The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-14

mere are not wanting lnulCdllOuS
that the public mind is confused IN this
matter, or possibly has not thought
much about it. However that may be
believe that now, at once, and for all
time this question should be answered
and the atmosphere cleared up, to the
end that all agencies working for the
advancement of agriculture may I'M
derstand clearly their proper functions,
and to the further end that the work
shall not be hampered for lack of lead
ership on the one hand, nor upon the
other that the procession be spoiled by
an unseenly scramble in the neighbour
hood of the band wagon.
1t will help to answer this question
rightly if we agree as to the object that
ought to be uppermost in our minds:
the thing that above all others is to be
accomplished during and by virtue of
this great wave of interest in agricul-
ture. On this point let me say. that
there is but one purpose to be served
in all this matter, and that is the de-
VelOpment of agriculture and the agri-
cultural people. The object of all this
expense in money, time, and thought,
is not to build up great institutions of
learning and research, however neceS-
sary they may be to the ends in view.
1t is not to create a great agricultural
literature, however Indispensable to re-
suits. 1t is not to establish a power
full agricultural press, however funda-
mental to all real progress. 1t - not
to exploit men, whether the individuals
be politicians or professors, editors,
farmers, or what not. 1t is not to build
up an agricultural aristocracy on the
one hand, nor to make more Skillful an
agricultural peasantry upon the other.
The object of all this effort is to raise
more and better crops and live stock
on American lands; to produce them
more economically and sell them more
advantageously in the markets of the
world in order to increase the profits in
farming; to preserve and increase the
fertility of our soils in order that pro-
duction may never grow less, and that
our descendants may have an agrfcul-
ture and an existence. Last and great
est of all it is to develop a mass-not
few but mass of men and women,
capable of conducting this more diffl-
cult agriculture, capable of taking care
not only of our balance of trade but of
the fertility and producing power of
our lands, and capable of founding
homes for the production of typical
American citizens-I had almost said
the only typical American citizens.
This is a movement to affect mass
of men and women. True, many indi-
Viduals will be crowded out as agri-
culture exacts more knowledge and
skill. 1t cannot be otherwise. The man
who cannot or will not develop him
self as his surroundings develop,-that
man must go to the wall. 1t cannot be
otherwise and we would not have it
otherwise. The great laws of evolution
and the survival of the f1ttest will con-
tinue to operate and in the interest OF
progress they ought to operate. Prog
ress is not in the interest of the indi-
vidual and it cannot stop because of in
dividuals. Everything must surrender
to the central idea that this is a
movement for the highest atta1nable
agriculture in the fullest possible sense
of the term.
The farmers are the ones to lead this
movement, not on grounds of personal
privilege but because they represent 1t
| in way that it is represented by no
other body of men singly or collectively.
They should lead because from the
logic of the situation it is their bust
ness to do it: and they should lead not
for personal and individual reasons, but
from public considerations.
My whole thought is this: Every
great branch of agriculture should
maintain an organization of the leading
men who live by that industry. Then
we shall have our state boards of agrl-
culture. our live stock breeders asso-
Citations, our corn growers associations,
and our farmers institutes. our dairy,
poultry and bee keepers associations.
and our horticultural societies
These truly and fully represent agri-
culture because they cover it's principal
lines. and because it is to be assumed
that these organizations contain the
most progressive and in every way the
most representative farmers. Who on
earth more truly represent our agricul-
ture=who better than these know what
ought to be done? [ will not say that
they know how to do it at all, nor that
these organizations possess the poten-
tialities to work out all the Droblems
involved. Decidedly they do not, and
ment station. the legislator. the press
the exposition and the public in general
must each contribute it's share.
MR.. COBURN'S REPORT.
In his report to the state board OF
agriculture, F. D. Coburn, secretary OF
office in the issuance of the biennial and
various quarterly reports of his de-
partment. The last Of these quarterlies
was just recently issued. and is de-
voted exclusively to Kansas statstlcs
giving primarily the crop statistics OF
the past year. With reference to this
report Secretary Coburn says:
Ordinarily a book of statistics is
about as uninviting a production as one
could easily imagine, but it is a notable
fact that in the past year the demand
on your board for Kansas official sta
tistics has been unprecedented, and
usually from people who expressly state
that the object in making such requests
is that they may be enabled to locate
land and homes in Kansas suited te
their purses and preferences.
THE appetite for Kansas statistics
like that for Kansas bread and butter
and meat seems more and more in
satiable. One of our sharply observant
writer's has said, kansas, supposed tc
be the very birthplace of freedom, has
a king and an idol. It bows at the very
feet of the god of statistics-so many
bushels of this. so many tons of that
so much money, so much debt, so much
gain or loss. Kansas dreams of prod
ucts and values. She takes her morning
bath in averages, combs her hair with
totals, and makes her meal on patent
predigested breakfast food percentages
We have deemed it better to know the
per capita of the currency than the
story of the Jliad; we have deserted the
song of Shelley's lark for the clatter Of
the self binder
.sKansans are certainly not so idola.
trous as to bow at the feet Of the goo
of statistics yet they can scarcely be
censured for giving him friendly noe