Browning chief., 1944-04-07

10 nave all OF the 1000 1t wants this
year. On February 7, the National
Live Stock Producers association
warned that despite the rush Of meat
now going to market within a short
period of only 60 days this country
will be practically on famine basis
with respect to the supply of beef"
1t added: "By the end of go days the
pork supply will have shifted from
feast to a famine basis"
Department of agriculture esti-
mates indicate less serious Short
ages, but on the important item of
cheese, which is meat substitute,
decline Of 18 per cent in civilian
consumption is foreseen, and a drop
of % per cent in condensed and
evaporated milk supply is indicated.
2. 1t is also established that q
larger fertilizer supply could in
crease food production greatly, If a
way were found to put the fertilizer
to use on the land.
Difference in Viewpoint
From these premises it might
seem like an easy jump to the con-
clusion that the department Of az
riculture and fertilizer companies
ought to put on a campaign to in
duce farmers to adopt the best mod
ern farming methods. Examination,
however, Of the attitudes of those
who believe this should be done,
and those who do not, reveals broad
grounds for disagreement.
The point Of view of the IVA is
that food needs should be estimated
in the same manner as require
ments for ships, planes, tanks and
guns-on the basis Of what is needed
to win the war. If more food is
needed, and using more fertilizer is
the most economical method OF
growing more food and saving labor,
then we must have more fertilizer
even if the government must pay for
it and distribute it below cost.
The men directing the fertilizer
industry, together with many 9TH
ers, regard the iva as social
istic" experiment which threatens
Independent enterprise. And they
regard in much the same light the
soil conservation program Of the Az
ricultural Adjustment agency, under
which hundreds of thousands of tons
Of fertilizer have been delivered to
farmers in exchange for practicing
soil conservation, which often In
wolves considerable labor.
Furthermore, the industry points
to the steady growth in the use Of
fertilizer in recent years. This year
it is estimated some $4,000, 900 tons
of fertilizer will be consumed in the
United States, compared with 7,548,-
900 tons in 1938-an increase Of So
per cent in five years. This rate OF
increase is just about as fast as
farmers are likely to change their
fertilizing habits, the industry main
tains. And to clinch their argu-
ment they point out that the sale Of
fertilizer has closely followed the
cash income of farmers; and they
don't see the cash income of farm
ers rising much higher.
Critical Materials?
From its point of view, the War
Production board argues that if we
can produce enough food without
building new fertilizer plants, we
shall save critical materials.
The department of agriculture has
different problem. One of its lead
ing agronomists, DR.. Walter C. Low
dermilk, points out that if the mar
ginal land in this country we're re-
tired for pasture and fruit crops,
and just the good land placed under
intensive cultivation, it could then
support a population of more than
300, 100000 persons-some say 45O,-
0O0, 1000.
1t is clear that if the yield of most
of the best land we're to be inAl
creased by one-third, as much of it
could be by application of the best
farming methods, that hundreds OF
thousands of marginal farmers
might become little better than
American peasants, and the farm
ers with best farms, most capital
and greatest initiative would be very
much better off.
When one looks at such problem
through the eyes of government, one
suddenly beholds a political night
mare.
The fertilizer companies, hovev-
er, are moving forward steadily.
They have carried on for years a
campaign to increase the use Of
fertilizer economically. This 80
cialistic" plan that iva has intro
duced, seems unpleasantly "revolu-
tionary" to them.
But we are now faced with a
serious meat shortage, the livestock
men assert Milk and butter may
not be too plentiful.
Even as it is, not all farmers will |
get as much fertilizer as they re-
quest, because Of difficulties in pro-
duction. transportation and labor.