Mexico weekly ledger., 1893-05-18

culture is entitled to. To go backto
the old ways, to dispense with man
ufacturing, to depopulate cities would
bring ruin to millions and relegate
them to farnsand agricultural COM
petition. To do this, were it possible,
would be suicidal, but it cannot and
ought not to be done. The mistakes
that have been made are two fold
and characteristic of American pop
ulations. The building of cities and
the establishment of manufactures
were in the right direction. Their
tendency vas to create a home mar
ket for agricultural product and les
sen the number and competition OF
farmers, but they have been pushed
too rapidly and too far. There are
more people in our large cities than
can find employment and our man
ufactures have been protected until
they have become a burden to all
that consume their commodities.
What then can be done? This ques-
ton may be most readily answered
by asking another: What can
farmers most easily and readily do?
There must be tariff reform. The
protection of manufacturing must he
abandoned. Interference with the
marketable values of agricultural
products must be stopped and for
eign consumption of them encourag-
ed, but none of these can be accom-
plished by farmers without assist
ance and if enforced will not suffice
without great changes in their habits
and methods. What farmers can
most easily and readily do is to de-
vote time to making what they
need and less for raising what they
sell. This will diminish necessity
for money and lessen overproduc-
ton. AT the same time it will fur
nish more diversified and interest
ing employment and help to keep
boys on the farm. To assist in
bringing this about more extensive
country education should be provid-
ed. The little school by the way
side with proper books would
be well enough as far as it goes,
but there ought to be connect
ed with it instruction in the ele-
ments of mechanics, Claws Of mo-
ton and force); geology, (knowl-
edge of the strata, crust and soils of
the earth) chemistry Investigation
of the composition and changes
of substances); botany, (informa-
ton about plants). Such studies
would interest Farmers and their
families and lead them to investi-
gate their surroundings, the land
they occupy, the changes it has
undergone, the crops they raise and
the character Of the nourishment
they require. The lot about the
little school by the way-side should
be enlarged and room made for the
application of all that is taught there.
In addition to what has been mem
toned there ought to be training in
the use of tools, instruction in car
%pentening and blacksmithing and in
the construction and management
of engines and machinery. Few
farmers understand the principles
that underlie the renovation of soils,
the growth of crops or the constrlc-
ton of the implements they use or
HK upiC ~ tidIS Tue hSiGClS vi II
Binder, mower or thresher or even
an imr1 Ted pillow to their sources
and RENE them, and constantly
40f such ability farm work
is kepack for weeks .alting
for somstbAg to be constructed III
a distant city, that with proper
knowledge might be made at home
in a few hours at half its cost.
There are institutions some of which
are sustained by public means
adapted to the needs of farmers
sons and combining practice with
instruction in the use of tools and
education in the elementary knowl-
edge essential to the highest agricul-
tural success, but few farmers send
their children to them or indeed are