Evening star., 1931-06-21
by H, H. SHELDON.

Professor of Physics. New York University.
The 3,000-acre farm, or agricultural
laboratory" as it has been called, which
Henry Ford has put into operation this
year in Jenawee County, Mich. Is per-
hApS one Of the most important agri-
cultural experiments of recent years.
Let me hasten to say. however. that its
importance does not lie in its novelty,
as some seem to think. but chiefly in
the fact that Henry Ford Is doing 1t.
That means that the public will watch
1t much more closely than 1t has the
dozens of other similar attempts to run
farms on corporation basis. 1t means
that the public generally will be In
formed as to the possibilities OF cor
poration farming.
The idea is not new, as has been said.
Large scale farming has been carried
on in this country for wears. both by
corporations and By individuals. It is
also we'll known that much of the land
in Russia has been stripped of its fences
so that tractors may operate labor-sav-
ing machinery over large areas. Never
theless. Mr.. Fords experiment does in
clude some elements of novelty.
The idea Of a minimum wage Of IS
for an eight-hour day will certainly
strike the old guard amongst the farm
ers as most revolutionary. 1t seems
reasonable to expect that such a wage
can be paid on such farm and profit
still be shown. It has been shown. for
example. that labor-saving machinery
in the rubber industry can successfully
compete against native labor at 10 or
IL cents day.
Novel Features.
The other novel features of Mr.
Ford's plan are the introduction OF q
chemical laboratory to study the prob
lem Of farm waste and the building of
textile plant to utilize the time of
his employees during the Winter
months. Both Of these things are i'm
portant introduction into the farm
picture. The farmer can no longer
turn his Winters into profit by getting
out his own f1rewood and by hauling
logs from his property to the sawmill
to be cut into Salable lumber.
suppose, now, that Mr.. Ford shows
that profit can be made in corpora
tion farming. There is every reason to
suppose that he will, as others have
already done. But if Mr.. Ford does, a
tremendous impetus will be given to
the idea. We may expect thousands of
small farmers. in addition to the vast
number already squeezed out by labor
saving machines, to find themselves in
position in which they can no longer
make a living. Farms are constantly
being abandoned at the present tims
We may expect an increase in the rate
at which acres are thrown idle The
present abandonment of land is largely
due to the tractor, which does not eat
hay or oats, and to labor-sa ma
chinery. The corporation will take its
share Of scalps.
Tale Of the Boil WeeviI.
This may sound like dismal picture
from the point of view of the now
Independent farmer. But he has hope
If he does not delay too long-if he
does not wait until the sheriff is at his
door. Perhaps you may recall the tre-
mendouS howl that the boil weevil
produced in the South. As its ravages
spread from field to field farmers saw
themselves ruined. Now the boil weevil
Is recognized as having been great
benefactor. It forced the farmers to
abandon cotton, to some extent, and
sense, removed themselves. from a
money basis and put themselves on an
Independent basis. Instead of selling
their crops for money and using this to
purchase their needs. they used their
land to supply the ma ajority of their
wants directly. They have erected
monuments to the boil weevil as an
expression Of sincere appreciation.
Perhaps some day independent farm
ers may erect monuments to the man
who first thought of forming a cor
poration to operate a farm. It may
force them to put themselves on self
sustaining basis. Is this possible? One
OF the happiest and leisureiy living in
dividuals the author ever knew made
his living from farm OF about so