The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-06-05
FARMER TALKS TO FARMERS


man, the Illinois farmer who hold
the Office of Assistant Secretary o
the United States Department of Agri
culture, is In Charlotte as the princi
pal speaker of the day before the AS
ISOLATION of Southern Commercial
Secretaries in annual session here. II
addition to his speech to the CONNER
cial club secretaries, he addressed
meeting of Eastern North Caroline
farmers who availed themselves o
his presence to hold big meeting II
Charlotte. In the course of his ad
dress, Mr.. Vrooman said:
"Any American farmer who does
not put his whole heart and back in
to the part cut out for him in this
war is a Stacker. II you are not will
ing to do difficult things and even to
attempt what now seems impossible
then stop farming and rent or sell
your farm to more patient more
intelligent and more patriotic citi-
zen and go over into the trenches and
see If you like the game there any
better.
al know the farmers task is not
an easy one. Moreover, know that
up to this time he has made the sacri-
fees required of him willingly and
heroically. The agricultural army was
the first American army mobilized-
1t was under arms and moving into
battle the day after war was declared
And that army won the first American
victory in the stupendous food crops
that were harvested last fall.
But, in common with everybody
euse, the farmer finds his wartime
task growing constantly harder. The
severest strain is likel to come just
fore the final triumph, and farmers
must brace themselves for that strain
81 know something of how difficult
the task is | know, because | have
tried it, that it isn't easy for the farm
err to take unframed boys from city
high schools and teach them how to
do farm work. OF course, 1t is hard
and unpleasant job, but 1t is your jol
and mine. Assuredly we are going to
have trouble about labor. We are 60
ing to have trouble about seed; we
are going to have trouble about fertil-
izers: we are going to have trouble
about farm implements; we are going
to have trouble about capital. OF
course, we are going to have trouble
Trouble and war are Synonymous
and this Is war Moreover, it is the
biggest war anybody ever saw. If
you have an idea that the war can be
fought and won without everybody
doing his due share of the fighting, 1t
Is still reserved for you to taste the
birthstone of the hell of war, and you
will finally have to breathe 1t deeper
because you werent's willing to
breathe 1t early.
"This is a time when everybody
must stand ready to make allowances,
to suffer inconvenience, to put up
with things that would be intolerable
in time Of peace. But to not overlook
the fact that the government is doing
everything it can to help the farmer
through his difficulties. The Depart
ment of Agriculture and the Depart
ment of Labor are cooperating with
him in solving the labor problem. The
United States Department of Agricul-
ture, the agricultural colleges, and
the state departments of agriculture
are helping him with his fertilizer
problem, his seed problem, his imple-
ment problem. And the Federal Farm
Loan Board is helping out of his fl
nancial difficulties.
with all the help that can be given,
however, the burden is going to bear
heavily. There is no royal road to
victory. Victory is to be won only by
taking infinite pains, by enduring end
less inconvenience and worse, by
making sacrifice upon sacrifice, by US
ing every expedient that may avail to
further our cause. We farmers to
whom 1t is not given to serve on the
firing line must realize that we are |
not merely farming now but that we
are, in fact, fighting the Hun in our
own safe but not inglorious way. 1t
is our business to put patriotism and
glory into our work. 1t is our bust
ness to use our heads and raise bigger
crops than we used to raise and with
fewer hands than we used to work.
II is our business to farm as though
our lives depended upon it-as do. In
deed. the lives OF thousands Of people
overseas. II is our business to farm
as our soldiers Enthusiastically. A
year ago. the President said: Your
patriotism Is OF the same self-denying
stuff as the patriotism Of the men
dead or MANNED on the fields Of