, 1920-09-30

tnan 20 per cen or ali our ngntIng
men came from the farms. and after
sending their sons TO the camps. the
fathers and mothers, with the help Of
the younger children. turned to and
produced more food than was ever be-
fore produced in the history Of the
world in the same lime and from the
same area of land. Their working
days were measured NOT by the clock,
but by the number of daylight hours.
they took to themselves the respon-
sibility of feeding not only our own
people. but also our allies across the
sea. In more ways than one. our farm
ers made the war their war. and count
ed no sacrifice too great 10 help fight II
through to a successful finish. The
story Of what they did. written by
some one who understands 1t, will
furnish one of the o glorious chap
ters In American history. One thing
! may say-in every American con-
Hict, from the revolution for independ-
race to the world war for maintained
rights, the farmer has been 100 per
cent American and ready for every
sacrince."
He then pointed out some of the un-
fortunate result L agriculture, grow
Ing out of war conditions, especially
the premium put on grain growing at
the expense of livestock production.
he referred to the heavy losses suffer-
ed by many livestock producers and
feeders, and pointed out the urgent
need of restoring the balance between
livestock and grain production as
quickly as possible. On his subject
he said:
tEnr tu-4 N,-- 49,
maintenance Of a normal balance be-
tween livestock and grain production
Is a matter of national concern. One
Is that we are a meat-eating people,
and should have a fairly uniform sup
ply at a reasonable price. Conditions
which either greatly stimulate or
greatly discourage livestock produc-
ton result In prices altogether too high
Tor the average consuming public or
altogether o low for the producer.
The other Is that the over-stimulatiop
OF grain production depletes the fer
tillty of our land, which is our great
est national asset, and results In a
greater supply than can be consumed
at a price profitable TO the producer,
and finally to widespread agricultural
distress from which all of our people
suffer-"
Speaking of the trend of prices of
farm products during the ne1t two or
three years, he said that no one could
forecast them with any accuracy. That
as a nation we are undergoing the
same experience that the individual
undergoes when recovering from a
long and dangerous illness. And then
he made this significant statement:
at must be evident, however, to any
n who has given the matter even
superficial consideration, that we have
now come to the end of the long period
Of agricultural exploitation in the
United States. No longer are there
great and easy and awaiting areas of
fertile land awaiting the land hungry.
We have now under the pillow prac-
,ically all Of our easily-tillable land.
though idle areas await reclamation
and development by that genius and
determination which ever have made
nature respond to human needs. AID
ditions Of consequence, which we may
make to our farming area. from this
time m. must come by putting water
on the dry lands OF the arid and semi
arid country. or by taking water of of
the swamp lands, of which we have
large areas in some sections. or by dig
gfng the stumps put OF the cut-oveI
timber lands of the north and south.
Other Alternative an Unhappy One.
IF we should u%nhappily choose the
course of industrial and commercial
promotion at the expense Of agricul-
ture, cities will continue TO grow at the
expense Of the rural community, ag-
riculture will inevitably break down
and finally destroy the finest rural
civilization, with the greatest p~ossibili-
ties the world has ever seen. Decreased
farm production will make dear food
and we shall be obliged to send our
ships TO far-away nations in search of
cheap foodstuffs, the importation of
which Is sure to intensity agricultural
encouragement and distress at home.
"If. OIL the other hand, we shal de-
termine to build up here a self-sus-
tainIng nation-and what lover of his
country a make a different choice?
then we must at once set about the
development of a system OF agriculture
which will enable us to feed our peo-
pie abundantly, with some spare for
export in years of plenty, and at prices
which will insure to the farmer and
his ssmily both financial rewards and
educal oual. social and religious liv-
Ing Conditions fairly comparable TO
those offered by the cities. A sound
system Of agriculture can not be main
tanned or any other basis. Anything
short Of a fair return upon invested
capital, and a fair wage for the labor
which goes into the crops, and enough
In addition to enable the farmer TO
maintain tina fertility Of bis soil and