The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-08-09
Scientific Farming.

achieve moderate degree of success,
IN one OF the callings named. O
course the moment the experiment. il
tried it is discovered that it take:
something more than muscle to be
come a farmer, that is a successful
one.
1t requires experience and intelI
gence as well as the ability to do :
vast amount of physical work. Thi
truth has been recognized within tn,
last ten or twenty years by class o
men who appreciate the true dignity
OF tllling the soil and who have studied
to induce dame nature to yield the
greatest returns for the labor expend
ed.
Labor is always productive in pro
portion to the intelligence used in di
rectlng 1T. One man may work f1or-
sun rise to sun down during the sum
mer months in the frantic effort tc
make his farm pay and not accomplish
much, while another man on land o.
the same quality and with the same
kind of tools will expend perhaps hall
as much time in actual labor and vet
produce much better results. The
difference is in the methods employed
One "knows how" aud the other
does not.
The one who knows gained his
knowledge by observing the results of
experiments with different kinds of
grains and farm products and by read
ing books and papers devoted to scien-
tific farming. He also reads papers
that keep him informed on the general
conditions of the market so he will
know what it will pay him to raise
He avoids the cuts so prevalent among
farmers and in consequence is able to
get along and be prosperous without
working himself to death.
The same opportunities to know are
within reach of the other man who
does not know. He can experiment
read, reason and apply his knowledge
to the same end as the neighbOr who
has already gained profit therefrom
Years ago man named Smith own
ed several hundred acres of land in the
Chehalis valley, which he developed
and sold for a good price. His expert
ments and "queer" way Of farming
occasioned much comment among the
farmers of the neighborhood, many OF
whom followed ia the beaten path of
hitting things a lick now and then
and letting them practically take care
of themselves Smith operated a reg
ular experiment station Of his own
and seemed to know exactly how tC
catch the market He mixed brains
with the soil, and OF course, he had a
good harvest and made plenty oil
money. Farming. affords great OPP
portunity for a practical knowledge.
It's pity so many young men esteem
it disgrace to cultivate the soil after
they have received collegiate or uni
versity education. Agriculture was
the glory of Rome at one time in the
history of that nation, and some OF
the leading statesmen did not regard
it disgracefui to return to the plow
after spending some time in consider
ating the affairs of state.
The tendency of the times show
such strong movement toward cities
and a yearning ambition to go into
business or enter a professional life
that the economists fear the strength
of the nation will be greatly impaired
bv the withdrawal from the farming
districts of the best class OF material
Writers on economies and kindred
subjects advance the opinion that the
solution of many of the social ques-
tions that are vexing thinkers will de-
pend on turning the tide in the direc-
ton of agricultural pursuits. How
this is going to be accomplished is not
set forth. 1t is possible, however, to
do much in this direction by ralslE
farming to the dignity of scientific
calling and thus remove the sting IN
volved in being looked upon as q
"plug," which seems to be fear that
baunts the farmers sons and others so
we'll as soon as they get little book
learning. All reasonable men realize
that agriculture is the great founda-
tion of business and commerce. Ii
has true dignity that is far more
lasting than fieeting and uncertain
fame of professional life. True, 1t Il
composed largely of physical work
but there are few men who Will oDlec'
to toll if they can realize adequate re-
turns. Farming can be made to ylelo
satisfactory results If the business Is
studied with the same application thai
a man would would study law or medi
cine. Thousands of men all over the
country are studying scientific iarm-
ing and the number is increasing
yearly. They realize that IN THESE