THE FOOD CRISIS AND AMERICANISM 13! 



tinually placing before the farmers. These " would- 

 be statesmen " fail to realize that the masses, like chil- 

 dren, are less wanting in comprehension than in ex- 

 pression, and because few protests are heard, assume 

 that their nostrums for agricultural ills are taken with 

 relish; but instead they are engendering discontent in 

 our best farming communities. This discontent was 

 in a degree reflected in the political land-slides during 

 the last three years, not only in North Dakota, but in 

 such States as Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. 



A good farm hand must be " To the manor born," 

 or educated by long experience. He must be wise as 

 to the needs and wants of plant and animal life; must 

 have learned that constant, painstaking care is neces- 

 sary to secure success. To illustrate : Not long since 

 I chanced upon one of these inefficients cultivating 

 corn one of the simplest operations on the farm. 

 He seemed to be doing his best, but by actual count was 

 tearing out and covering up more than one hill in every 

 ten, so that in going once over the field (this should 

 be done four times), he was destroying one-tenth of 

 the corn. As this in no way reduces the capital in- 

 vested, cost of seed, labor, etc., this ten per cent, must 

 be deducted entirely from the farmer's profits. As 

 these seldom amount to ten per cent., that man's labor 

 was a net loss to his employer. 



I am not assuming that these youngsters could not, 

 if they would, in time become efficient farm help, but 

 they go to the farm with no such purpose instead 

 they are moved by patriotic impulse to render tem- 

 porary service to our country in the time of need. To 

 return for even another short season, or to make agri- 



