The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1920-01-16
Big Increase in Acreage
Unwise, Says Houston

lies In immediate and rapid expansion
OF the acreage in farms. Others. OBJ
serving large tracts of unused land, de-
plore the great waste Of our resources.
Still others explain the movement OF
population from rural districts to cit
les by the nonavailability of land.
which they attribute to land monopoly.
speculation and other evils. The de-
mand for farm products, unlike the de-
mand for manufactured articles. does
not expand rapidly to meet large
increase in supply. There is ten
dency toward an equilibrium between
urban and agricultural industry. II
too much labor and capital are divert
ed from farming. the relative prices.
and consequently the relative profits.
Of agricultural activity will increase
and there will be tendency toward
expansion. If this is excessive, how
i ever, relative prices and profits viii
| tend to decrease and the industry may
suffer depression. The inelasticity OF
demand for farm products sets very
decided limit at given time to the
increase of population and capital prof
itably employed in agriculture.
LARGE Fluctuations Not Desirable.
1T is not in the interest of produc-
ers or consumers to have large fiuctu-
atoms In agricultural production.
There Is always danger of Cutting the
market and of serious loss. The aim
rather should be to secure steady
flow of commodities of sufficient vol
ume to supply an increasing demand
at prices which will yield the farmer
decent wage and fair profit on his
investment. 1t seems difficult to get
, II into the minds of some people that
, farming is a business and must pay !,
, that under modern conditions there
cannot be an unlimited number OF
, farmers. There could be larger ro-
!, portion of farmers to total population
II each 1arm were self-sufficient and
produced no surplus Of consequence,
but today the average farmer pro-
duces many times what he consumes
= Of some things and " dependent Tor
!. his prosperity upon their profitable ex
change for other articles which he
= uses. There should be. and In the Ions
| TUT lBcTc VIII tNbu W oS- uo sssD'
farmers in the nation than are needed
TO produce the quantity Of products
which can be disposed Of mt profit
There will be farmers enough II thu
!. business of farming Is made profitable
and IL rural life is made attractive ant
healthful. The consumers must h
willing to pay prices for farm product
u which will enable the farmers TO pro
- duce them and TO maintain a satisfac
81 tory standard Of individual and com
~ munity life. The nation also must h
" prepared to omit nothing to improv
the countryside II Is Of the first i'm
portance that satisfactory schools. wit
!! courses of study related to the prob
" lens Of rural life, he provided. tina
!" good roads be constructed. and tina
adequate provision be made 10 CIV
'e rural communities the requisite on
~ tary and medical services. includin
Is hospitaI facilities. When these n
- ouirements are met. we shall not hav
Ne to concern ourselves as to the nnmhs
VIC OF farmers and the adequacy OF on
e agricultural production. There vi
~ then he no difficulty in retaining In n
se rural districts sufficient number {
contented and efficient people. VIII
" we need is moi back TO the land pro
'e Uganda, but an acceleration OF n
ca movement for the Improvement OF q
countryside which will render u
abandonment of farms unnecessary ar
the expansion Of farming inevitable.
ii. Expansion During War.
.is There is reason tn believe that
nd considerable expansion In farm-iar
ses area occurred during the war. IT
eI- acreage devoted 10 the 10 priDcip
er- Gers increased 10.1 per cent fro
It'd 1914 to 1918. Accordingly. the CT
OF area per capita increased from g.
the acres I'm 1914 to 3.33 In 1918. or "a p
,ge cent This expansion probably resu
ell I'm part from the use for crops
,us land normally devoted to other p,
Of poses. especially TO pasture. Howev
eo- " seems TO indicate that the farmi
ag- Industry has more than held its o,
sed duAng the period. This conclusion
edy confirmed by an increase not only