The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-04-06

Tile superintendent. Educat1Onal quail
ifications were to be required, and it
was argued that the plan would result
in higher type of superintendent
and the removal of the Office from
politics. The bill was not practical
enough for many parts of the State.
College Education and Land Values
1t was not so very many years ago
that the majority of good, thrifty
farmers held ''book farming' in high
contempt. The idea that then pre-
vailed was that the shook farmer"
proposed to get his crop out of the
land by some other process than that
of hard honest work at long hours and
in direct contact with the dirt and the
crop. It was not then known that
book farming in the present sense of
the word is but compilation of ex-
periences in actual farming, made sys-
tematically and by scientific methods.
By the old way each farmer was his
own pioneer in the field of experiment,
and he got his knowledge of farming
at the cOstliest school-the school of
the fool, whether he be farmer or
any other obstinate person. @-.~.
One of the best examples of the ad~
ding Of value to farm lands by the
work Of the schools is shown in Wis
consin, and in the experiments made
by the agricultural college of that
state in the discovery of a remedy for
the oats smut. Wisconsin is a large
oats growing state, the total annual
crop in that state approximating
100, 600. 0O0 bushels. For many years
the oats smut was a great deterrent to
the successful growing of oats there,
as it has been in most of the states of
the Union. In Wisconsin the smut
was particularly active, so much so
that it has been estimated by the agri-
cultural experiment station authori-
ties of that state, that the annual loss
to Wisconsin farmers was not less
than eighteen per cent of the crop, or
about 100000 bushels annually.
This was a money loss of about
S., 100000 annually. This smut
affected also the barley crop which is
a crop of large value in that state.
The loss from this cause to this crop
was estimated at about 600, 900 bushels
annually, or about So, 100000.
So great loss as this naturally
stirred up the experiment station au-
thorities to find the cure for the dis
ease. The work began about six
years ago. At about that time Prof.
Bolley, of the North Dakota Expert
ment station had had some success in
the use of formaldehyde as treat
ment of seed grains. and taking this
as basis the Wisconsin school made
extensive Investigations throughout
the state and experimental with the
formaldehyde solution. The work
done was most positive proof of
the value of the treatment, and the re-
suits were spread over the state by
means of farmers bulletins. A quar-
ter of million Of these bulletins were
sent out during the five years of the
experiments: with the result that at
the present time about three-fourths
of the $4,000, 900 bushels loss has been
saved to the state, and the rest will be
saved as soon as the more benighted
farmers will give heed to the informa-
ton that is being thrown at them.
The treatment is perfect cure.
The saving to the state in the two
crops alone is probably not less than
5000, 900 per annum, or in. the FIVE
years about S3O,O00,00O To give a
comprehensive idea of the cost of the
oats smut to the farmers of the state,
it may be noted that the cost of main
tanning all the public schools of the
state outside the cities-the rural
schools-is less than 50. 900, 900 year.
The smut tax then has been nearly
twice the school tax, and the work of
this one school-the State Agricul-
tural college-has paid for all the cost