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Show , - - A A ! Letters To The Editor BY J. B. SUMSION Monday evening in the Mormon temple, John A. widtsoe delivered an address to 7,228 men and three women who had assembled from all points of the west, including Canada and Mexico. This great and distinguished scholar, president presi-dent of two universities, wortd traveler, irrigation expert, emin-, ent lecturer, with provoking thought behind his words, fluent in speech,, immigrant under the assistance of an Ogden woman, living with a widowed mother under a dirt roof, struggling upward up-ward as a student of the soil between be-tween which he was reared, made a few distinguishing arid pointed statements which ought to be carefully considered by every farmer, every business man in Utah county, because agriculture plays its roll in the economic welfare wel-fare of this vicinity, producing a stability" which is worthy' of careful attention. In part and in substance said the speaker: A study in agricultural conditions condi-tions had been made in this state. That his study was made with the assistance of the Agricultural college at Logan, the agricultural division of the Brigham Young university, the farm bureau and other agencies which would throw enlightenment on the agricultural problems of Utah. The study revealed re-vealed some startling things Which were somewhat embarrassing to unfold. 1. One-half of the people of the state were engaged in agricultural agricul-tural pursuits. 2. For 25 years there has been no increase in the value of agricultural agri-cultural products. 3. That the indebtedness in the state was six or seven times greater great-er now than it used' to beT 4. All yields of the soil were smaller. . 5. Value of agricultural products prod-ucts not so valuable, (in proportion propor-tion to the acreage). 6. Rotation of crops necessary, even in Idaho on the potato land. 7. Better use of water with a more scientific application. 8. Need of better scientific measuring mea-suring apparatus. Very few know how to measure water. 9. Moderate use of water makes a batter quality of product. 10. Need to extend the area of agricultural lands by better and wider use of Water. 11. A renewed attention to better bet-ter stock. 12. A more careful selection of seed. 13. A better system of grading farm products in order to cap-tuie cap-tuie the markets. 14. The use of storage plants, particularly applicable to the strawberry industry and other perishable foods. (He discussed the modern methods of quick freezing strawberries at a temperature tem-perature of 30-40 degrees which would not destroy the cells of the berries so that when they came forth to meet the demand they would be in as good a condition con-dition as when they were plucked from the field.) 15. An absolute need of applying apply-ing manure, thus keeping up the feritility of the soil. On this point he indicated that 'this state, so rich in phosphate and other commercial com-mercial fertilizers that our agricultural agri-cultural pursuits can go on in an unlimited way through the application appli-cation of these rich deposits. 16. That the people of Utah cannot afford to lose the stability w'hich agricultural pursuits affords. af-fords. The above items are not quotations quota-tions but catches as catch can while the speaker proceeded with his address. |