The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-14
STATE GRANGE SESSION
GOVERNOR GIVES THE FARMERS
SOME EXCELLENT ADVICE.
The Soil Must BE Made Attractive
What Science Has Done
for others.

for others.
The State Grange began It's twenty-eighth
annual meeting in the statchouse yesterday
morning. All the sessions throughout the
day were of a secret nature and the public
was excluded Last night, however, an open
meeting was held and was attended by about
fifty people. There were stereopticon talks
by Professors baltimore and Luten of Pur-
due University, showing the progress of the
work Of agricultural study at the institution.
The main event of the evening, however,
Was an address by Governor Mount, who
began by ccngratulating the grange on its
efforts in the direction of dignfying the
business of agriculture. making the farmers
not simply machines, but thinkers improved
mentally and physically, by contact with
each other at the regular meetings. He
called when he was a guest at dinner
given by a prominent man in this city. A
man who sat beside him engaged him in con-
versation, saying that there must be some
thing wrong with the farms of Indiana, for
in his own county there were fewer men en-
gagged in the business than there had been
forty years ago The Governor then said
OF the State were run down and the young
men who should be working them were
yearly drifting into the cities. One of the
remedies he suggested as a first step toward
retaining the farms now going to waste
was to hold farming up before the world as
one of the greatest of sciences and show to
the young and old farmers what its posi-
bilities arc. He then told of a statement
made TO him by William e. Dodge, of New
York, who drew a painful picture of the
crowded condition of the city, its squalor
and the crying needs of the poor people who
live in the great centers Of population.
An investigation showed that a large pro-
portion of the poor Of the city of New York
came from the country. In showing a rea-
son for this immigration the Governor said
that many of them were driven from the
farms because farming is still going on i'll
the old ruts and when the lands begin to
wear out and lose their productiveness the
ignorant farmer knows not what to do to
better his condition. AS an illustration of
the lack of science displayed by the modern
farmers, the Governor said that he knew
of farms in New England which had been
sold for two-thirds of what it had originally
cost to erect the buildings upon them. Since
the establishment OF departments in other
States where the study of nature and the
science OF agriculture are stimulated among
the young people by the giving out of plants
and seeds there has been a return of in
terest in farms and many old farmers who
have watched and studied the new Ideas say
that mad they been taught those things when
they were young they would not have worp-l
out farms 10 work now. in all countries OF
Europe the government appropriates a suf-
fcient sum of money to have the young
people taught the science of agriculture in
the public schools, ana as a consequence the
countries are becoming more and more pro-
there are 100000 children an France being
educated in the clements of agriculture.
Denmark has also made great strides. Thir-
" years ago Danish butter was considered
abominable by the English buyers, who to-
day esteem it as the best the world pro
duces. Danish bacon is also admitted to
be the best in the world. and the secret Of it
all is in the feeding of the stock for both
butchering and milking. America said the
Governor, with all her vast herds Of cattle
and hogs. cannot produce anything SO fine
as the Danish products and the secret OF
1t all Is that the Danes have in recent years
studied agriculture in its broadest sense.
Continuing. the Governor said: Agriculture
will in time be conceded to be what 1t is in
Iealty-the foundation OF the wealth or the
Nation. Washington and Jefferson both adj
Vocated the establishment Of national uni
versity where agriculture would be taught,
but so far it has not been established.
i was amazed recently to hear farmers
saying that they knew of large tracts of
farming lands in this State which have
been abandoned. l am told that in Clay
county alone there are TO- coo acres given over
to waste. When visiting in Switzerland
county short time ago l found immense
tracts showing utter neglect No attempt
had been made for years to cultivate them,
and they were rapidly returning to their
primitive state. l asked a citizen Of the
county why the land was in such a condi-
ton. and he said it did not pay to work
the land because it had been worn out with
hay crops Years ago the farmers of the
neghborhood found a profitable market for
hay. and without looking into the future
sewed heavily and exhausted the ground.
and now it is barren. 1t is a sad sight to
see land in Indiana given over as Worn out
ground when it was cleared have not yet
begun to rot in the ground. I expect to
see n law placed on the statute books of
the State this winter which will provide for
the teaching Of the primary principles of
agriculture in the public schools. Our
schools cost the people of Indiana about
$10.000000 u year to maintain, but Of this
amount but an infintesmal portion is spent
in tnaoniIlcr nar1inlIltllce :,