Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-02-08
1t is expected that the new we,l-tbe

IL 10 SAPeCtou tudI tue DoW Weii-Lue
deepest in the wolll-which will soon
be completed near Pittsburg, will reach
two miles into the earth. 1t is to be
bored in the interest of science, and is
already more than one mile deep. Both
titles comparatively few feet below the
surface. This gas is now being utilized
for operating the drilling machines.
Professor Hallock, of Columbia college,
believes that temperature of 22S de-
grees will be reached, and that an ample
supply of natural steam will furnish the
cheapest power available to man.
Such supply of free steam Quot "free
silver" but free steam,) coupled with
electricity, may furnish power to charge
all the storage batteries of the world
and they in turn will run all the machin.
cry of the universe. Cheap power means
cheap products.
With the world at such stage of pro-
gross and possibilities for future devel-
opment of power can the farmer expect
to keep up with the procession and 10
compete successfully for share in the
profits of labor unless he too studies the
forces of nature with which he has to
deal and seeks to improve his methods
to reduce the cost of production while
increasing tue quantity and quality and
market value of his products.
If these annual meetings contribute to
this end they are too valuable to be dis
pensed with.
While the earth holds many and won
derful treasures aud forces within its
dark recesses which the skill of man is
fist bringing forth and converting into
wealth the forces aud treasures of the
surface, the soil and atmosphere, and the
vegetable and animal products of the
same. with which the farmer has to deal
far exceed all these even now, and tie
possibilities of their further development
are beyond our present power Of compu-
tation or comprehension.
The farmer of the future who succeeds
will be the boy Of today who ma6es tie
very best preparation possible for hand
liug these forces sklllfully and lntelli-
equity; who makes of himself first man
in moral force and intellect, and also
makes careful study of his business as
farmer and puts his energy and zeal
into his work.
The farmers institutes will help him
to accomplish these things and will pay
him we'll if he will make proper use of
it and what he learns from it. 1t Will
uot pay any one who does not comply
with these conditions.
| In conclusion 1 want to say that gail :
erings of this kind pay in their tendency
to encourage men and women and ii e
boys aud eir.s in the faith that FARMS g
is not the worst business in the world;
but that on the contrary it eau be made
ard is the most important to the welfare
of mankind at large, and the safest to
the people who follow it, and withal is
an honorable business. We need TO get
over the idea at VIC are farming on the
same scale that Adam did after he lost
his title to his homestead in the garden
of q len; viz. that he farmed the rest Of
his life for punishment for having loafed
and llobnobbed with questionable com.
pany instead of tending his ideal farm
where he had everything supplied him
by rich and indulgent father. We
want to farm not for punishment, gong
about everlastlingly grumbling abou,
hard work, long hours and hard times
but for profit, contentment, home and
comfort, and the highest scale of exist
ence possible to man on earth and be
cause VIC love and honor our business.