The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-04-09

devoted to grazing In the first step
OF a long-rsnge program for agri-
cultural self-sutficiency
Last June. when. in the words OF
DR.. Ernst Feisst, director OF the
Federal Economic departments az.
rieultural division, switIerlAnd's
western and southern gates closed
with a bang" 100000 hungry peo-
Pile woke up TO the fact that ewit
Eerland In recent peacetime years
had devoted almost one-quarter Of
It's annual imports averaging $780,
10000 to foodstuffs. At the same
time came the sudden realization
that should Switzerland be forced
TO fight . war. It's frontiers could be
100 per cent Theoretically sealed.
Switzerland always has stressed
dairying because OF the favorable
export market for cheeses, TO such
an extent. In fact that until No
vember. 1910. II even imported but
ter from Denmark 10 be able to de
vote more OF the dairy industry's
milk to cheese production. Cheese
still Is unrationed In Switzerland,
and forms a major item OF exports
to Germany. But butter. since the
Danish imports have been stopped,
Is on the restricted list.
Must Double Civilizations
As a result OF this emphasis on
dairying. barely more than five per
cent OF SwitEerland's 10000, 200
acres have been under cultivation.
whereas Federal authorities esti'
mate that agricultural selt'uuffi.
cheney will require cultivation OF
more than twica- the present area.
Much OF the land already farmed
has been brought under cultiva'
ton by terracing and contour.
blowing on the lower slopes OF
mountains, with the farms climbing
up TO the point where the slope pre-
vents use for anything but grasing.
But II tho nation 10 TO be self
sufficient. farming must be more
vertical than ever.
The current situation and future
plans are statistically broken down
in a pamphlet by Or. T. T. Wshlen,
chief OF theI section for agricultur'
al production OF the War Foods
Office. Without the increase or
dered for this year, Switzerland has
SIS. $50 acres under cultivation.
while another 2.l39,999 acres are
in grass or pasturage. This total
In DR.. Wahlen's chart represents
100 per cent OF SwitEerland's agri-
cultural potential. with little conf
dence being placed In utilizing sub.
marginal or other land now idle.
Due largely to the sharp up and
down OF Switzerland's terrain. II
is estimated that the country is
about 20 per cent wasteland, FL
per cent forests, and five per cent
urban. From little more than half
OF its area, therefore, Switzerland
must feed itself.
Pasturaoe To Be sIashed
Wahlen's plan Is to cut the pas
ture and grassland sharply, and
Herewith the dairy industry, from
the 77.5 per cent OF arabic land It
now represents to b3.7 per cent.
Land under cultivation at the same
time will be increased to 1,246,SS5
acres or 1853 per cent. The odd num-
Der OF acres has been calculated by
figuring the amount OF various
grains, vegetables, ETC., required to
feed the population. and the acre
age needed to grow that amount un'
der present or potential acreage
yields.
DR.. Feisst estimates that putting
this new land into bread-grains,
fodder-grains and vegetables will
require an additional 10000 farm
hands this year for preparation OF
the land alone. II Is understood that
the army to some extent will re-
lieve agricultural workers now mo-
bilized in the spring. and II is be-
lieved that some OF the Polish In
ternees may be used. Also contem.
plated. but further from realization
at present, are plans for = COM
pulsory "farm-year" for Swiss boys
and girls in line with the industrial
conscription law OF 1893.
II is admitted that even when or
II this plan is completed the stand.
ard OF living will be lower than
SwitEerland's current high plane.
The daily ration OF bread, made OF
flour. 10 per cent potato flour,
would only be about $50 grams, but
to the Swiss, currently living on re-
serves accumulated before the
French collapse, and Italy entry
into the war. that still seems
! pleasant prospect In June. DR..