The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-09-29

a complete, nationwide survey of The
situation. The forthcoming census
offers the opportunity for doing that
If every farmer will answer the en-
umerators questions fully and fairly
the Department of Agriculture will
have the data from which TO analyze
the situation accurately and TO deter
mine what things can be done to best
advantage to help the tenant in lis
aspiration to become a farm owner.
One of the directions that aid may
take is encouragement of rural creits
finding all of the ways possible of
helping the young farmer to get the
money that he may need to borrow.
1t is necessary, therefore, to know
what proportion of farmers who adj
vance from tenants to owners have
to borrow money to make the change,
and how much, in proportion, to total
value of the farm bought, they have
to borrow.
The road toward ownership does
not necessarily start with tenancy. A
great many farms owners were first
farm hands, then tenants, then own
ers with mortgage, then owners
debt free. The census will show, if
the questions are answered fairly,
how many years, if any, every farmer
worked for wages; how many years
he was a tenant; and how many
years he has been an owner. The De-
partment of Agriculture will have the
basic information it needs to help
men to success in farm ownership.
Other Important Quesies
Here are some other questions that
will be asked: "Has this farm tele-
phone?" as water piped into the
operators house" "Has the opera
tors house gas or electric light?"
Now, that looks like an effort to
find out whether or not the farm
family has the modern home COM
forts-and it is just that, but it
means something more than mere
inquisitiveness. Several months ago,
when the Bureau of Farm Manage
ment was a process of reorganiza-
zion, The Secretary of Agriculture
called conference of heads of schools
social workers, and others from all
over the country. When the people
were assembled in Washington, he
asked their opinion as to the most use
full thing that could be done by The
Office of Farm Management. For a
whole day those people discussed the
matter. Just before night, with a
score of items on the ballot, they
took vote. The work of promoting
the cmfrt and convenience of the
farm home received an overwhelming
majority of the votes.
That, then, is one of tie things
that the Department Of Agriculture
is trying to do in aid OF the farm
of this country. In order
to do the work intelligently, the de-
partment needs as full infrmation as
possible as to how the farm homes of
the comfort and convenience of the
and convenience.
Another Way to Help t.
Every farmer will be asked how
many acres of drained land he has
and how many other acres of land
there are on his farm that could be
made suitable for cultivation if they
were drained or ditchdrained. When
these questions are asked you, re-
that they are asked every
one of your neighbors. Possibly you
have tract of land that would be
the most productive field on your
farm if you could get TIE surplus
water out of it, but you can not do it
because, to be effective, the drainage
ditch would have to go far beyond
he borders of your own farm, would
ave to be county enterprise, and !