The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-08
FARMERS AND BANKERS!
WORK HAND IN HAND
Asslstant Secretary CAristic Tells
bankers of Help They Can Give.

As@asfant Secretary Chrfstic Tells
BANKERS Of Help They Can Give.
Addressing the recent meeting In
Washington OF the agricultural COM
mission of the American Bankers' as
ISOLATION. g. ]. Christie, assistant secre-
tary OF agriculture. pointed u tho
work that bankers can do in helping
to develop American agriculture. COM
pifrnented the members of the asso-
citation for their efforts to this end,
n declared that farmers and bust
ness men should work hand in hand.
Tho department of agriculture said
Mr.. Christie, "could not reach the
farmers effectively II It did not have
such support as you give.
What is going to be the future OF
agriculture? What is the farmer GO
ing to do now? During the past two
years we have asked the farmers to
pillow more land. to plant more grain,
to feed more hogs, to produce more
fo~odstuTs. They have complied with
the request in a magnificent way. But
the war is over now~-what is next?
I wish I were able to give a salts
factory answer. 1t seems important
that as bankers. as men who are lead
ers, as men who are trying to show
the way out, that you refuse. TO be-
come involved in the haze and the
mist that Is clouding many minds at
this time, Many people are assuming
a pessirnistic attitude and are ready
to say that everything is going to the
bad, that agriculture Is not going to
keep the pace that 1t set during the
last few years. that agriculture can not
continue to so ahead, that, there
fore, there Is going to be i big change,
that there is going to be a big reac-
tion along the line, that a calamity
will hefail the farmers. They have a
dread and fear in their minds. They
are preparing to protect themselves
against something--they know not
what.
We should consider a little the his
tory OF production and consumption of
foodstuffs. This country has practi-
cally double In population every
twenty-five years since it's beginning.
until now there are about 103, o80, 900
people. h consumption of products
from the soil has grown just in about
the ratio of production. During the
few years prior to 1914, the production
in the United States was not keeping
pace with consumption. Exports OF
foodsturs were decreasing. Imports
of foodstuTs were increasing. Prices
were rapidly rising. This was evidence
OF the fact that the farms of America
were not producing sufficient supplies
to Inaet the demands.
LIZ II nv ISiEoUdptc 10 expect Una
the demands for agricultural products
from this time on will be even greater
than prior to 1914? Increased popula-
tIon at home: high wages, which are
bound to continue; increased shipping
facilities: and an increased demand
from Europe are factors which support
the belief that American farms win
need to maintain maximum production.
TN the past two years the methods
employed by our farmers in connection
with production and conservation have
advanced twenty years beyond what
they would have been Under peace
conditions. Prior to 1914. and even up
the declaration Of war by the United
States, there were armer In every
community who were ready to sit back
and say: 4 am getting along. My farm
Ia satisfying me. am getting a good
living. / am making n little money
Just don care to rear from the county
agent. 7 won't attend the farmers in
stitute. I have little interest in the
agricultural college or the United
States department of agriculture. lam
satisfied because 7 am getting along
There were thousands OF farmers
In this country who assumed that
attitude ana 1t was impossible TO ap-
nroach them through any medium
| that we knew Of al that time. But
when war was declared and Uncle
Sam said TO the farmers of America,
Grow moro wheat. produce more
meat and foodstuffs OF every kind,
then those farmers with a spirit OF
, patriotism and an additional induce
ment OF fair prices and assurances Of
reasonable compensation for their ex-
penditures called upon the department
of agriculture. the agricultural col
leges, the county agent. and every
good farmer in the community-upon
anyone that could give them any IN
formation. From every section came
the call: Tell us what you want us
to do. Show Is how to do II better.
Advise us on the best methods. and
we will practice them and put them
into operation
The attitude as. we'll as the spirit
OF the farmers of America changed
from peace time to wartime farm
ing. Do you think now that the mar
who has treated his oats for smut
and has increased his yield: the mar
who has applied fertilizer to his wheat
n has increased his crops five to
ten bushels per acre; the man who
has sought Information on the feed
| ing of cattle and has found that by
adding protein to the ration he can
produce a pound OF beef with nine
pounds of corn where The old ration
required thirteen pounds Of grain; the
man who was encouraged to build a
silo through which he Is able to feed
q carload OF cattle with the crops from
sixteen acres of land. when before
It required twenty-six-do you think
that these men who have learned
these lessons. have seen tho results,
and have profted by them are aver
going back to the old-time methods
that existed prior to the war;"