Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-12-16
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
EDUCATION FOR FARMERS.
The Southern Farmer Must be Educated II
He Would Keep Up with the
March OF Progress.

March OF Progress.
Perhaps very few persons woule
deny, in so many words, that farmer.
should be educated. But is is equal,
true that very many farmers do no,
actually realize the TACT that unless
our southern farmers are better edu
Gated, they will soon suffer far more
than they are now doing.
So rapid do changes come, and SC
radical are the changes demanded
that we get behind before we are
aware of it.
Science has done so much to i'm
prove the methods of agriculture, and
the experiment stations and farms
have proven so many of our old ways
to be wrong in theory and hurtful in
practice, that farming is not what it
was in ante-bellum days.
Our Ignorance has caused us to sd-
here to lines of policy which have
brought great losss. One of the great
est evils resulting from want of bet
ter education is the opposition to CO.
opration or organization. Without
these 1t is impossible for farmers to
keep abreast with other professions.
Had we been thoroughly organized
we would not now be producing such
enormous quantities of cotton, nor
would be buying so many articles that
we can produce ourselves. Better in
formation, thorough organization,
would have taught us the folly of
growing cotton to sell at five cents.
and buying hay at SIS per ton. The
cotton costs all of five cents. often
more, and leaves no margin for prof
IT'S but often sure margin for losses.
The hay can be produced for five dol
lars per ton, sometimes less.
We need better agricultural educa-
ton, not simply that we NAV be
taught how to produce cotton cheaper.
put that we may be taught the folly
OF selling cotton at five cents. 1t
would be far more sensible to keep
the cotton we now have and not plant
any more until cotton sold for profit
Southern climate and soil are wonder
fully adapted to produce cotton, but
they are also adapted to grow MANY
other crops that are necessary for our
comfort and at the same time profit
able to sell.
Proper education would have taught
us the Importance Of increasing the
value OF our cotton before we sell II
end consequently we would have built
factories and sold the world thread and
cloth instead of lint. This would have
been the easier and surer. because
proper education would have TAUGHT
our boys how to build and euuip fac
tories and our girls how to run them.
II we were prepared to spin even one
half of the present cotton crop, we
would be in condition to set the |
price upon the remaining half. instead
Of asking others to price and take all
Of It,
Again, proper education would not
nbly increase our material prosperity.
but it would give us more self-respect
md demand more respect from others.
humanity admires intellect. Brains
sill rule. That profession which num-
oers the highest per cent. of educated
ren in its ranks will be the most in
luential.
Lawyers hold a disproportionate
lumber of the highest positions be-
'ause they are the best educated. And
hey are better educated because thew
re lifetime students.
Again, IT is not simply education in
he common acceptation, but special
echnical education the farmers need.
They need to know about their own
BUSINESS. How to produce, what to
produce, how to sell it, when and
'here to sell. How to invest their
rofits is very important line of edu-
alton for them. 1t has long been the
ustom for other people to handle and
lvest the farmers profits. This ought
OF to be so. Instead of building rail
oads, cities, banks and such like. thev
hould build up better houses and i'm
roved farms.
These are some of the many reasons .,
'hy farmers should be better edu-
nted as class. Very many other
easons might be given, and these rea-
ons might be much enlarged upon .
nd illustrated. But our object was to
I'll attention and possibly to provoke a.,
Iscussion.--Prof. James B. Hunni-
itt, in Southern Cultivator. =