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HOME AKD FARM MAGAZINE SECTION-
Editorial Page of Home and Farm Magazine Section
Timely, Pertinent Comment Upon Men and Affairs, Following-the Trend of World News;
Suggestions of Interest to Readers; Hints Along Lines of Progressive Farm Thought.
TO ADVERTISERS.
Advertisers in tliis locality who wish to
fully covef all sections of Oregon and Wash
ington and a portion of Idaho will apply to
local publishers for rates.
General advertisers may address C. L. Bur
ton, Advertising Manager of Oregon-Washing-ton-Idaho
Farmer, Oregonlan Building, Port
land, Oregon, for rates and information.
TO READERS.
Readers are requested to send letters and
articles for pnblieation to The Editor, Or
egon - Washington Idaho Fanner, Oregoniau
tiuilding, Portland, Oregon.
Discussions on questions and problems
that bear directly on the agricultural, live
stock 'and poultry interests of the Northwest,
and on the uplift and comfort of the farm
home always are welcomed. No letters treat
ing of religion, politics or the European war
re solicited, for the Oregon-Washington-Idaho
Farmer proclaims neutrality on these matters.
Comparatively brief contributions are pre
ferred to long ones. Send us also photo
graphs of your livestock and farm scenes that
you think would be of general interest. We
wish to make this magazine of value to you.
Help us to 4 it.
A GROUNDHOG CASE.
THE groundhog is supposed to come out
of his hole on February 2, and if he
sees his shadow he returns to his hole
and stays there six weeks.
"We've had an overabundance of financial
"groundhogs for the past year and none of
them have waited for the second of Febru
ary to arrive.
They have been in hibernation for twelve
months, only occasionally coming out. Then,
as. soon as they saw the shadow of some
fool's remark that times were hard, they
have immediately gone back into hiberna
tion, to remain as long as possible, and if
they came out again it was only to grab
some poor devil whose finances were in such
bad shape that they could devour him.
February 2 is a good day for all financial
groundhogs to come out of their holes and
stay out.
Times are good and they are getting bet
ter. If you have money in the bank use it.
Buy something you need or something as an
investment.
The Pacific Northwest will not see a sim
ilar time in ten years when conditions will
so warrant the buying of farms, of stock,
and of equipment. It will be a long time
before you will see again the great oppor
tunity for investment presented today.
MACHINERY AND THE FARM.
THE American farmer differs from the
farmer in any other portion of the
world in his extensive use of labor
saving machinery. The development of
American-made machinery, incidental to the
necessities of our agricultural conditions, has
added greatly to the productivity of the soil
the world over; but it is in our own country
that modern machinery has has made possi
ble the present agricultural development.
How, for instance, could all the vast acreage
of the Northwest have been subdued in such
an incredibly short time had it not been for
the machinery which has been invented and
manufactured first in this country and after
ward sold to all parts of the world f
Take away the gang plow, the manure
spreader, the gasoline ensrino, the tractor and
all the countless mechanical aids which do
away with man labor, and how could we
continue our farm output? It is only this
machinery which makes it possible to main
tain our present farm acreage.
It is the scarcity of good farm help at a
reasonable price which has driven the Amer
ican farmer to become an extensive user of
farm machinery. The real settlement of this
country became possible only when ma
chinery permitted the substitution of the
machine forhe man. Human labor makes
possible intensive cultivation of the soil,
machinery makes possible extensive fanning.
In view of the large acreage which he puts
to crop each year, the American farmer is
making quite as good a record in crop pro
duction as is any other farmer. Machinery
makes this possible.
The thing for which every American
farmer should strive is to make himself more
efficient; to show each year greater results
for his labor. For this reason he should
make a constant study of those things which
make for efficiency, and we know of nothing
so valuable in this connection as the modern
machine, whieh takes the place of the human
being or of horse1 flesh, the machine which
will do the work more quickly and more
cheaply. This is the time of year when the
farmer should be thinking of the mechanical
aids which will help him to achieve greater
results from his farm this year. Perhaps it
is the tractor which will enable the utiliza
tion of all the farm acreage. Perhaps it is
the gasoline engine to help do the chores.
Then, again, it may be one of the many me
chanical aids to lighten the burdens of the
home. Now is. the time to figure out the
work to be saved, and you can afford the
machine that helps you extend your energy.
