Show DILEMMA farmers shun eil E expansion il F ancion m in wartime i but they hear be prepared 9 barnin warning g GEORGE E BRADFORD used d by western newspaper U anlon anton ZA GO what will t the he tar do to american agri 1 re 4 at question has been h deith with growing insist bever ever since adolf hillers Hit lers iclal legions went blitz d ailing i ing into poland repeal i 1 e arms embargo brought t farther into the foreground ithe extent to which americas reservoir eser voir of foods and abers is 5 las as become becom a matter of close n n to everyone ne on or or near a H e fairly definite answers have ed I 1 but each is conditioned by e if if if the european war ion ilithe the war will create a rising ea egand and at home for american km it products with an up upward ward e level level jt it will increase the demand i a abroad b r a d S it will likely fikely bring a rise ind values 15 A stimulating impact on in r will soon be felt on the farm fraties ties believe already men et turning returning to work steel pr pron is rising dividends are aie in oil ng 9 stocks and co commodities odit es ling up americans will ill soon s ore acre and eat more because eca have more money to spend cereals fats meats and wool ul ill be needed and at higher levels cant hold two jobs s look at europe despite record breaking worlds wheat 1 bushels exclusive asia and china every month ar lasts will diminish Eu ropes supplies su p p h s men under arms 7 atil till 1 t the he soil whether neutrals or combatants isider der too that there are 00 more mouths to feed in pe e today than during the world I 1 atom which we recall the fol 9 production figures 1917 wheat and other cereals li 7 at 35 per cent below normal bushels that year amt 41 fe 0 1 4 4 vf 6 e V T tate tJ te 0 o ot A vilt so igie afe ua ji V g k r 7 X MIN f gex 4 inyo t c isy i s y ia it d al 51 es bt S sri S ri tr ieli a foodstuffs aher top mrea sWa american farmers planted acres to care for americas needs and those of europe it was 22 per cent more than the previous 10 year average of acres if the present war drags on europe must turn for replacements of bread meat potatoes potato esq woolens and butter to the united states the various british dominions and south america will prices go up the third factor especially interesting to farm owners or investors is the prospect of higher land values S M waters president of the mortgage bankers association has this to say the man who owns a farm today undoubtedly has something more valuable than it was three months ago the european conflict may have the most far reaching effects for owners of farm property nobody wants to profit by human misery least of all the american farmer but war peace or neutrality he has a stake in the present situation and if he does some straight thinking he can be stronger at the wars e end nd than he was at its start chester davis agricultures agri cultures representative res enta tive on the federal reserve board urged farmers to keep their shirts s on think intelligently and work together thus moving out of the war into an improved position stress soil conservation by keeping his shirt on mr davis meant the farmer should avoid and nd the pitfall of too easy profits that later may turn to losses the world war taught aught that lesson and it is highly significant significant that next years AAA program aims to place more emphasis on soil conservation than on crop control probably the most practical move the farmer can make say the experts is to take stock of his lands fertility for if agriculture is called on to step up production as a result of the war this will be of m major a jor importance how does the fertility score stand of tillable farm acres have been completely ruined according to the soil conservation service an additional are serious seriously ly damaged and a lot more has suffered a marked decline in fertility causes were erosion failure to replace necessary plant food removed year after year by growing s soil 0 I 1 leaching drain of live stock raising oxidation of soil organic matter and by fire the total annual fertility loss to american farm land is tons of nitrogen tons of phosphorus and tons of potash it is hf estimated be prepared P whether war or peace prevails PP says the middle west soil improvement committee the necessity for an ever increasing program of soil conservation is indicated by the fact that fertilizers and manures are believed to restore only 18 per ier cent of the annual nitrogen loss and about 68 per cent of the potash loss restoration from other sources reduces the annual net loss to tons of nitrogen approximately tons of phosphorus and more than tons of potash agriculture here has one advantage in the matter of fertilizers that it enjoy at the outbreak of the world war then we were almost entirely dependent on germany for potash and chile for natural nitrates today thanks to science and american industry we are ir independent and will continue so when the american farmer hears the be prepared signal to get his land ready for any eventuality he knows it can be done |