The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-07
PRESS ON FARM AFFAIRs

anything about the subject or not. Some times this comment has been relished by the farmers, and sometimes it has been resented. Farmers as a rule dislike unsought advice about their own affairs, especially from writers whose business is something else than farming. Nevertheless, editorial comment has, usually, been friendly and offered with a sincere desire to be of service. In the long run the situation of the farmer has un- doubtedly been greatly improved through the efforts of his friend, the editor, to pre- sent his case and demand justice for him. Unlike the politician, the editor has no per sonal axe to grind, and his concern is based on desire to accomplish public good
 Among the measures now pending to af- ford the farmer a measure of needed finan- cial reform, the Capper bill appears to be most in favor, because it seeks to make use of existing machinery to accomplish the purpose, and because it does not interfere with or compete with private banking prac- tice. Rather, it's result will be to open new lines of credit extension to the banks. In fact, according to the New York Times, there is far more discussion of what the farmer wants among politicians in Wash :ngton than there is among the farmers themselves. Neither are the farmers clam orous for easier credits, for "there is re- markable accumulation of proof that the rural banks do the farmers business gener- ously and efficiently in normal times. The rural bankers own farms, the dirt farmers own banks. They understand each other d fbo h,,es off e, Lo farmers want nothing to do with banks in distant states" The Times naively con cludes Altogether the farmers are better bankers than the politicians"
 AS to the actual situation of the farmer the Savannah News, reviewing the results of the past year, finds that 'it is certain that the farmer as whole made better living than in former years; he received more for his sold products; he spent very little in making the crop; he was in position to save more money; and on the average at the be- ginning of the New Year he has more money or it's equivalent-on hand. The resume of the years crops is solid sort of basis on which to build for the New Year. That the increase comes from higher prices rather than largely increased production in proportion to acreage is not discouraging- for the production per acre can be increas- ed." The fact is often lost sight of that the farmer recovers in a good year quite as promptly as he suffers in poor year. It $ not credit he needs nearly so much as prices for his product that pay him profit.
 Because of the fact that we have had abundant farm lands and plenty of labor to work them, there has not been sufficient attention given to intensive farming, to in- creasng the average yield per acre. That the present yields can easily be quadrupled on the present acreage appears an incredi- ble statement, yet it is more than borne out by actual demonstration. There is a wide gap, for example, between the farmer who produces quarter of bale to the acre and that rare specimen of agricultural intelli- gence who produces two to four bales to the acre. An average so high is not to be ex- pected, but so wide gap between the aver age and the best can be narrowed and it York Tribune says: "The development of intensive cultivation in the United States started on limited scale some time ago. Its expansion will be slow, owing in part to the inertia of traditional wasteful methods which have to be overcome and in part to the expense of readjustment. But with continually growing population and the end of unused agricultural lands there is no other solution for the country" However, the American farmer is more alert today than he has ever been. The influence of 4I- I making itself felt in general farming prac- tice. Agricultural experiment stations, the distribution of agricultural information, the omnipresence of agricultural agents in coun- ties, and the wider reading of the farmer are all having their effect. The day of greater production to the cultivated acre is at hand, and the American farmer is getting ready for it.
 The Providence Journal presents a cu- rous analysis of the situation as. follows: "The farmers are victims of the working of the law of supply and demand. Their best course is to strive for legislation that will increase the number of laborers, care being taken to exclude the undesirables of Europe, and to endeavor to impress upon Congress the importance of doing whatever can be done toward strengthening the buying power of Europe. As economic conditions abroad improve, the demand for our surplus crops will revive" Better farming rather than more farmers is the need of the time. There is no doubt that lively market in Europe would have it's effect here.
 All the newspapers, however, fail to men, tion the real source of the farmers confi- dence in the future. It is his new plan of oooparatiop i, h11vipu and cal1ipO Even