Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-21
INTENSIVE FARMING
URGED To MEET NEEDS
Federal Agricultural Department
Would Standardizc Farm Lie
and Increase Production.

Washington, April 2l.-A system OF
intensive farming that Will enable the
United States comfortably to support
population of one billion is the answer
10 the decline in production OF iood-
stuffs facing the country because OF the
exodus OF the younger generation from
the farm 60 the city.
This Is the solution offered by special
lists of the Department of Agriculture,
after long and careful study of farm
conditions throughout the country. In re-
gions where intensive farming has been
taken up under guidance OF experts the
farm situation is better, authorizes de-
clared.
The department has gone at the farm
problcm from a wide-range perspective.
II has dealt with it not only from the
pnint Of view of production but from
the standpoint of life on the farms.
The latter has improved by develop
ments made under natural conditions
of private enterprise, authorities are
discovering. until it has kept pace with
improvements in crops made possible by
the researches and experiments of the
Department of State agencies.
The four secrets OF prosperous
country life are intensive farming, good
roads, the explosive engine and elec-
'ricity. according 10 experts. All OF
hem have come together in the west.
According TO the agricultural authori-
les here, the explosive gas engine IS
transforming the farming industry by
enabling any farmer TO pump water and
perform other tasks with power and by
driving his automobile 20 the nearest
city.
The automobile is held to he an es-
scntial 20 the modern farm because 1t
cuts distance by one-tenth in point OF
time Gas engines have transformed hot
valleys of the west into garden spots,
department investigators found, toy doing
the work in heat that horses and hu
mans could not stand.
The department in its experiments on
behalf Of the farmers, has not confined
itself TO the borders OF this country. Al
most every spot ON the globe has been
secured for better products.
\ research party sent to Egypt IN
1907 brought back the Egyptian cotton
plant The department carried on ex-
tensive experiments with the plant In
the Southwest and incurred storm of
criticism for squandering $4,000 IN the
work.
However, the plant was made moro
perfect than chose that grow in Egypt,
according TO authorities, and during the
coming wear the income tax from Egyp-
tian cotton growers of Arizona and Cal
iiOrnia alone will bc more than $4,000.
From Italy the department brought
what is known as macaronl wheat,
type of grain that grows in dry land,
and enabled growers TO extend the wheat
belt several hundred miles further West
into more arid territory.
In Arabia department reaserch agent
found new kind Of date, which within
the last FIVE years has developed a pew
industry in California, where the income
from dates nets 81 900 per acre. In smyrna
a perfect fig was found and transplanted
after several futile attempts.
According 20 the department authori-
ties, the owners of intensive farming
lands are not leaving their lands but
are increasing them. because their crops
are more certain. are easier TO handle
and are paying better.