The Guildsman - No. 11 - Vol. V - A "New Day" for the Farmer?

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Levi

This issue explores how agricultural prospects and industrial chemistry reshape farm life, arguing that “a new day” for farmers comes from new crops, chemical utilization of by-products, and broader market connections. It also challenges optimistic predictions by detailing major annual farm losses from insects, weeds, plant diseases, rats, and other rodents. The article evaluates crop substitution and the displacement effects of engineered industrial uses, especially the soybean’s shifting role across oils, paints, and food products, concluding with the question of how far new crop introductions can go without harm.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

A "New Day" for the Farmer?

Predictions and prospects for farmers

Losses from pests, weeds, and diseases

Chemical utilization and by-products

Crop substitution and the soybean question

The Guildsman Devoted Chiefly to Social Reform 5 A"New Day"for the Farmer?The Priest as Samaritan TodayCo-operative Democracy &the ChurchAn Ignored Point of the Just PriceThe Employer in the Guild The Moral Law as BasisThe Lesson From SpainVocational Youth Organization August,1937 .2020 0自自自自0中U自00电目00004000 010h010市自金0出自0000出Y000轻峰4的M00 000Vig0030001n 111r1个事非事事建静我0事00康事。4 世仁 2分一年一德经一 ToRestoreAll Thingsin Christ 一少一会 G0肆0事事事目并人是f 00事l一自000比0tU03 0夏0X0印目瞳目00D事》h门Y00 事手3i事章0建0自00自ttm The Guildsm an Publisled Monthly,About the 15th,at Germantown,Illinois.Edward A.Koch,Editor and Publisher.Subseription:$1:50 the Year,in Advance.Single Copy,15c No.11 Vol.V. # A"New Day"for the Farmer? By Rev.Jos.Steinhauser,Auburndale,Wisconsin If we are to believe the predictions of agriculture were of little or no valuewriters,the lot of the farmer in theago,but now have considerable value.near future will be one of happiness,The seeds of cotton were at one time aopulence and contentment.A“new day”waste and a nuisance;today,the seedsis to dawn for the farmer,so we areof a billion and a half dollar cotton croptold.a day of great prosperity—of pros-have a value of $200,000,000.And moreperity not caused by public subsidiesthan a hundred commercial uses haveand crop curtailment programs,butbeen developed by the chemist for corn,prosperity brought on by the introduc-ranging from glycerine,used in explos-tion of new kinds of crops and the dis-ives,to carbon-dioxide,used in makingcarding of common farm crops.Writersdry ice.I read a statement recently tohave waxed very enthusiastic over thethe effect that one-tenth of the cornprospects of a revived and enrichedcrop now has the factory as its market.farm population—although they reluct-Wheat straw is now being used to makeantly admit that“we still have a farmcorrugated paper boxes.The new wall-problem so-called”—because factorsboard industry is based on the chemical"that point to the permanent and satis-conversion of farm by-products which,afactory solution of that problem aregeneration ago,were almost worthless.now at work on a widely flung front."This lis;of chemical conversions of farm“We still have crop control.”Mr.Living-products and by-products could be en-stone writes,"by government agency,larged indefinitely.Dr.C.M.Stine,oneand it may well be that some form ofof the leading industrial chemists,says:regulation will enter permanently into"The chemistry of the utilization ofagri-all farm production and use of land;butcultural products and by-products orthe future augurs not a control to cur-wastes is still in its infancy."Other ob-tail but a control to augment."The na-servers see in the future a"factoryture of this control may to some extentstomach”that will consume far morebe political,but the most importantfrom our farmers than all our hungryagencies contacting the farmer in thehuman stomachs together.near future will be the industrial pur-chasing agent,the research chemist andthe agricultural engineer. of rural economists and newspaper to the farmer even only a few years Such predictions sound well;but isthe picture drawn therein true?An en-ormous loss,reaching unbelievable fig-ures,is yearly suffered by our farmersfrom various sources.More than 6,000known species of insects are costingour farmers nearly $2,000,000,000.Los-ses traceable to weeds are estimated at It would be folly to decry the contri-butions made by organic chemistry toagriculture.The chief raw materialswith which the organic chemist worksare organic things that grow from thesoil.In as far as the by-products of agri-culture are utilized therein,the work ofthe organic chemist has been of benefitto the farmer.Many of the by-products $3,000,000,000.Another half-billion canbe charged to plant diseases;and othermillions of dollars damage is done byrat3 and other rodents.The annual loss August,1937 to the farmers from these sources is es-in each of the last two y

FAQs

What is the article’s main claim about a “new day” for the farmer?

It argues that revived and enriched farm prosperity can come from new crop types and the industrial use of agricultural by-products through organic chemistry.

What major sources of annual loss does the article describe for farmers?

It cites extensive damage from insects (thousands of species), weeds, plant diseases, rats and other rodents, totaling immense yearly losses.

How does the article assess the soybean’s role after its introduction?

It explains that soybean oil found industrial uses, but only a small portion served paint while broader shifts displaced other industries and also affected markets for related products like butter fat and lard.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Levi