CLIMATE.
CLIMATE is an asset that can readily be
reckoned in dollars and cents. Climate
is often overcapitalized, but its value
should not be underestimated. The Pacific
Northwest is particularly rich in that will-o'-wisp,
yet tangible product. Do not let
our visitors from the East this year go away
without currying with them full realization
of the glorious weather that the Northwest
has to offer.
Certain California cities have overcapi
talized climate. Los Angeles prides herself
upon a climate that can be sidetracked by
many Northwestern cities and towns. In the
Northwest the Summers are never unbear
ably hot, the Winters are seldom too cold.
Yet the Winter air has a sting that sets
cheeks glowing and the blood leaping iu
riotous health.
In the Southland too often the weather
while not unpleasant is merely insipid. God
preserve us from an insipid climate a cli
mate that lacks the self-assertion to be any
thing definite. We want a climate with
contrasts. We want stormy weather that
we may appreciate our clear skies; we want
rain, and snow, and ice, that we may later
revel in green woods, that we will better
love our Springs, our Summers and our Autumns.
A CRITICAL SITUATION.
THE market reports from the stockyards
of Portland and Seattle show there has
been an excessive number of hogs mar
keted since January 1. This is due, no doubt,
to the high price of wheat.
The same condition.prevailed during 1907.
It will be remembered that a number of
buyers went East to secure brood sows the
next year and not only paid excessive prices
for them but a heavy transportation charge
as well.
The same condition, .will soon prevail in
Ihe Pacific Northwest if the fcirmers do not
provide some means of retaining a reason
able supply of brood sows,
Too many farmers depend on wheat alone
as a hog feed. There is no reason why every
farmer cannot raise his own hog feed, such
as alfalfa, corn, peas, etc. He should con
duct his business so he may buy wheat for
feed when the market justifies, but to de
pend on it almost solely is sheer folly.
Retain the brood sows even if it becomes
necessary to borrow the money to do so.
EXPOSITION YEAR.
THE Pacific Coast and the world has
lu-enlooking forward to 1915 with the
expectation of great things doing. It
is the year of, the great expositions. The
enormous sum of $50,000,000 is being spent
on the great one in San Francisco. To most
of us this sum is beyond comprehension, and
to all of us descriptions of what has been ac
complished are of little value. To get any
idea of the greatness of the Panama-Pacific,
one must stand on the hill tops near the
Presidio and look down upon the wonderful
coloring of the world's fair buildings. The
exposition will open on February 20.
The San Diego Exposition opened on the
evening of December 31, or rather at the'
moment of midnight on the morning of Jan
uary 1. Thousands of people from many
parts of the world were there to honor the
opening ceremonies.
The President of the United States, in his
mansion at Washington, pressed the button.
Ills representative, Secretary McAdoo, with
his wife, the President's daughter, was pres
ent and-joined in the opening ceremonies,
which lasted for several days, and report tells
us that at this writing the exhibitors are set
tling flown to the routine of the great expo
sition, which will continue for 12 mouths,
for it will not close until midnight of De
cember 31.
These two great expositions are not to be
compared, for they are along materially dif
ferent lines. San Diego's exposition is more
1he exposition of the West, of the Americas,
than of the world. Its site in Balboa Park
and its architecture and coloring features all
have a touch that is strictly American. In
beauty of setting the world has never seen
anything more perfect, It is not, so near the
blue waters of the ocean as is the Panama
Pacific, whose entire grounds' front along
the great bay and harbor. At San Diego the
harbor is in full view from many parts of
the grounds, though it is several blocks from
the entrance.
See San Francisco's international exposi
tion to appreciate the wonderful advance
ment of the arts and sciences throughout the
world; see the San Diego exposition to view
America at its best.
President Wilson objected to having his
grandson named Woodrow, saying it would
be better for him to develop his own person
ality. Then they named the youngster
Francis, after his father, which leads to a
natural wonder as to what opinio Wtod
row has of his son-in-law.
"Thankfully let it be said that thus far
there has been no National organization of
the children born, in the White House. At'
least it would be exclusive, and that is more
than can be said of many organizations.
Then, in the real estate notes, we glimpse
the fact that Villas in Mexico have few at
tractions for American investors.
, Airships as scouts serve a good purpose,
but as a rule they have failed as destructive
agents.