Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-13
YOUNG MEN AND AGRICuLTunB.

YOUNG MEN AND AGRICULTURE.
Fifteen years ago it was very diff
ncuit to find young man interested
in agriculture from scientific stand.
point. The father was supposed ia
know all that was necessary to run q
farm successfully, and the sons follow.
ed in the fathers footsteps. Very
slowly it has dawned on the minds Of
the more intelligent class Of farmers
that possibly science might be waiting
to do for agriculture that which it has
done for transportation, manufactures,
surgery, chemistry, and that the mys-
teries connected with soil physics, the
reproduction Of plant life, the origina.
ton of new types, might become, when
better understood, of the most far
reaching value and Importance to the
| world at large. At certain agricul.
tural college in the west, now Of ma
tonal reputation, there was at the
time referred to but just one solitary
student who was taking the full agri.
cultural course Today at the sams
college there are 200. What has been
accomplished in the line Of applying
science to agriculture has been if any
thing more productive Of splendid re-
suits than have been attained in any
other line. New fruits and cereals
have rewarded the hybridizer; the i'll
sect plaques on both vegetable and ami
NAL life are being held in check by the
! chemist and entomologist; selection of
the best seed is Increasing the yield
and securing better quality at the
hands of the patient Investigator. AS
the problems of climate, rainfall and
soil have been studied new types Of
cereals and grasses are making the
waste places wonderfully productive
and of the greatest value, irrigation
! and drainage are making garden spots
of desert and swamp, thus opening up,
as science touches with her magic
finger the problem of agriculture, a
field Of almost infinite possibilities. II
is hard for the doctor, the lawyer. the
| purson, to surrender q part of their
place of vantage and admit the farmer
! to an equality with them, but they are
doing it because they have to. The
time is not far distant when the farm
er as the creator and begetter of the
largest part of the national wealth will
come to his rightful place In the ma.
TONS economy, and it will be brought
/ about by educating our young men
along the scientific lines referred to.
WHAT ONE MAN DID.
It is Of interest to sum up the re-
suits of seasons work in the case OF
farmer friend Of ours who owns and
state. 1t goes without saying that he
has good farm and is good farmer.
He has seventy tons of fine clover and
timothy hay in his barn; his dairy herd
Of fifteen cows shows up cream checks
to the amount of $40 per head; he has
1900 bushels of oats in the granary,
$500 bushels Of corn ready to crib, 200
bushels Of potatoes and no end Of gar.
den truck; he has three Percheron
! colts, twelve grade Shorthorn calves
and ninety thrifty Poland China shotes
A1CA Wlll I'LL pAV OuSA NY NEW
Years. His wife has sold $50 worth
of eggs and has thirty turkeys and over
hundred chickens ready for the
| Christmas market. He has his fall
blowing all done and good big pile
of dry wood for winter use. His taxes
} are $50, and he owes no man dollar
He takes eight papers and three mag
!, azines and has handled his farm with
, the help Of up to date machinery, one
hired man and his sons help during
the summer vacation. The son goes
to the agricultural college this winter
: If there is any American citizen bet
( ter fixed or so situated that more en-
joyment can be got out of living than
is our friend, we should like to know
where to find him.
!, A ONE ACRE GARDEN PLOT.
: We have friend who cares for an
acre garden lot, working it intelligent
ly, and it is really surprising to see
Qr,&,, ,sol,I