The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-09-28
The Automobile CultivatOr.

Read before the Allen County Horticul
tural Society August TO- 1907
The question we are to discnss to-
day, though not strictly horticultural,
but farming and horticulture alike
having the consideration and culture
of the soil, what arguments we can
produce for one will apply to either.
The things that most concern us in
this life seem to be food and clothing,
to obtain which we are required to
labor continuously tokeepthe requisite
amount for daily use and consump-
tion aud II possible a surplus to use
at such times aswe are not able to la
Dor. The problem to solve then is
what shall we do to supply our wants,
with the least sacrifice of health, and
the shortest number of hours labor,
and the smallest amount of physical
discomfort. A celebrated English
writer states "that education should be
such as would render us the greatest
amount Of happiness. And shows in
very forcible manner that happiness
consists OF happy physical develop
ment, and the temperate use of health
and strength in the daily routine of
life.
A scientific education based on the
art, or arts of the occupation we wish
TO adopt, as our life work should be
our education, If l expect to become
farmer, and achieve reasonable
success must learn by an apprentice
ship, or by college course all the
details and methods necessary to select
and prepare the ground, to plant and
cultivate, to gather and market the
crop, and many otherthings necessary
to insure success. Can / notl earnthis
from a teBcher who strivesto excel in
his vocation much easier and bette"
than to learn on the farm under boss
whose chief aim is the greatest amount
of labor he can get me to do. | think
by all means the rudimeuts of agricul-
ture and the mechanic arts should be
taught in the primary and common
schools. "A great many farmers would
ask; What do you want with mechanic
arts, on the farm? To such | would
answer, that the time is near at hand
when the farmer will have to cease his
incessant toll from morning until night,
he should have time to rest time to
study, and his work done without so
much discomfort, makes him a much
happier individual. To gain this the
genius of the American people is in
venting, the mechanic is building ma
chimes. Ma ny farmers ] know can be
considered master mechanics when
they can take apart and repair the
steam thresher, the moving machine,
the selfbinder and other rfarmmachinery
almost as complicated as awar vessel.
How long think you, will it be, in the
newer age that is rapidly dawning
upon us when all these farmer me-
chanics will engineer their farms to
much better advantage than they now
do?
In France they are before us in all
practical things that bring us comfort.
They have already pleasure carriages,
cabs, omnibuses, dray wagons, milk
wagons and many other kinds by
steam, by the electric current, COM
pressed air, etc. The highways in |
France are hundreds of years older
and better than our western roads,
which is the principal reason they are
so much in advance of US. Our me-
chanics are improving and cheapening
and in a very few years a motor
capable of doing all the farm work
will cost no more than a team of |
horses and lasting many times longer
and not costing one-fourth the amount
for maintenance. We have the far
ner mechanic already that is not
afraid to break it to ride and more
md better ones growing up in our