236 THE GREEN RISING 



"Mr. Fess: The Senator from Idaho is logical. 

 If what they produce costs more than they get out 

 of it, they can not live on nothing/ 



So we find our farm problem reduced to an eco- 

 nomic paradox and its merits to a reductio ad ab- 

 surdum argument. 



An Analysis of the Situation 



But the facts in the agricultural situation cannot 

 be thus disposed of. An analysis of the statistics 

 relating to the farm situation shows clearly that a 

 real problem exists, and that its solution requires 

 constructive action. The briefest summary reveals 

 the existing situation: 



1. The number of farms has decreased from 

 6,448,363 in 1920 to 6,371,627 in 1925, or 1.2 

 per cent. 



2. The number of acres of farms declined from 

 955,884,000 in 1920 to 924,889,000 in 1925. 

 The decrease in the number of farms and ag- 

 gregate farm acreage shows that the number 

 of abandoned farms is increasing. 



3. The total agricultural wealth decreased from 

 $77,924,000,000 in 1920 to $58,568,000,000 in 

 1925. If these figures are corrected to the 

 1913 purchasing power of the dollar, the farm 

 wealth in 1920 was $42,235,000,000 and that 

 of 1925, $37,979,000,000. 



