The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-15

Max Known Aver. us.
Yield Yield
per acre per acre
Wheat 1925 Blu. 14.4 bu.
Oats 2457 bu. 30.4 bu.
Sugar Beets 42.S tons Ill tons
Potatoes 1860 bu. 114.9 bu.
Barley 1928 bu. 24.1 Blu.
Average Montana
Yield per acre
Wheat 1873 bu.
Oats 27.3 bu.
Sugar Beets lob tons
Potatoes 1914 bu
Barley Ill bu.
From the table it can be readily
seen that we are only producing from
1873 to 26.1B or an average of about
1870 of the known maximum produc-
ton for the above named crops.
Montana spuds ~ you know that
"Great Big Baked Potato'-runs an
average yield of 1914 bu. per acre,
which is only S.S percent Of the pos
sible maximum yield. From the stand
point of practical farming it's an easy
thing to dismiss these known maxi
mum yields as just so much 'hi-falutin
hooey'; but if we go a bit further with
the psychologist we find that he
state that it is clearly evident that
we can increase our yields, not to the
maximum of 80 or 80 percent more;
but by 40 or so percent of its present
low average Surely there is nothing
unreasonable about that.
Fine; well, why not? But we run
into other factors at once: such as
there is a Price to pay for fertilizers,
new equipment etc. Also, at the de-
pressed Prices is it profitable to pro
duce such yields; when an abundance
would further depress Prices?
Here we have direct interference
of our Wanted Price System with in
dividual and collective progress. We
farmers are still doomed to put in
man-hours from sun up to shutdown
just because of Price System interior
ence with plain common old horse
sense The advocates of the Price
System are already dumping surplus
products; that is, 1t is surplus under
our present method of distribution |
even though people are going hungry |
and babies are undernourished. On |
one side of the fence we have too |
much and destroy part of it; on the |
other side there are people who are
in actual want; and the fence is called
our Price System. On the side where
we have too much we are finding new
ways to produce more. For instance
our agro-b biologists now tell us that
with the new development OF plant
technology: hydroponics-that an area
the size of the state of Oklahoma de-
voted to this chemical tank farming,
could grow all the plant food neces-
sary for the entire population Of the
North American Continent.
That Great Big Baked Potato we
were talking about would have yield,
under this system, of $500 to 5000
blu. per acre of tank surface. Other
things in like proportion can be done
with this ultra modern plant technol-
ogy. The scientist and technologist
say: Why not?
Abundance of that sort would bring
an end to Value or Price, which are
the very bases of our Price System.
We are yet able to advance loans,
through the government to the pro-
iucer for the abundance we now grow
and lock it up in granaries or destroy
it.; but any such abundance as hydro
ponies makes possible, would just be
90, too much. Besides what would
happen to the poor politician without
my AAA or FSCA, or what have you,
o catch the farm vote; that would
De tough. II
Knowing these things, which the
scientist and technologist have made
possible for us, one can not help but
lsk: When will the farmers of this
Continent awaken to the facts and
tart building the New American agri-
which science and technology
lave made possible? When they do
he Price System and it's partner in