Evening star., 1923-08-24

THE total per capita Is decreas-
mist of the Department Of Agriculture.
1.-THE acreage of nineteen principal
crops was nearly per cent less In 1922
than it was In 1919, in spite of the
continued increase of population.
The average yield per acre
of land and crops has not increased
during the past two decades"
The above statement might indicate
that farming Is retrograding. in spite
of all the research and scientific
teaching. but 1t needs Interpretation.
The yield per acre Is not the test of
American agriculture. where land Is
cheap and men are dear, but the test
is the yield per farmer. BY that test.
American farming far eXcels that Of
any other part of the world. and
shows most encouraging progress in
the decades since scientific and prac-
teal farming became allied.
n X
The beginning of the scientific
practical farming in this country
dates from the Morrill, land grant
to each state Of 10000 acres for each
senator and representative of the
respective states. the land to be sold
by the states to create funds for
establishing agricultural schools. 1t
did not flourish, however, before the
second Morrill, bill. passed in 1880.
granting to each state d cash en-
dowment Of $4,000 a year. which was
doubled by an amendment by Senator
knute Nelson. In 1914 Il congress
sionar appropriation of $3.50. 600 a year
$4,000 for each state) was made to
maintain instruction and demonstra-
tion In agriculture and home eco
nomtcS for persons not entering the
colleges That fund was increased
yearly for seven years. so that now
the extension teaching costs the
Government si.5S0.000 a year.
X
If, in the face of all this expendi-
ture, and the vast expense of the
scientific agricultural research of the
Department Of Agriculture. il must be
confessed that farming> in the United
States is retrograding in efficiency,
it would be most astounding and dis
couraging. That. however. is far
from the truth.
Farm acreage is decreasing-as it
ought to decrease-because, during
the war. it expanded into the semi
arid lands OF the midwest. where the
yield per man and per unit of fertil-
liZing amounted to the least EX-
tensive farm methods are giving
place now 10 intensive farming. The
number of farm owners and oper-
ators has not materially lessened. but
the number OF hired farm laborers
has decreased. owing 10 the COM
petition OF high wages in the cities.
Tl,s. ylt,&.r IT,
alton is the fact that the American
farmer now cultivates more acres
than does the farmer in any other
country. and more acres than did
his f"refathers, because he uses more
labor saving machinery and more
trained Intelligence. The department
officials oppose reclamation of more
land; there is more land in farms
now than can be cultivated properly.
DIR. Gray, the land economist of the
Department of Agriculture. gives the
following comparison, showing in
creased production per farmer:
Take the year 1870 as the basis
of comparison, and call that 100: the
year 1920 represents $50 in farmers
and 356 on yield per acre. Inter-
preted, II means that in the fifty
year period the number of farmers
increased so per cent. while their
products increased 256 per cent. The
increase of production was more than
thrice as fast as the increase In
farmers.
Taking wheat alone. for the four
year period of 1883 to 1887 the yield
may be taken as 100. for 1913 to 1917
II was 1863. and for 1918 to 1922 IL
was 1851. (That does not mean BUSH
els. but units" per acre, for compari-
son.l
The production OF wheat per farmer
has increased about 20 per cent since
1887, but not nearly so much per
acre Each farmer is able to handle
larger acreage.
y * x
The average American farmer is
handling more acres than formerly
and more than any other farmer.
except Canadian, Australian and
South African. according to Or. o. z.
Baker. economist of the Department
of Agriculture.
The crop area per farm in 1903
was fifty acres. and in 1919 II was
fifty-seven acres, according to the
census This increase came partly