A LESSON IN OPTIMISM
ABOUT nine o'clock the day following Percy's arrival in Washington
he sent his card into the office of the Secretary of Agriculture.
"Just step this way," said the boy on his return. "The Secretary
will see you at once."
A gentleman who appeared to be sixty, but was really several years
older, arose from his desk and greeted Percy very kindly.
"I see you are from Illinois, Mr. Johnston. I am an Iowa man myself,
and I am always glad to see any one from the corn belt. Do you know
we are going to beat the records this year? It is wonderful what
crops we grow in this country, and they are getting better every
year. We are growing more than two-thirds of the entire corn crop of
the globe, right here in these United States. Yes, Sir, and we are
just beginning to grow corn; and corn is only one of our important
agricultural products. Do you know that eighty-six per cent. of all
the raw materials used in all the manufactured products of this
country come from the farms of the United States; yes, Sir,
eighty-six per cent.
"Now, what can I do for you? I am very glad you called, and I will
be glad to serve you in any way you desire. By the way, how is the
corn turning out in your part of Illinois? Bumper crop, I have no
doubt."
"I think so," said Percy, "after seeing the crops here in the East.
"That's what I thought," continued the Secretary." A bumper crop,
the biggest we ever raised. Oh, they don't know how to raise corn
here in the East. They just grow corn, corn, corn, year after year;
and that will get any land out of fix. I found that out years ago in
Iowa. I am a farmer myself, as I suppose you know. I found you
couldn't grow corn on the same land all the time. But just rotate
the crops; put clover in the rotation; and then your ground will
make corn again, as good as ever."
"But I understand that clover refuses to grow on most of this
eastern land," said Percy.
"Oh, nonsense. They don't sow it. I tell you they don't sow it, and
they don't know how to raise it. It takes a little manure sometimes
to start it, but it will grow all right if they would only give it
half a chance. Why, for years the Iowa farmers said blue grass
wouldn't grow in Iowa. Yes, Sir, they just knew it wouldn't grow
there; and then I showed them that blue grass was actually growing
in Iowa,--actually growing along the roadsides almost
everywhere,--blue grass that would pasture a steer to the acre--just
came in of itself without being seeded. No, I tell you they don't
sow clover down here. They just say it won't grow and keep right on
planting corn, corn, corn, until the corn crop amounts to nothing,
and then they let the land grow up in brush."
"Now, I do not wish to take up more of your time," said Percy, "for
I know how busy a man you must be, but I am thinking of buying a
farm, or some land, here in the East and have come to you for
information. We have a small farm in Illinois and land is rather too
high-priced there to think of buying more; but I thought I could
sell at a good price, and buy a much larger farm here in the East
with part of the money and still have enough left to build it up
with; and, with the high price of all kinds of farm produce here, we
ought to make it pay."
"You can do it," said the Secretary. "No doubt of it. Any land that
ever was any good is all right yet if you'll grow clover, and you
can start that with a little manure if you need it. I have done it
in Iowa, and I know what I am talking about.
"Now my Bureau of Soils can give you just the information you want.
We are making a soil survey of the United States, and we have soil
maps of several counties right here in Maryland. You can take that
map and pick out any kind of land you want,--upland or bottom
land,--sandy soil, clay soil, loam, silt loam, or anything you
want."