The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
OUR ABANDONED FARMS"
The Plan of Teaching Agriculture in
Schools Not Approved. "1s
Boston Transcript.

Boston transcript.
The decline of agriculture in the Eastern
States has been for some years a problem
that has staggered not only the farmers
themselves but the political economists as
Wen. one reason given for this has been
our INABILITY to compete in this industry
with the great agricultural States of the
west They have been discounting and
overwhelming our petty delVing around the
stones with their wholesale operations ON
free and fertile tracts where labor saving
processes of all kinds can cheaper the pro-
auction and expand the product. But what
are we to think when the Governor of In
dlana, i'll a recent address before the State
Grange. calls attention to the same move
ment there that has caused so much appre-
hension in New England?
Governor Mount said that right there in
Indiana, comparatively new State, and
until recently almost exclusively an agTi-
cultural State. there We're large tracts of
land which had been exhausted and aban-
dohed. In Clay county alone there were
ten thousand acres, or over fifteen square
miles, given over to waste He thought that
farming could be made more attractive by
teacnlng something of the science in the
puolc schools, and said: II expect to- see
law placed on the statute books of the
state TINS winter which will provide for the
teachlng or the primary principles of agri-
culture IN the public schools
Ihls Will be found a futile experiment
IN ne trouble with our farming East, and
apparently west as We'll is that there is
100 much primary or elementary knowledge
ana not enough that is thorough and ex-
hauSt1Ve. The four years course Of an
agricultural college is none too much tn de-
vote 10 preparation for success in that in
uuSIry, ana even then a year or two with
a Sk1IlfuI practical farmer is as essential
70 the young man who hopes to make of
farming something more and better than
1orly-handed drudgery as it is to the young
doctor to walk the hospitals for wear or
Two But without genuine enthusiasm for
the business even that will not win sue
cess and unfortunately it's conditions are
rot at present such as to arouse this en-
tEusiasm to large extent in the present
generation
The reaction that will benefit agriculture
may come. but 1t seems very slow in start
ing: JEFFERSON wrote THE people will re-
main virtuous as long as agriculture is our
pIlnclpal object, which will be the case
Whlle there remain vacant lands in Amer
ica; When we get piled upon one another
III large cities, as in Europe, we shall be-
come corrupt. as in Europe" Senator
Mltcheu, of Wisconsin, in recent inter-
view In the Milwaukee Sentinel, said: THE
great trouble with this country is that we
are ceaSlng 10 be an agricultural people
everybody IS focking to the cities and over
croWdlng them, while the broad acres that
should support the population are being
neglected. never was so impressed with
tnls ldea as i have been sincoM have traV-
eled so extensively in the far West. If I
were young man 7 would iurD right out
into the country and become a farmer"
Perhaps he would. but the chances would be
against II. The young men are largely
eager for the life and luxury which the farm
does not afford. In their more mature years
its quiet and repOse have more attractions
for them, and they give to it's opportunities
moro lust value.