The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-11-06

washington, u. u, NOV.
While the population Of the United
States has increased 10 per cent or
more during the last 10 years. the
number of farms in the country has
barely increased at all-only Ia per
cent, to be exact.
This fact, that the amount OF land
which is being cultivated is not in
crsasing as fast as is the popula-
ton. has been pointed out before
but 1t is interesting to note that the
census officially conrms it. and also
to note just where the increases ana
decreases lie. 1t also seems espec-
tally pertinent to set forth these
facts right now. Neither OF the
major parties seem to be taking
very much account Of them. The
appointment of q real dirt farmer
for secretary of agriculture has
been put forward by the politicians
as a remedy. Legislation has also
been recommended, and will prob
ably be passed, allowing farmers to
organize for purposes Of selling and
buying. Nothing more is heard OF
the project which was put forward
SO vigorously during the war, for
the government to create more
farms out OF swamps, stumpla1ds
and deserts.
Meantime, there is every prospect
that, unless something is done, our
facilities for producing food will
soon fall far below our needs. In
i 1900 it was found that the number
of farms had increased about 10 per
cent in 10 years. which probably
meant that the amount of land cul-
tivated was increasing about as fast
as the population. This year the
number of farms only increased
about a sixth as much as the num-
Der of people. The next census
may we'll show a decrease in the
number Of farms. unless something
is done in the meantime.
Why Men Won't Farm.
1t has been widely stated and i'm
piled that the reason for the
dwindling number of farms in this
country and for the tendency Of the
food supply not to increase as fast
as the population, is found in the
unwillingness of the young men to
60 on the farms or to stay there
This, no doubt is the reason. But
the implication is that they spurn
the farms, not because farming is
unavoidable. but because they pre-
fer bright lights. moving pictures
and all the other alleged allure
mehts of our great industrial cities
Representatives of farmer crgani-
cations say this is not SO. They say
that the country is full of men who
are not merely willing but anxious
to farm, if only they car make q
living at it. They say that this is
often impossible. except where the
land is rich, transportation facil
tiles Of the best, and all other cir
cumstances favorable. They say
further, that it is very hard for tbs
man who wants to farm to get &
farm. Farmlands are held at very
high prices in this country, many
! thousand acres OF them lying idle
To buy unimproved land and to pu
. it under cultivation is simply NO
y paying proposition, it is said, ex
cep. On large scale, and not al
ways them In other words, tn,
man who has or can borrow a few
/ thousand dollars cannot profitabl.
invest it in farmlands, and that i!
one very good if not all-sufficien
reason why the number of farm
has not increased.
y What Figures Show.
This view of the matter seems II
ibe sustained in a way by the cen
| sus figures. They show the in
, crease Or decrease in the number o
farms in each state. These figure
prove that the number of farms i
!, decreasing in nearly all of, tn
! northeastern states, and il many o
), the southern aud middle Atlanti