Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-01-24
PRESIDENTS
Read by Jas. N. Smith before the
Farmers Institute.

NNN IlSbt
farmers:
We are to be congratulated on the
increasing interest taken in the Farm
ers Institute.
The Institute was started but a few
years ago by u few of the farmers of
this agricultural county, and has
steadily grown to what it now is. But
what it shall be lies at your hands.
Through the Institute we became
acquainted with each other. 1t is one
OF the highest of human inspirations
to be known, honored and trusted by
our fellow-men, and know that they
are willing to take us for what we are.
You can not come up to your own
ideal but it helps you wonderfully to
help others. Come and help US at
Institute time, it will do you good and
l will warrant you will all know more
when it is over.
Thls county is worth getting ac-
qua nted with Any man of common
Intelligence can see that Howard
county is coming to the front. Come
to Cresco on Saturday and see the
farmers from far and near, buying,
not only the necessities of life but the
luxuries as well.
This has been d great year; good
crops, good prices, good weather,
good health and q good Institute.
New. l. f re ia the history of this
county has there been such an awak.
ening of intellectual farming as at the
present time. Agriculturlsts are a
necessity. All things come from the
farm. Our bread and butter come
from the farm. The meat, the clothes
we wear come mostly from the sheep
on the farm And the State Dairy
Commissioners comes from a Howard
county farm.
We are just beginning to feel as a
people that agriculture is an intellect
ual as well as a manual pursuit, that
from the humblest tenant to the big
gest ranchman progress and profit de-
pend on a mental understanding of
the principles involved.
We must put our intellect into the
work. Some men are all intellect, no
work. others are all work and no in
%tellect. But the farmer must combine
the two qualities.
The DAYS are gone by when we
could pillow with a crooked stick and
pnlveriEe the fields with a brush drag.
Great improvements have been made
for the farmer. 1t now takes a better
man to successfully operate a farm
up-to-date than it does any other
business. What was once done by
main strength and awkwardness, is
now done by simply rolling the wheel
or pressing the button.
The farmer who makes the best of
it to-day is the one who can most in
telligentlv press the button. One of
the great mistakes that comes before
my mind, is not maintaining the fer
tility of the soil. That is one of the
great questions to come before the
Institute some day. May be we are
not ready for it vet, but we will be
some time.
The farmer Is going through a great
evolution at the present time, and
how to make capital and circum-
stances keep center is the problem to
be solved. No man touches the me-
cessities of others more than.the farm
er. for he must feed them all.
The farmer has vainly tried to con
troll prices of bis products. But this,
it seems can not be done. We must
look to another source. He must re-
dnce the cost of production to the
lowest possible amount. Make one
acre produce as much as two used
to; do N ore work with the same ex-
pense to keep pace with things of to-
day. It costs more to live, to educate
a family and be a man among men
than it did our fathers forty wears
ago, and still we get a smaller price
for hogs than they did. We must les.
ser the cost of production at every
poing. We must think more and
work the same. We must get all the
benefit from the Farmers Institute
we can and be willing to do all in our
power to help educate the farmer.
Or. Bulls Cough Syrup cures
coughs and colds. Don't go to church
or public meeting and disturb. the