Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1919-06-26
E D @ R I A L
MORE INTENSIVE FARMING

MORE INTENSIVE FARMING
John Z. 1'elRis right: this country must farm les, per man and
farm more intcnsivey.
Land values in South Dakota range from one hundred dol
lars an acre up. Many farms have been transferred within the
recent past on a basis of two hundred and odd dollars an acre.
some within Watertown's trade territory going at two hundred and
forty#ana acre, while many have been sold at one hundred and
fifty I'd pne hundred and seventy-fve dollars.
Obviously, when the prices of farm produce drop back 70 their
former level, CT even approach their former level, embarrassing
and bailey rasing will not pay the cost Of operation, plus . rea-
sonable interest on the investment.
Ever since agriculture became a leading industry III America
the farmer has. depended in a large measure for his profit, over and
above the cost Of living, upon the increase in land values. That is
to say, instead of drawing his dividends on his investments, as
investors in stocks and bonds are supposed to do, he has been
making a good living upon a basis Of fair wages, IS a rule, but
amassing his profits upon the rise in land values.
But with land climbing to the two hundred dollar mark fur
ther increases in values must be slow, 50 much SO in fact as scarcely
to offset what may be termed dividends or interest.
It follows that farming must be more intensive 50 as to derive
. greater income per acre. 1t also follows that the farms must
be reduced in size, each farmer working less acreage, or securing
more help for the same acreage.
And yet, when we reflect that commodities in general have adj
yaneed more in proportion than land values, we find that an acre
of land, at the new prices at which land is selling, will buy rca-
lively less today than the price of an acre OF land would buy four
years ago. From this standpoint, therefore, land values have. not
increased at all, notwithstanding an acre brings q greater number
OF dollars. -
Land IN Iowa and other nearby states commands all the way
from two hundred dollars up per acre, and it is no better soil than
the average South Dakota farm contains.
Land in South Dakota will gradually rise to the Iowa level
And that's the reason that we must have more intensive cultiva-
ton, with less acreage per man.
#3Ean dollars y a heap OF money to pay for ten minutes ride in an
alrpane, but We should remember that an airplane is not going up
every day 1.-THE Year in our neighborhood. Perhaps the time will
come when lying machines are as plentiful as automobiles are to-
Gay. Even the young men, and boys in their teens. recollect when
the automople was SO rare as to brighten horses half to death,
whereas noWa horse scarcely pricRs up his ears Of, meeting me of
WIG yehlcles Earlier still even human beings were almost scared
when they saw a bicycle coming down the road. Possibly a gen
sesahon hence lying machine will attract no mere notice from a
passerby than an automobile today.
Z would pc strange it considerable money appropriated for war.
purposes vas notsEsrtualS wasted Uncle Sam was in Il great hurry
loSgef ~ OF the ground floor in the European war. IT would have
peen surerhumanI It there had been no error in expending the money
ors ln making the other necessary arrangements Tor prosecuting the
HBseata eonnlef. ~ does not follow that serious reflection will be
SSasasnpon fe administration il something Is found To- have been
somewhat wrong here and there.
lt 1s announced that forty-thrse senators favor tlne Boot 1an-
Whien involves the approval of the league fo nations with certainI
sssrsaasoh According tos the published report. this would lot the
ssasas g sgt pyN @for the tineSSAAsing We assume that Tie ssresers
Ssa 1an s8@ implying that the document Isl subject fo fnt1ne amend
sn 8 sthafs 81 Sc ratified with the exception of certain clauses
r sAoetls1 Ae pasls1 or future negotiations, Oh something to this
a1R ftsonas supposed To- start hoMe this week After reach
gSass sn nnh sssses@ he's supposed if the reports arc to bes relied
s8aRoass1o #engaee ana speakng ssnpaign III behalf 81 fe league pf
s sRsRa tsat atS isS now understood that Tile league Will be ratified
\ 4 ssenaaeS WHY'D certain reservations whatever that may mean
asssBshlssnS fsasxstI oaAf lANfer may have s some bearing mon theA I'll
u fsk AaexsaaIa haoyneEsla psoppsisons
&H sa4sasHaa9 ahss sosiaaiasRaA aTee hbeep ostensibIy - the head 81 ths
eH1sgaz@s MNaaaRsaA#tha A8sAr@ ecanssdss 4MeS as wondering
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