Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-10-11
WHAT FARMERS NEED MOST.


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WHAT FARMERS NEED MOST.
Generally speaking. all men have
some special individual need that ~
greater than any other In this respect
the farmer Is no exception TO the rest
of mankind but taken as Il class, farm
ers have one great need that is felt by
each and all Of Nv who are trying. to
gain a living from the farm, and that
is wisdom and knowledge to solve the
great problems Of farm life as they
affect our work,
1t has been well said that knowledge
is power This truism holds good In all
the walks Of life but It applies with
more force upon the farm than In most
other places, for the reason that farm
ing as a business now calls for more
than any other one line Of work in life.
Time was, in our grandfathers' days.
when the successful farmer did not
have to meet and control so many con-
ditions as now exist. Then farming
was work. and the farmer was q labor
err now farming is not only work, but
a business and a profession as we'll, and
the farmer Is a laborer. business man
and professional man all in one.
Farming. to be successful writes, E
c. Dow In the New York Tribune FARM
err now calls for so much that ! am
forced TO believe the one great under
lying need at present Is for more
knowledge. There Is the vast field Of
general learning in which the farmer
has. or should have, an equal share
with the rest of mankind, Then there
Is the business knowledge need, which,
to say the least, should be equal to that
of the average business man. In addi-
ton to this Is the great need of know
ing and keeping in touch with the great
scientific advance in farm work In It's
several branches. Life is too short for
one man to acquire all Of this knoWl-
edge. but the successful farmer needs,
and viii need In the future, as great
an amount Of this wisdom as he can OBJ
tain.
We need to know more of the soil, OF
its needs and its possibilities; we need
To understand more about the crops we
grow, their cultivation and care FROM
the seed time until the harvest we
need to learn more, very much more,
about the great and too llttle studied
subject Of fertilization: we need to un-
derstand the laws Of heredity and re-
production I'm both plant and animal
life more about insect pests ana plant
and animal diseases-not only how 10
cure, but, better than that, how to pre-
vent These are some OF the things
which we, as farmers. need TO know,
things which, knowing place us among
the practical. scientific workers and
qualify us 10 stand Well TO the front IN
the ranks Of the great army ~ educat-
ed and scholarly men-a position tnat ls
ours by right, and which, If we fail 10
I'M and take advantage Of, Is through
our own fault and not that OF another
We should lt ourselves for the position
that rightf,ry belongs to us and then
insist on filing the place. The world is
usually willing TO give a man his Just
dues, and It always respects those who
take their rghtful place in the onward
march Of life. II the intelligent world
has any dlsrespect for the farmer.
which / do not believe Il has; II II
looks down upon him as an inferior In
mental. moral and social qualities.
which / do not believe Il does, 1t Is the
farmers fault, and the sooner he learns
that truth and corrects his mistakes
the better for him and the world,
Having touched upon some Of the
reasons why | think our greatest need
Is for more knowledge, ] come now 10
another aspect Of the question 1t Is
what theologians would call its spirit
nal side. believe Il 20 be q feet that
knowledge begets faith. and without
faith high success IL impossible. As
farmers we need more faith In the soil
and it's possibilities; more faith In our
selves and our power to control and
subdue nature--to bend her to our
needs and our good. II is true now
as eyer that faith without works is
dead" but II Is equally true that faith
leads TO effort. The man who has the
knowledge soon acquires the faith to
do. and puts forth the effort; the effort
directed by the knowledge brings sue
cess.
There are special lines Of work IN
farming that prove profitable 10 those
who know how TO push them intelli-
gently, or perhaps II would be as well
to say all lines OF farm work are profit
able TO those who intelllgently push |
them as a speciality. one man cannot |
do everything. hence il Is better to Sc
lect few lines OF work adapted 10 |
the farm and the man and push those |
for all they are worth than 20 spread |
the effort over so much ground that no |
good results Will be had from anything. |
Here again knowledge comes IN to Sc
lect and control. Nearly every one can |
do some one thing better than he can |
others. II is therefore wise to do most |
OF that which can be- done best
Whether the line Of work be dalrying, |
stock raising sheep farming crop |
growing. the production OF fruit, or |
usttI oil Il.
things connected with the work where |
more knowledge viii prove benefit. |
We are constantly saying. II want TO |
know" There will always be some
things we never can know. but there |
Is no longer any necessity OF remaining |
ignorant about the essential features OF |
our business. With all the effort now
being made to increase the sum total |
OF agricultural knowledge we may easi-
~ keep pace with the workers and alb
sorb each new truth as II is demon
strated as such. Without neglecting
to follow the work OF the experiment
stations and the different associations
for promoting agriculture. more atten-
ton should be given the good and rela-
Bile farm paper. II Is n great educator
not because IL teaches abstract truths.
but because II sets men TO thinking.
and thinking. not growth. makes man
hood
The simple learning Of the school and
be II ever 50 extensive, does not
give wisdom; II simply paves the way
for the acquiring Of knowledge in after
years. Men become wise without much
hence the farmer. whose
early privileges were either limited or
wasted, need not feel discouraged: for |
he may excel his more favored neighbcr