The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-18

They are brothers united in one common
cause, and not enemies to procure or re-
joice at the injury of each other.
THE A. AND M. COLLEGE
There has been much disappointment
at the number of students taking the ag-
ricultural course, and that it has con-
stantly diminished until not one tenth of
the students pursue it. The mechanical
departments are crowded with students,
and considering it's age and the funds
available no college in the country has
made greater progress in the advantages
afforded. His Excellency the Governor
recommended to the Legislature to place
the institution in the care of a body of
practical farmers, to-wit, the Board of
Agriculture, with a view to remedying
| this; not, however, with a view to reduce
the number taking the mechanical courses
or in any way to retard that branch, but
| to increase the number in agriculture.
| Professors eminent in their schools have
| been elected, aid and encouragement Of
| fered to the agricultural students and we
| hope to see their number largely in
| creased The cause of the larger number
| of students in mechanics than in agri-
| culture is evident to any one who studies
| the question: viz, the higher wages and
| less onerous duties which are it's reward
| Besides this many parents encourage
| their sons who will not farm to prepare
| themselves for their professions while
| the farmer boy is only thought to need
| a vigorous constitution and Herculean
| muscle; that he will be more benefited
| by the athletic than literary curriculum
| if he were to go to college. The lesser
emoluments with more irksome duties are
| causing most of the boys on the farm who
| can to leave it for other avocations. and
generally by the advice and with the
sanction of the parents; and these pa
rents sympathize greatly with the daugh-
| ter who chooses a farmer as her partner
| for life. This condition can only result in
the removal from the country to the town
of a most desirable population and the
destruction of that greatest product OF
| Anglo Saxon civilization--the old South
ern country homestead, The strength Of
a country is a happy, contented yeoman-
ry, country population of home-owners.
! Produce a condition where no one re-
mains on farm unless tied to it by debt
or mortgage, and that State is beginning
to decay How shall this be prevented?
BY the farmer following the example of
those in other callings, using his mind
as we'll as his muscle, avoiding that which
experience shows to be unremunerative
and pursuing that which remunerates and
endeavoring to make it more SO. The
weaver does not expect his loom to COM
plete but one web of cloth. but it is
handled to finish many others, and when
a machine or arrangement of machinery
| ic IN no a
same or less expense he avals himself of
it. The farmer must do the same. The
college is intended to aid him along this
course of action. The Alliance should give
the trustees and faculty earnest support
take the time and trouble to examine
what is being offered, send your son to
avail himself of it and tell your neigh
boris son about it. Let the brethren
give the college aid and encouragement in
it's effort to occupy the highest plane of
any institution in the country in proyid-
ing practical scientific agricultural knowl-
edge, and let us tender our worthy Gov
ernor our appreciation and thanks for
his efforts to advance the condition of
the farmers.
/ THE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL COL
LEGE FOR GIRLS.
This to the farmers is an important
| institution. 1t prepares our girls for
greater and better usefulness as women,
| wives and mothers. If we will educate
the girls of the State, there will in a
short time be no illiterates recorded in
| the census. While we rejoice in the pros
perity of our State University and other
institutions for higher education, let us
feel no less interest in the academies,
high and primary schools and recognize
| their Importance and benefit and the
/ position they occupy in the education
al system. Most of the useful citizens of
the State are equipped in these
THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
The present law requires that all men,
bers of this board. as well as the COM
missioner, shall be practical farmers. 1t
cannot now be used as the dumping
ground for reward of favorites who are to
be compensated for the sake of the COM
pensation and not appointed on account
of their qualifications to perform the
duties of the position. The board is en-
deavoring to make its work of the highest
benefit to the farmers and is operating
in cattle diseases, injurious insects, soil
survey, test farms and other departments.
It's regulations as to the analysis of fer
| tiliZer endeaYors to protect the farmer
from fraud and to see that he is furnish
ed with goods profitable to use. 1t is
to be regretted that the Legislature did
not enact the recommendations of the
board as to remuneration fer goods sold
which are below the guarantee. The
farmer who purchases fertilizer on a
guarantee is the only person in the State
that cannot have adequate compensation
for failure of seller to deliver an article
as good as the guarantee on which it is
bought. This is a right he should have
and he should see that the person who
represents him in the next Legislature
will guarantee to advocate it. The
members of the Alliance should arrange
for Farmers Institutes in their neighbor-
hood and enter actively into their pro-
ceedings. | earnestly urge them TO visit
the Test Farms and profit by the infor-
nation to be gained there.
TAXATION.
/ When our State government was organ
lied land constituted nearly all the wealth
and was selected to bear the burden of