Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-08-05
CROPS AND POPULATION
ot Enough Land Under Cultiva.
ion to Feed 107,000,000 People
ltuntion VIII Continue Acute Until
Life on the Farm Can Compute In
Attrnctfvenees and Remunern-
ton with City Jobs

(By Frederick j. Haskin)
Washington, D c., July 22-That re.
brts OF large crops in certain sections OF
e country are misleading is the opinion
| agricultural experts here. a big wheat
|op in the northwest. and less difficulty
an was expected in obtaining harvest
Dor are being taken offhand to mean
lat there will be plenty to eat this win
y and that food will be cheap.
Officials of the national Grange say,
pwever, that the food situation will con-
hue acute throughout the winter and
definitely until life on the farm can
bmpete in effectiveness and remunera-
on with the city and it's high-priced Jobs.
Census figures are expected to show an
crease over 1910 of at least 100000
bpulation. At the same time, it is pro-
hesized that there will be smaller num-
pr Of people engaged in agriculture than
1910. Consider that in 1890 81 per cent
D the persons engaged in remunerative
Occupations were classed as farmers, and
bat every census since 1920 has shown
ecrease in this percentage, until in 1910
was only % per cent and you will cease
b wonder that an insignificant slice OF
Fatermelon costs more than the whole
1lit once sold for. and that the more
eoessary potato now has to be pared
fth a razor in the interests of economy.
It is neither necessary nor desirable that
/ per cent of our people should be pro-
ucing food now. The colonial land owner
Fas incidentally his own clothes manu-
hcturer, soap maker. butcher, baker and
ra ctically everything else, assisted some
mes by a retinue of servants. sometimes
MY by his large and energetic family.
but since his time the ages of specialists
as come and other industries rightly
lain a share of the 81 per cent Of labor
hat used to be on the farms. The trou-
lie is that the pendulum has swung too
hr, so that even with machinery and the
bass of technical knowledge recently ac
uired there is not enough land under Gull
(vation to meet the needs Of 107 .O00, 90
|eople.
The situation right now is that the
vheat crop in Kansas is being handled
nore easily than had been anticipated
lue to the fact that the wheat and straw
Ire light this year. and therefore ~ to 80
Yer cent less labor is required than was
|eeded last year. The grain is reported
be satisfactory.
TRUCK SITUATION BAD
The truck crop is hit harder. Low
|rices which the farmers have been get
hnr have so discouraged them that a good
many cut down truck production to what
hey themselves could consume, and what
hey are sure of selling.
Live stock conditions are also regarded
Is unpromising. Lass szxs, Europe
bat off her meat and stock Imports from
his country The prices were impossible
(or her to pay, partly because of the high
Cate of exchange. This resulted in de-
PRESTON of prices in this country and a
Ileriipe in he If animals kant
nd produced last winter. Farmers are now
debating whether stock production is go
ng TO be profitable in the near future. OF
whether it will be A losing game as i,
las been recently
Among all the clouds of food crises and
alamities there is one ray of cheer Milk
reported as adequate. This, one agri
ultural seer points out, is the effect OF
he dairy men getting together to fis
lrices at rates where they will be SURE
# return on their investment
He further adds that when othel
ranches Of agriculture are similarly or
a nized we may expect more stable con
itions in farm industries than at pres
mt.
Everybody knows why farmers hav.
een leaving home for the city. but it i
lct so generally known that in the pas
han ever before. In New York State alon
here are 1900 vacant farm houses. ant
i is estimated that within ten miles o
my city in the country, possibly except
hg New York, there are many thousan'
acres of untitled land, and many Vacan
houses This is a clue to the reason 70
The Labor Departments reports that tn
cost of food has advanced nearly ever
month since the war ended.
TO get the small farmer to return t
his land is less important to the countr
as a whole than to see an increase in tn
commercially run farms. The farm @
rom 30 to 80 acres. run by the farme
md his family without hired help. pre-
Iuces comparatively little food for tn
.ity A good part OF his crops are cor
surned at home, and what little is left
Unchanged for necessities at the stor
and with neighbors, Every small farme
rs one less consumer and one more pre-
-1t-is- true.. but he u not thesviti