OCR Text |
Show Last Five Years Are Called "Golden Era" Economists have labeled the' past five years of prosperity enjoyed by the farmers of this country as "the Golden Age of American agriculture". agricul-ture". According to authorities, there have been few, if any, eras which ever approximate in prosperity prosper-ity that of the last five years. It has not touched every farm family equally, but looking at the broader panorama, these years have brought opportunity, dignity, and a heightening self-respect to rural America. This era has been characterized by rising prices, larger production per unit of labor, a phenomenal increase in-crease in crop yields, mechanization of farm operations, application of proved practices based on research, expansion of commercialization and specialization, and last but not least, the remarkable improvement in the farmer's physical plant and standard of living. Economists maintain that never before has there been such a vast application of power to agriculture nor such a rapid advance in knowledge knowl-edge and its acceptance. As for the future, increased application appli-cation of new methods and more machinery will prolong the "golden age". |