Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-09-09
THE ADVENT OF REFORM.
1t Would Come with His Induction
Into Office.


II don't deny it" said the expensive
ly dressed young man. I'm like all
The rest. ! want an appointment. I've
come to claim my reward for the serv-
ices rendered in the election"
did you help much?" inquired the
man at the door Of the agricultural dc
/ partment, in doubtful tone.
u contributed seven dollars to the
campaign fund. ! had been rejected
by three or four clubs previously, and
when a man came around and offered
/ TO propose me for the Mckinley club /
( gave him the seven dollars and told him
to go ahead. That is how / came to DO
IN politics"
81 suppose that what you want is a
place in the diplomatic service"
mo. ! never studied up on dlplo-
macy much. think I shall go into the
agricultural department. 1 know all
about farming. l have prepared my
self especially for that branch of the
government service"
"You don't look it,"
when | made up my mind that
MQh1u GDlilt liGlE anu - si4A 0AtAAb vi
straight TO see a practical farmer whom
l met during my vacation last summer.
He is man of exceptional intelligence.
and seemed to take great pleasure in
giving me information. ! asked him
10 tell me all about farming, and he
stopped in the middle Of his work and
took an hour and a half explaining TO-
To me. He made me tell him what /
wanted the knowledge for. and he made
some very valuable suggestions"
80 you're an prepared 70 start fl
TO reform the department, are you2'
mot all at once But one OF the first
things | will have 10 do is 10 call the at
tention Of the score tary Of agriculture
to a mistake that he made He said
that the farmer Of this country is rails
ing too much corn. As matter Of fact.
corn-raising Is still one Of ourcoming in
dustries, for the reason that smokers
are beginning to get some idea OF
how to get the most enjoyment from
the weed. and the manufacture of corn
cob pipes is inevitably destined TO be
one of the greatest industries of our
continent"
you have a good memory, haven't
you ?" said the auditor, admiringly.
II seldom forget anything that is
really useful was the response. in a
tone Of pride. Zone Of the great faults
Of the agricultural department as pre-
yiously conducted. is that it neglected
to encourage the culture of egg-plants
for the use Of poultry farmers. and it
was the most short-sighted indlf-
ference which now causes the biyalves
in the Chesapeake 10 be starving for
the lack OF a few oyster plants"
Your friend in the country didn't
call your attention to the fact that
good way 70 mend WORKOUT land is to
SOW a patch Of rag-weed ON il, did hep"
queried the Waterman.
"No; but that's a good suggestion,
and I'll make note of IL. He laid great
stress on the fact that, with all these
new electric railroads coming into use.
farmers are so lacking in enterprise as
to totally neglect the cultivation OF
wire grass. You have, of course. OBJ
served how often the farmer is depict
ed as going around with one or both
of his suspenders loose2 What is the
reason of that? The simple circum-
stance that he has never been aroused
to the Importance of raising button
wood trees. What he wants is an ad-
ministration that will stir him up to
realization that patience and precau-
ton must be shown in agriculture, the
same as in any other business. The
day when a man would stick few
seeds in the ground and go away on a
visit to his Relations while they grew
is past. The threatened disappearance |
of our forests is a warning that as civ !
iiization advances the area in which |
things grew wild decreases, and they |
must be tended. The American farm |
er can never hope to succeed If he goes
on neglecting TO raise chick-weed for
the chickens. milll-weed for the cows |
and buriock for the birds. Washing |
ton Star.