St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-15
HINTS BY FARMER.
A griculture in the District Schoo
To the Editor of the Weekly Globe.

A Agriculture in the District School.
To the Editor of the Weekly Globe
On meditating on the future of our
agricultural system | have come to the
conclusion that the present must IN
dergo change if we mean to make it a
success. 1t Is apparent that land titled
for the last quarter of century without
any system of rotation, and without re-
turning anything in the way of fertiliZ-
ers wiRere long fail to pay for the Ia
Dor of cultivatiug it. always taking
out of the meal bag and never putting
i'll soon comes to the bottom" / have
often heard old settlers say with a GER
tain degree of pride sthat such and such
a field is broke for the last twenty-five
years and never manured." Such a
system while eXhausting the soil of its
productiveness may have satisfied the
farmer in the past, but will inevitably
prove disastrous to his pecuniary inter
ests in the future.
To remedy this evil system l propose
laying before your invaluable journal
my views. on the matter: and if you
deem them worthy of your attention.
you may give them to the public with
the appropriate remarks.
1t is the opinion of many farmers that
run farm properly: but | hold that
education and brains are as necessary
On the farm as on the platform and pull
pit. 1t is needless to say that unless a
proper system of rotation is maintained
on the farm, it cannot be made to pro-
duce fair crop in the future. Hence
it is that an agricultural education is as
necessary TO the farmer as medicinal
or theological is to doctor or divine.
The young man growing up on the
farm accustomed to the Old-fashioned
ways, and devoid of such an education,
cannot be expected to make model
farmer. with adverse seasons, close
prices and foreign competition to con-
tend against.
Now, l have come to the conclusion
that if a textbook describing in a con-
densed way the different soils, the pro-
ductive qualities of each under certain
systems of rotation, the most feasible
methods of keeping up large farms
where there is not sufficient man ure for
the same, the best seeds to be selected
Suitfng the various soils, the best breeds
OF stock and the most improved methods
of feeding and caring for the same; and
in short, all that is necessary success
full farmer should know, aud the same
taught in our country schools, would
siIdfC I6SullS. IL d udlL oil
hour of each school day were devoted as
described our young men on leaving
school would be more apt to become
successful farmers than if they were to
continue the old style.
Whether the present school law
would permit of such an exercise ]
know not at present, but, if SO, those IN
authority would be deserving public
| merit by inaugurating such a system
| Should, however. the contrary be the
case, our lawmakers could not better
| employ their time than in passing RENE.
| dial agricultural measures. Without
agriculture, what is country? Lest
may be trespassing on your space,
I limit these few remarks for the present
with desire that they may stir up pub
| lie sentiment more or less in favor OF
| the eXpedients suggested.
JAMES DILLON.