St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-12-10
FARMER AND DPLANTER.
EDUCATION FOR FARMERS.

EDUCATION FOR FARMERS.
rAs ss.sher. Farmer Must bs Educated II
He Moaid Keep W With the
AarcA of rrogrss.
Perhaps very few persons would
deny, in 50 many words, that farmers
snouid be educated. But is is equally
true that very many farmers ao not
actually realize the TACT that unless
our southern farmers are better edu-
Gated, they will soo.l suffer far more
than they are now doing.
So rapid do changes come. and SO
radical are the changes demanded,
that we get behind before we are
aware of il.
Science has done 20 much to inn
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 hurtfal in
practice, that farming is not what 1t
was in ante-bellum days.
Our Ignorance has caused MS to ad-
here to lines of policy which have
brought great losss. One of the great
est evils resulting from a want of bet
ter education is the opposition to CO
opration or organization. Without
these it 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 no 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
its, 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 may be
taught how to produce cotton cheaper,
but that we may be taught the folly
Of selling cotton 1T five cents. 1t
would be far mora sensible to keep
the cotton we now have and not plant
any more until cotton sold for a 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
uE the Importance of increasing the
value of our cotton before we sell it
end consequently we would have bull
factories and sold the world thread anG
cloth instead of lint. This would have
been the easier and surer. because
proper education would have taught
our boys how to build and equip fac
tories and our girls how to run them
If we were prepared to spin even one
half of the present cotton crop. we
would be in q condition to set the
price upon the remaining half. instead
of asking others to price and take al
OF it.
Again, proper education would not
Only increase our material prosperity
but it would give us more self-respeci
and demand more respect from others
Humanity admires intellect. Brains
will rule. That profession which mum
bcrs the highest per cent. of educated
n.en in its ranks will be the most in
fuential.
Lawyers hold a disproportionate
number of the highest positions be.
cause they are the best educated. And
they are better educated because they
are lifetime students.
Again, it is not simply education in
the common acceptation, but special
technical education the farmers need
They need to know about their own
business. How to produce, what tc
| produce, how to sell it, when and
where to sell. How to invest their
profits is very important line of edu
cation for them. 1t has long been the
custom for other people to handle and
invest the farmers profits. This ought
not to be no. Instead of building rail
| reads. cities. banks and such like, they
should build up better houses and inn
proved farms.
These are some of the many reason.
| Why farmers should be better edn
| Gated as a class. Very many othel
reasons might be given, and these rea
sons might be much enlarged upor
and illustrated. But our object was Il
call attention and possibly to provok,
discussion.-Prof. James B. Hunni
cctt, in Southern Cultivator.