The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-02-28

- URINC1 the past two years the methods
; ! !:
Va | of production and conservation EN-
n ployed by the farmers of this country
have advanced 20 years of peace times
i a@O | Prior to 1914. and even up to the dec
{ laration of war by the United States,
4 i there were farmers in every commune
- ty who were not interested in county
agents, farmers institutes, the agri-
cultural colleges, or the United States department
of agriculture. But when was declared and
Uncle Sam asked the farmers to grow more food
sfuffs Of every kind those who had before assumed
an attitude of indifference responded to the CALL
Throughout the nation these farmers. with spirit
of patriotism and additional inducement OF fair
prices and an assurance of reasonable compensa-
fion for their expenditures. called upon the fed
eyal department and other agencies that cOuld
give them information. The attitude as well as
the spirit of the farmers changed from peace-tlme
to wartime farming.
Improved methods and practices adopted ana
now being applied have come to stay. In future
farming methods there should be little Question as
the practice of the who has treated his oats
for smut and has increased his yield the man who
has applied fertilizer to his wheat and has in
creased his crops five to ten bushels an acre; the
man who has sought information on the feeding OF
czftie and has found that by adding protein to the
ration he produce pound of beef with nine
pounds of corn where the old ration required IL
bounds of grain; the man who was encouraged to
carload of cattle with the crops from 16 acres of
land when before it required 26 acres. Men who
have learned these lessons, have seen the result.
and have profited by them, are not going back to
old-time methods Farmers reaching out in
broader way for additional aid.
Last fall farmers planted 100000 acres of
wheat. and while the early prospective yield was
Ee6iuced TO some extent by reason of adverse
weather and insect enemies. crop of approx
mafely billion bushels is the result. This huge
crop is the direct result of the good methods of
farming that were employed in the fall of 1913
There more tons Of fertilizer applied to this
wheat than during any previous year. There was
more early blowing. There was better cultivation.
There was better selection of varieties and better
treatment Of the seed. There more top-dress
fng of the crop with straw and manure than ever
was known in any other year. Part of the crop
H1s due to favorable weather in some localities.
some just TO plain luck, but the big results
achieved in the wheat fields all over the country
wns due to the improved methods employed by
farmers.
There is large and sufficient evidence to show
that agriculture has made rapid. sure. and SUBJ
sfantial advance If that is true then agriculture
WIN not readily revert
At no time has the farmer been called upon to
give greater attention to the business side of his
operations. In this day of highpriced land, labor.
seed, fertilizer. machinery. and other materials
and equipment, careful attention must De given 70
economical production. Industrial plants have
found it necessary to introduce the costaccountng
system in order that the cost of each part manu-
facfured may be determined. In the same way.
farmers must conduct their business and know
more definitely the desirable and profitable lines of
production.
X Not every farmer has 1t within his power to in
crease his acreage, but he can very materially in
crease his income by judiciously increasing the
Se ~ IsSfn
Az that seems to be open to farmers in prac-
ffrslIy all parts of the country The simplest and
,<.,rcst way for the land-locked farmer to make
nore money is to produce more and better live
rfDck. There is but limited opportunity for ex-
nnsion in the production of the intcnsively grown
uops but there is great opportunity for expansion