The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1903-04-10
use of all improved agricultural ma

use of all improved agricultural ma
chinery. 1t would have been more
desirable because from gear TO year
the owner would have added better
i'm nrovements, more desirable build
ings, better stock and mJre cattle.
Habits of Plants.
The farmer should be educated that
he may understand the nature and
life habits of all the plants which he
may wish to grow. knowing this, ne
! would better understood when to
plant, how to plant, and what 10
plant. His farming would become
less matter of experiment and
guess-work, and more matter OF
certainty and calculation. knowing
the wants of the plants as to the food
for their proper development, ana
knowing at the same time the capaci-
ty of his soil for supplying these
needed elements, he would know
whether or not it were necessary for
him to supply any of these elements
from outside sources, and if so what
elements, and from what sources to
supply them.
Fertilizers.
He would know exactly what 20 buy
if ne depends upon commercial ferth-
izers, and how to apply them SO as to
get the most profitable returns. lie
would know the proper value OF
home-raised manures in enriching his
farm, and he would know that it was
to his interest to raise this manure,
instead of depending upon chemical
preparations. These home-raisc ed ma
nures not only furnish the same ele-
ments that are contained in CONNER
cial fertilizers, and in better and more
digestible shape, but they also act
upon the soil in such way as to en-
able it to turn loose its locked-up
stores of plant food in increased
quantities from year to year. In this
way they permanently enrich the
farm. Chemical fertilizers do not act
in this way; they simply furnish
given amount of ready-made plant
food. Hence they stimulate the
growth of the present crop without
increasing the capacity for the next
crop. They act more as stimulants.
liberalization.
The educated farmer, knowing these
things, would naturally fall into di-
versified agriculture and stock rails
ing. He would not depend upon any
one given crop. For these, and
thousand other reasons of similar ma
ture which might be given, had we
time, the farmer emphatically needs
to be educated.
How to Sell.
He also needs to be educated to
know how to dispose of .Ee products
of his farm, to study and understand
the markets that he may know when
and where and how to sell, that he
NAV not be entirely at the mercy of
other classes of tradesmen-for the
farmer is emphatically and necessari-
~ tradesman; not only producer,
but a merchant, the original mer-
chant. But this opens field too
wide for present discussion. We all
know too well that the farmer has
long been suffering because other
parties fixed the prices of what he
sold, as well as of what he bought.
The farmer should be educated that
he may stand socially equal to those
of other professions. Thehigher order
of intelligence always commands the
respect of those below. The more
intelligent class will always be re-
spected by those of the less intelli-
gent. Farmers can never expect to
be socially and politically equal to
others until they become intellectual-
ly so. Their education, while tech
meal, should be broad; and while sci
entific, should be practical. Having
the broadcast calling, they should have
the broadcast education. They should
take in all the sciences they have
time and capacity to master, because
all sciences contribute to this great
science, which stands ahead of ALL
Southern Cultivator.