Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-05-06

IAf NUKE
ABOUT THEIR woRK.-NEED OF EARLY
TRAINING.
What the farmer needs most is tC
know more and think more about his
work. Every one has heard of the Ole
man who carried his grist to the mil
with stone in one end of the sack, to
balance it over the horses back. As 9
class, farmers are carrying their sacks
10 mill with stones in them. There are
too many losses by unscientitic methods
Considering the scope of agriculture, the
average farmer has less preparation fol
his calling than has the machinist, the
architect or the lawyer. Agriculture is
rapidly taking its place as one of the
sciences. Through the introduction OF
machinery and more systematic methods
the hard manual labor connected with
farming fifty years ago is being super.
seeded in a degree by more brain work.
Increased competition and loss of soil
fertility have each, in way, made new
problems for the up to date farmer to
solve. In spite of the so-called de-
preston in agricultural pursuits, those
who have studied closely and kept
abreast of the times have won even
greater success than the best farmers of
other days. 1t is not the need of more
colleges and Investigators. Also much
is being done to disseminate agricultural
knowledge among farmers, but it falls
largely on unfruitful soil. The need
lies with the farmer himself. An awak-
ening to seize their opportunities and to
get ahead in the world would lift many
out of the rut they are in.
Early training of the habits of OBJ
servation and study of rural sciences will
make for improvement and interest in
the after life of the farmer. Most of the
public schools are alongside the farms,
yet the farmers son may be a pupil
there until he is eighteen and never
know that farming is scientific occupa-
ton. He will learn of various other
branches of greater or less utility. but
about the work by which he will pre-
sumably earn his livelihood he must get
knowledge as he stumbles along. The
elements of agriculture and physics and
the subjects of soils, plants, birds and
insects should be taught in the public
schools in the country. 1t is this omis,
sion in the schooling of farmers sons
that turns so many against the calling
of their fathers. They are led to believe
that farming is dull, plodding work, and
are anxious to get into something that
requires more of knowledge and less OF
drudgery 1t is this neglect to teach
agriculture in the schools that nullities
the efforts of the institute, the expert
ment station bulletin and the agricultural
press. The average farmer is not suth-
ciently grounded in the principles OF
agricultural science to appreciate OF
understand them. Although he mag be
aware of his shortcomings, the cares OF
daily life and the fixed habits of maturity
make it difficult to learn new things, and
what might be of greatest advantage to
him passes by unheeded.
Herbert Spencer has said that the
knowledge which is of the most worth
is that which enables us to do our work
better. Each man learns that which
pertains to his calling, and the farmer
alone has been slow to familiarize him
self with the science of the things with
which he has to deal. If he knows of
nitrogen he will not burn vegetable mat
ter when his land is crying for humus.
The feeding of farm animals may be the
source of constant waste when nothing
is known of the food elements and pro-
portions required by stock and the
chemical composition of different feeds.
Now that chemical fertilizers are used
ON every farm, the farmer should know
something of them and the needs OF
crops if he would buy and use them
economically. Indeed, scarcely day
passes but the farmer can do something
better or can economize by utilizing
knowledge gained by trained observation
and book helps.
The modern farmer must be a business
man. Fifty years ago comparatively
little was sold OF the farm, and little
was bought. The specialization of work
has made more exchange, and new
order of business knowledge is demand.
ed that the farmer may buy economically
and sell to the best advantage. In plan
ming his crops he has to study the de-
mands of the markets. The city trade
is becoming more exacting, and he has
TO cater TO the tastes and fancies of his
customers, both as to the quality and
the appearance of the things he produces,
One of the conspicuous needs of the
farmer to-day is to adapt himself to his
environment. One section of the coun-
try will develop superior advantages for
raising a certain class of products,
necessitating change in the husbandry
where these things were formerly grown.
The West has outstripped the East in
grain growing and those in the latter
section who have failed to modify their
rotation have suffered from ruinous COM
petition.
There is evidence that farmers do dot
think enough about their work, in that
they stick to some hard and fast system
of farming that prevails in the section in
which they live. Variations of soil and
subsoil and location as to markets will
demand changes from the ordinary rota-
ton of crops. A farm, by its topography
or by water facilities, may have advan-
tages for some particular line of farming
different from that of places about it.
The business farmer finds it necessary
to-day to know how to organize clubs
and how TO cooperate. Many communi-
ties are in backward condition because
they have not taken advantage of the
benefits offered by united effort in buy
ing and selling. When cooperative
enterprise among the farmers meets with
failure it is customary to say that they
are lacking in business ability But
they are learning. Experience and
reading are teaching them what they
need in that direction. Such an organi-
zaticn as the Five States Milk Producers
Association is an educational institution,
even though it should finally fail in the
immediate purpose for which it was
started. Under its direction more than
score of cooperative milk shipping
stations have been started, and not one
has been failure. In every instance
they have been the means of increasing
the price of milk to the farmer.
The point that we make for larger
knowledge among farmers is not to the
end of financial gain alone. "To gather
gear by every vile that's justified by
honor is the rule that prevails, bu
what availeth it if he may not pause oc
casionally and enjoy the beauty of the
commonplace and the society of his fel
low beings? Some one has said that tn,
farmer needs to be good. That is fO
all men, but is there not a dullness pecu
liar to rural life that in particular need
to be exercised? Good roads, free mai
delivery and farm telephones are coming
Then with a little planning to max
home more pleasant, with sociability ant
books, the life of the farmer may be tn