Evening journal., 1922-08-04


conducted by Edith MoCarns, Re
becca Hutchinson and Margaret Jar
mon, of the Welsh Tract Club, als'
attracted much attention.
Dean McCue in his address on th'
myth of rurai decadenee said II
part:
In the brief time that have at
nv disposal wish TO say something
about the myth OF rural decadence
For the past few years we nave
heard great deal on the subject oil
the trend Of rural population from
the country to the cities. Sixty per
cent. of our population live in
cities. Sixty-eight per cent. OF
our population lives in cities OF over
$500 inhabitants. Mr.. Paul Brown,
editor of the publication America
at work has given this population
trend a critical analysis and l wish
to pass on to you some Of the re-
suits of his studies.
1--WE hear a great deal about aban-
doned farms. loss of rural popula-
ton. agricultural inehlciency, and
the fate OF ancient Rome when her
agricultural population drifted td
the cities. How is agricultural
progress or decadency to be meas
ured? It is characteristic of
American industry TO measure its
accomplishments by the output per
unit of human energy. However,
many otherwise sane men when
they begin to discuss agriculture
change their viewpoint, throw COM
mon sense to the winds and measure
agricultural Accomplishments by an
entirely different standard. We are
told by many of the so-called agri-
cultural spokesman that American
is losing ground because
an acre in America does not produce
as much as an acre in Germany.
France, Japan or some other place.
The great acreage of these countries
is produced by hand labor. There
the acre is everything and the hu
man who works it but little. The
so-called intensive farming is a.
thing people do when forced by
necessity. II we are to determine our
progress by count of noses OF our
let us turn to China, Japan
Or India for our inspiration.
THE standard of measurement of
success Of American agriculture is
not yield per acre. but production
per man. America produces more
food per man unit than any other /
country on the globe except it be |
canada.
What are the great factors which 1
lave enabled us to raise our produc-
ion per man unit. They are:
1.-The human factor, the pro-
;ressive spirit OF America, willing
less Of the American farmer TO take
N new methods, his freedom from
lide-bound traditions.
1.-THE American agricultural
ystem, unparalleled by any other
ountry in tho world. In no other
Industry is the line so short between
echnical investigator and practical
roducer Farmers week at many
( our agricultural colleges are COM
lon events taken as matter of
curse. Who ever heard Of a Ma
hinists week at an Engineering
chOol
3.-"The Improvement of agri-
lltural implements. a tractor with
three bottom gang pillow enables
ne man to do in a day what it for
lerly took five men to do.
4.-'ImprovemeDt of breed of I
We stock and varieties of grain.
'uits and vegetables. Improvement
dairy cattle for instance may
low 20 cows to produce what it
took 40 cows to produce.
hat saving in man power to take
are Of a less number of cattle hav-
lg the production capacity of more.
5.-"Improved fertilizers.
6.-"Improvement in marketing
nd transportation facilities. What
D all these things mean to Ameri-
m farming? II means that with a
eadily increasing power per man \
lit of production that we can view
thout fear correspondingly |