Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-20

tHo FOsNs
 As the population of Connecticut has increased, the amodnt of livestock kept by Connecticut farmers has steadily decreased. Such must nec- essarily be the case where land be- comes 50 thhcaxfy populated that the production of vegetable foods for hu-
 man consumption requires increasing ly large areas. leaving less grazing land and less feed for livestock. In tensfve facnnIng will replace ex- tenstve, the more fertile lands will be
 used for growing @tr,lck and gram crops for human food, and only the infertife or rough soils not easily cul- of livestock. Most of the farm prod uce will be consumed by man and only the coarser. fnedibie portions will find their way into stock feeds.
 At first glance one might think that this has been the cause of the decline in meat producffon in Connectikutt but such is not the case. Only 32 03 per cent. of the total area in the State was improved farm land at the 1910 census. In all parts of the State thousands of acres of land are lying idle. The deserted farm is painful reality. Once fertile fields have been sapped of their available plant food by short sighted competition in the production of cheap food leaving only dairy farms andd fields treated with large amounts of costly fertilizers still productive. Cheap western meats and wonderful transportation facilities drove the local stock farmer out of business WitMn the memory of the middle aged man the cheapest fuel for many Kansas farmers was corn and Iowa could not sell her potatoes
 at ten cents per busfel. But the day Of cheap western foods has passed. The cost of transportation, instead of becoming lower, is gradually in- ] 0reassng. The terrf24eStrain on the production in Kansas and Iowa as well as in Connecticut While the 1 population increases rapidly it be- squeeze from the tired lands a goodly harvest. The last new lands are un- der cultivation and are being madly exploited for present production with never a thought of the morrow History is repeating itself It is high l time Connecticut should begin to wonder where the next generation will
 obtain it's food.
 1 In considering the various classes os l livestock. hogs naturally attract at ;! tention at once. Prices received fol pork products have never been so en- i couragtng to the prospective producer as during the past year. That high I prices will continue for several years ], seems to. be assured by the fact that 1 the worlds supiy of hogs is only about 1 To per cent. as large as it was years I ago ard is still decreasing This de Il crease is fast approaching the 4( 1 million mark
 The shortasge of fats and oils is tn, most acute of any of the food stuffs The claim has been made that suel
 a shortage in the Central Empires is
 doing them more harm than any othel |t one thing save the military forces O.
 the Entente. America and her Allie. must not be weakened in a simila,
 way and the farmers of this natio1
 alone can prevent it. Connection
 farmers should not be content. The,
 are depriving the hungry peoples o
 Europe of a food which can be growl
 profftably in this state, The aim O
 every farmer in the State should be t,
 become an asset instead of a liabilit,
 so far as pork is concerned.-Con necticut Agricultural College.