The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-12-05
Agricultural College President
Says Few Farmers Will
Revert to Old System
NET GAIN is SEEN
Average North Dakota Farm
Is Declared Far Too Large
BY DIR. Coulter

good price, influence North Dakota
farming Of the good old days" and
abandon the program of accelerated
diversfication that received such
impetus during the past two sea
sons?
Some farmers will be so influenced
and will go backward to the old sys-
tenn but the most of them will 20
forward so that the net gain will be
a safer, souHdcr and more profitable
type OF farming in this state. be-
lieves DR.. John Lee Coulter, prcsi-
dent Of the North Oak ota Agricul-
tural college.
The adoption of the new type Of
crops instead of one will cause the
breaking up of many Of the bigger
farms into smaller units, the pres
ident believes.
''The average farm in North Da-
kota is too large unit to be oper-
ated by the farmer and his family
declares Dr.. Coulter. "The average
farm in this state consists Of 465
acres or an acreage more than four
times as large as is the average
farm in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Mich
igan or Wisconsin. In the latter
states the average is lO8 acres.
Steady Business
"Farming is not business where
men expect to get rich. The ideal
is prosperous, happy, contented
Intelligent family in every farm
home. To reach this ideal, farming
must be organized on sound basis
both practical and scientific. Where
as in 1919 the three small grain
cash crops-wheat, rye and flax
represented 62.6 per cent Of all crop
acreage, ip 1924 they represented
only 53.2 per cent. 1t is believed
that in another five years these
cash crops will not occupy more
than onc-third of the crop land in
the state. Smaller and better or
ganized farms, more farms, more
children in our schools and more
people to support them, lower taxes
per capita, more and higher valued
products to be shipped with rela-
lively lower freight rates, a greater
volume of banking with lower inter
est rates., smaller acreages of small
grains but higher yields per acre at
lower cost per bushel, more hay and
pasture, feed and forage crops and
livestock and livestock products and
more home owning, prosperous, hap
py, educated and cOntented people,
: these are some of the results ex-
pected from this program of re.or-
ganization."
Full of Resources
1T is a great state, full Of re-
sources, strength and youth but with
still some Of the awkwartlncss Of
youth, he explains. This land is
young. Fifty years ago it was large
ly occupied by Indians, buffalo, deer
and antelope and wild poultry. To-
day, while facing the two basic tasks
Of reorganizcd production and mar.
keting, it is finding its true strength
and possibilities as producer of
food for the nation. ''' <''
North Dakota's' recovery from the
situation following the war is due
partly to the higher prices and high
er yields of wheat and other grain
seed crops, in Doctor Coulter's opin-
ion. But while more money was be-
ing received by the farmer for his
crops he was spending less because
the average farmer was producing
more Of the supplies for the family
as we'll as getting receipts from the
sale of eggs, poultry, dairy products,
honey and bees, meat, wool, pota-
toes, vegetables and fruits.
This is an indirect way of mar
keting corn. oats and barley, alfalfa,
clover and other forage crops.
Another reason for the states re-
covery is the more balanced produc-
tion, according to DR.. Coulter, which
has resulted in decrease in the
wheat acreage and an increase in the
acreage Of feed and forage crops.
Decreased Wheat Acreage
''Of prime Importance in agricul-
ture's. recovery is the fact that in
the United States the farmers have
decreased their wheat acreage from
almost 76 million acres in 1919 to
less than 54 million in 1924, de-
crease of almost 22 million acres" "
explains the president. Assuming
in series of years an average yield
per acre Of Is bushels for the Unit
ed States as whole, this meant a
decrease in the world supply for
1924 as compared to 1919 of about
$50 million bushels.
"Another important fact was the
rapid redevelopment of effective
world demand through reestablish-
ment of international credits and
settlement of reparations. This re-
adjustment Of supply and demand
brought about better prices-an ad-
vance in North Dakota of from 40
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