Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-08-03
The american Farmer A..

Inc farmer was never before SO
prominent a figure in the United
States. This fact is an the more
1. noteworthy when considered in con-
/. nection with the decreasing proper
ton Of our population living in the
| country, and with the growing int
4 portance Of our city industries as
'4comparcd with agriculture. The ex-
Il planation is to 5c found IN the fact
That the United States has Just reach
cd point Of marked change in agri-
cultural condition.
For more than century the pioneer
y tlrmer has been working his way to-
y ward the west beginning on the At
iantic coast, he cut the forests of New
England exhausted the fair fields Of
Virginia tried and passed by the fer
tile valleys Of central New York,
stopped for time ia the Ohio valley.
completed the conquest of Kansas,
quickly took possession Of Nebraska
and Montana, and now has come face
TO face with the agriculture OF the
Pacific slope
During all this time he has planted
his seed and gathered his crops with
out giving thought to Che destruc-
a ton his methods were bringing upon
the fertility of the soil The cXhaus-
E ton of the soil was Il matter of no
serious import, for 90 linn its only
meaning was m easy move TO new
location. We of to-day see the birth
OF agriculture in the United States
The farming Of the past was aRd-
shimmiag the farming Of the future
m1tsi b. hHd-cuiiurc
That the American farmer should
be the object Of no small degree Of
sOlicitude on the part of the student
Of political economy is not at all
strange when we consider his place in
the great scheme of supply aud de-
mand II cannot be denied when il
comes To the question Of caring for
The needs of the world that those who
are occupied III agricultural pursuits
in the United States hold position
not obtained by farmers IN any other
country. This vantage ground has
been won by the American farmer in
consequence Of the fact that he not
only feeds the people Of his own ma
\ ton, but contributes very materially
Coward the support of the people Of
other countries. One need only to
read the eloquent story told from
time to time by the bureau OF statis-
ties to know Just what our farmer is
doing
But it's not alone ia Che work Of
his hands that the important position
occupied by the farmer is shown.
With the farmer lies the political and
moral destiny Of this republic The
elections al the various states, and Of
the nation itself. arc determined BY
the rural voters 81 Che country. viii
this fountain of the nation morals
continue to be PURGE The condition
Of the spring determines the sweetness
OF the water below Hence, it may
well be a matter for careful thought
, whether the farmer is To retain his
relative Importance among the ma
tiOns of the earth
Certain exceedingly igniIicantly
facts present themselves iii the con-
: sideration of question Foremost
\ among these is the trath that our cities
are constantly reaching out after and
taking - themselves vast numbers
Of men from The country The city
population Is increasing much faster
Than the rural aud in some cases there
was m actual loss On The part Of the
latter And this is not altogether
strange when wc rellec. upon the fact
that man j, by nature q social being,
and that Jpn the city he finds means To
CRAFTY desire III this respect
With these great facts as ground
work for their reasoning some con-
cludc that just In proportion to the
loss in rural population VIII be the
adeterioration morally and intellectu-
Nlly of the country They try to show
hal because some men move away 10
tine city. those who are left viii con-
stitutca class which win not interest
itseli in schools, chdrche or politics.
Is thi dismal outlook warrauted2
Never was there a time when the
church and schooihonsc were nearer
to the farmer than now. Never were
greater proportion I'D orr young
people actively engaged IN school
work In the asst quarter # a ccn-
,ury the number attending college
has doubled and the number attcud-
inc school has boon multiplied b.
Twenty-Five Ihc farmeriS coutribut-
ing his full share 70 this splendid
result
While il IS true that for a time we
have seen falling oil iu the member
ship and finances 81 the rural church
decided reaction has set in aud the
wealth. ol the city IS flowing back to
help the efforts Of those who attend
the weak country churches Although
ma ccusu, can accurately determine
the relative moral strength of the ru-
raj population we d. know that the
home ri good morals + unquestionably
i'm the country Here the family re-
laton is purest and most helpful
Here mcu have more time 90 study
and 90 think There Is the best OF
|, reasons for believing that this Will
continue ~ ht tiNt tNitu-N va ttlht p
The neighborly relations are simple
and natural and when conquest is
entertained aii are conscious of the
sincere hospitality offered aud re-
ceiycd.
What pleasure i, found in the
changing 81 the seasons In the
spring there is The garden % be
planted good. honest, outdoor toll
that braces the nerves. clears the
eye and start the man anew with the
greatest GIFT 81 Tie gods sound health.
Then there is the lighter labor for
fairer hands def pruning Of the
vines and branches. and the care Of
flowers.
In carlier times these farmer girls
would be seen riding a pony over the
plain. guiding the sturdy mount with
as much ease as could her brother
L. mos bor dufv offpntimps To watch