Middletown transcript., 1920-05-22
THE FOOD SHORTAGE
Many Farms Are Idle Due to Lack
Of Labor
ON THIS FERTILE PENINSULA

spoke y. Lawrence OOyCes on O0tOTOay
last, as he sat in his feed and imple-
ment Office at Stanton, Del.
''Most of the people don't know what
is coming declared Captain T. 7.
Howard, owner of thousand acres
down on the Eastern Shore
''Fo0dstuffs will be scarce and high"
announced Dean McCue, of the Della
ware Agriculture College.
''The farm labor shortage is one of
the most serious things confronting the
ture Rasmussen at Harrisburg.
Industrial America does not know
what is happening in agricultural Ameri-
ca. And what is happening is near
calamity.
Industrial America. is destroying agri-
cultural America.
This season only three blades of corn
are growing where four grew last year;
only three hills of potatoes are planted
where four stood in the summer of 1919;
only three men are working on the
farms of the Atlantic seaboard from
Maine to Alabama where four are re-
uuired and five should be employed; only
three acres are being cultivated where
four were growing crops twelve
months ago.
INDUSTRIAL AMErICA RESPONSIBLE
Industrial America is responsible.
Industrial America must pay the price.
l have said that farm production has
been reduced one-fourth.
The state of Delaware shows one
third shortage of farm labor, q one
third reduction in crops. The Eastern
Shore of Maryland shows the same
thing. Lower Pennsylvania, Lancaster,
Chester and Delaware counties show
| trif1e more than 20 per cent. reduction.
Lower New Jersey will average more
| than Is per cent. and in Cape May coun-
| ty it is 0ne-third.
"In Kent county we have five grain
| FARMS" said A. D. Cobb, county agent.
"You ask me what Delaware is going
| to do in the way of its wheat. l can
| give you a concrete illustration. Last
wear the district of East Dover, in Kent
county, ordered 5000 pounds of binder
twine This year the order was sent in
for 5000 pounds. That means one
third reduction in the cereal crop. The
corn acreage in Kent is reduced by one
third. There has been 10 to Is per
cent. cut in the land plowed for toma-
toes. All of this land will not be plant
ed. Worse than that, the tomato crop
cannot be fully harvested because OF
lack of help. The berry crop will show
about twenty per cent. drop.
"How much is being paid for farm
labor? Why, you simply can't quote
commodity that is not available.
Some farmers are paying 500 month
and board. Some more, Some less. l
know of a farmer who heard of a negro
who was in the market. He got MIN.
but he had to bid $40 a month more than
the hired hand was receiving and he had
! to agree to buy the man q new Ford
automobile.
ABANDONED. FARMS IN SUSSEX
''There are twenty-five abandoned
farms within radius of ten miles OF
Georgetown. said County Agent N: T..
than two thirds of its usual tomato
crop. One-third less tomatoes on the
shelves next winter. 1t may be un-
pleasant to think about, but its coming.
"As for peas. there will be q mere
handful raised for the Gamers.
Eyes, l am safe in predicting one
third drop in the corn production" add
ed MIR. Vaughn. Perhaps it will be
more with potatoes. It costs too much
money for seed. Ours is big berry
section. The 1920 crop will be reduced
twenty der cent. That means wcre->
situation in 1921 because it is frors'
present year strawberry pls-
get our 1921 plants.
II Labor is scarce. Worse
, | it is hard to handle. So man.=
are telling me that they can't or owo
davis work done. know that 40
any farmer in my district can r that
to So so day. stete
dustry in the labor market" saM o4Iy
Bausman, county agent OF New CyT.
eff industry demands the best blcD.
, the farms: If there is shortage one
600. 600 laborers;> if manufactureeke
! ticles are more vital than food, theiay
farm must suffer, the land lay idlnse
must eat less and pay more tno
Farm machinery will help. Betteltoe
ness methods IN agriculture will 1tn
J ORGANIZATION will help. But the oy
fact that remains is: Food must bet
At Stanton, DEL; Mr.. Boyce, the f..
dealer, knows the situation, for day by
day the farmers come to him.
Fright in this section there will be q
reduction of from Is to 40 per cent. in
y the corn and potato crops" am not
speakinp at random. l am basing my
assertion on actual figures that are
, given me by the farmers
] Delaware is part of that great penin.
/ sula that stretches from the Mason and
Dixon line down between the Delaware
and Chesapeake bays. All Delaware
does not show single square mile that
is being cultivated as fully as last year.
The drop ranges anywhere from 10 to
as high as 60 per cent.
!. There are parts of Kent county, Md.
I where not one, but many farms have
been abandoned. The same is true II
, Dorchester Ps:,cess Anne, Talbot and
other &C., returned II not =,
..s64t infallible. Ask your nm, =
..t to keep It. ~
-ekett's Cape Cure, l0c, POSTPAID.
ackett's Louse Powder, l0c, postpaid.
Also guaranteed-rids your poultrv
vermin. Money order. currencv q,
amps received. Address
HAcKErT's CAPE CURE CO.
ept > aillaboro. hd