The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-12-19
Modern Farm MachineryMak
Possible Monster Grain Harvest

Isl 900 10000. Wisconsin led in pro-
duction, Illinois was second, and Iowa
third. Figure out for yourself how
long the hundred or so cows Of colo
NAL times would have taken in con-
Stunning that amount of hay
Over one billion bushels of oats
were produced in the United States
last year. Think of it. Oats were orig
inally brought to this country from
the old world. Now America leads in
production.
The value of the 1921 crop was fig
ured to be $521 $4,000. Iowa led this
time with a production of $4,000, 900
bushels, valued at $35, 100000. Illinois
second and Minnesota third. The same
eight states mentioned in connection
with the hay crop produced half again
as much oats as the rest OF the Unit
ed States combined. Just for contrast,
Massachusetts, produced 10000 bush
els of oats (192D valued at S165,0OO.
But figures are dry. Combining the
rest of the crops of the United States
we find that in 1921 the nation raised
over 000,000,000 worth OF misccella-
neous crops, including such foods as
| potatoes, ~ Z, DdlICy5 OlliOiio, llNN, iiN
truck crops and the fruits.
The harvest in America is a rich
one.
The problem of the American farm
err has now become not how to grow
bigger and more crops, but how to
market those crops. Transportation
problems, the economic laws OF sup
ply and demand, have so complicated
the farming industry that many
farmer is scratching his head and wish
ing for the moment that he could raise
everything he needed and not have to
worry about marketing the surplus.
Which is the better of the two
ways? Has not the world progressed!
The surplus of the farmers makes it
possible for the rest of the world to
engage in developing the finer things
of life The farmer can trade his crops
for automobiles. Farm machinery has
made farm life more attractive. The
world is beginning to realize that the
| farmer is at the base of all prosperity.
The world some day will do the farm
er all honor.
Fewer Farmers Today.
And where does all this gigantic
crop of the United States come from?
How many farms do you suppose
there are in the nation? rs
The 1921 census shows that there
are in the United States 3l8,069,918
acres of improved farming land. There
are 6448, 800 farms.
During the past few years another
great change has come about in Amer
lea. AT hrst, you know, Americas
population was almost entirely rural
That is, people clustered in small
towns and villages, but the main oc-
cupation was hunting and farming.
Gathering the products of nature, in
other words. The institution of COM
mercial agriculture brought with it
manufacturing, and then all the won
derful commercial life of the nation
as it is today. And farmers have been
becoming fewer and fewer.
Within the last few years we have
seen the balance shift to the city, and
now America has more people in its
/ towns and cities than it has in the
country. To be exact, 51,406,0177 peo-
pie in this country are classed as ru
raj population. And $500, SOB folk live
in the city. America is 51.4 per cent
urban and 1870 per cent rural
! Don't be alarmed at those figures,
however, and jump at the conclusion
that because farming happens to be
rather poor enterprise, financially
speaking, right now that the farmers
are all moving to town. Far from it.
1t means that by the use of machin-
cry America is now enabled to sup
port its entire population with the Ia
Dor OF less than half of that popula
ton applied to farming. In other
words, our civilization has progressed
to such an extent that, with q minority
of the population growing the food,
the majority are free to engage in all
those purusits that make life better
living for all of us.
Who can tell? Perhaps in future
years we shall have only 10 per cent
OF our people working the SOIL and
90 per cent engaged in all those allied
industries, such as making automobiles
for us to ride about in.
Intensive Farming.
Another change in American agri-
culture is the shift from extensive
farming to intensive farming
With all our improved and scientific
methods of farming we are now able
to grow more food from stated area
of ground We have increased acre
yields. With fertility practices we are
fitting our soils to grow crops contin-
uously for years to come. New and
better varieties of crops are now plant
ed. High yielding strains have replac-
ed the guess work of yesterday:
Farms are growing smaller. While
it is true that modern machinery is
really more economical on large farms
improvements in mechanical devices in
the last few years now make the
small tractor, the truck and other ma
chinery of economic service to the
small farm.
Experts have worked out the size Of