Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-07-04

w. j. GEIB. engaging in man.
ufacture and com
Inerce greatly increased, with the re-
suit that large number Of people left
the farms to engage in these lines.
This movement has now gone so far
and the population has increased to
such an extent that agricultural pro-
duction is being Overreached by con-
Sumption. The abnormal conditions
Of the war have made this crisis more
acute and brought it on more suddenly,
but not more certainly than it would
have come under normal conditions.
The demand now is imperative and I'M
mediate.
To meet this demand, a large portion
of the efforts of the country must be
devoted to the production OF food.
This will mean, in part, an increase In
the relative number of people engaged
in agriculture, but it will also mean
a. very great increase in the amount OF
capital devoted to agricultural uses
American farmers are now prOduc-
ing more per man than the farmers
Of any other country, and undoubtedly
can still very materially increase pro-
ductiOn provided they have at their
command the use Of sufficient amount
of working capital for the purchase or
machinery, fertilizers, and other means
for increasing yields. This situation
presents a great opportunity for the
bankers and those having the control
of circulating funds Of the country,
which can be devoted to such uses.
About One-third of WiScOnsin's posi-
BILE farm land can be said to be now
fully developed, but the yields of even
that one-third are still not much more
than One-half those OF other countries
where agriculture has reached
highly developed stage. 1t is, there
fore, highly probable that the total ag-
ricultural products Of the state can be
increased from four to six times. But
that result can only be secured through
the use of improved methods.
The soil is the starting point in this
development The soil Of about three
quarters of the state is acid and Will
fail to produce the maximum yields or
which it is capable unless lime in some
form is applied. An average OF one
ton of ground limestone per acre APP
piled every four to six years, would be
necessary to maintain in these soils
sufficient supply of lime. This means
that we shall ultimately need to use
n Of
limestone annually for this purpose.
Fortunately. limestone exists in enor-
nous quantities in the state, and the
railroad haul need not be over $50
miles. The farmer needs encourage
ment and information in regard to the
use of fertilizers and Time, and he
needs assistance in securing them for
use in sowing his crops.
1t is evident that one of the great
needs of Wisconsin agriculture today
is of capital for the purchase OF the
material and equipment necessary to
secure the greatly increased yields
which are demanded. 1t is the func-
ton of the banker and money lender
lem. This need of working capital
should be met as far as possible by
bankers Farming as business is SIM
liar to many other lines of business in
that considerable investment Of cap
ital at certain periods is necessary in
order TO secure an output of crops
as we'll as manufactured commodities.
Nothing is more important than that
the farmers be able to secure funds at
those periods of the year at which
such investment must be made and at
n reasonable rate of interest The
possibilities for profitable investment
along these lines are good and the OPP
portunities which the banker has Of
aiding agricultural production in this
way canrfot be overestimated. DeVel-
opment along this line means that the
bankers must become more and more
acquainted with practical and scien-
tific agriculture and must be able to
cooperate with the farmers intelligent
" in the use of capital for securing I'M
proved means of production.