
Spouse To the appeal made to him ear
~ last year to increase his cultivated
acrcS He is Il business man and his
readiness to help has hurt him, as his
annual balance shows. He has been
crowded by many circumstances and
his hooks bear indisputable evidence of
losses where he counted upon reason
able gains. The prices for fertilizers.
seeds. farm tools and feeds have
mounted TO more or less prohibitive
heights and then, by way af[climax,
he has suddenly realized that even
higher wages could not recruit for him
the necessary qualified labor.
There is n widespread disposition to
boast of American Ingenuity In evolv-
ing labor saving farm machinery 1t Is
true that from 1850 to 1894 the human
effort required TO produce one bushel
az corn declined on an average from
four hours and half to n span of but
II minutes. And In the matter Of pro-
ducing wheat from 1890 To 1894 the
manual labor needed diminished from
three hours and three minutes to ten
minutes bushcl OF marketable grain.
But while cleverly devised appara-
tus has made this time saving possible
and has enabled one man to do I'm
day what formerly many men could not
accomplish between sunrise and sun
set. still these mechanical aids have
emphasized the need Of greater skill
on the part Of the smaller agricultural
army. Unframed boys, women and
chllden unused to farm work and the
unaccustomed city dwellers are not go
Ing to meet the difficulty. The trained
farmland Is the man that Is now need.
ed more than ever.
Opinions of Paul r. Brady upon ag-
ricultural topics have been printed His
position Is uncommon and adds espe-
ciai 1orce 10 Wnat ne has to say. AS
conspicuous figure in one OF AmerI-
cas- largest electrical manufacturing
companies, a captain of industry, he
has gone In for farming as side Is
sue, bent upon showing that business
methods applied TO the land will yield
compensating returns and make OF ag-
riculture balanced, dependable indus.
try. He has applied to his hundreds
OF acres In Duchess county the same
administrative acumen which has
placed him where he Is In commercial
life.
In answer to an inquiry as TO his
opinion regarding the prospects fa- en-
ample supply of labor on the farn,s
and the probable production Of food
stnffs during 1913 Mr.. Brady said:
"Wfen President Wilson made his