The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1906-12-15
The PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
CONTINUED from last week ,
Agricultural Interests.

Agricultural interests.
The only other persons whose weiturN
country as is the welfare Of the a
workers are the tillers OF the soil. the
farmers. II Is a mere truism to saw that
no growth OF cities, no growth Of wealth,
40 Industrial development can atone for
any falling OFF in the character and
standing Of the farming population. Dur
thg the last few decades this fact has
'geen recognized with ever-increasing
ure TO realize that farming, at least in
'yertain branches, must become a technI-
cal and scientific profession. This means
mat there must be open to the farmers
the. chance for technical and scientific
uaining, not theoretical merely, but OF
the most severely practical type. The
Iermer represents a peculiarly high type
2 american citizenship, and he must
nave the same chance to rise and develop
~ other American citizens have. More
over, II is exactly as true of the farmer
as It Is Of the business man and the
Wageworker that the ultimate success OF
the nation Of which he forms a part
must be founded not alone on material
prosperity but upon high moral, mental
and physical development. This educa-
uon OF the tarmer-self-education by
preference, but also education from the
outside, as with all other men-is pc
celiarly necessary here In the United
States, where the frontier conditions
wv III AAlG UtMGEl kIdleE nave now
nearly vanished, where there must be a
substitution Of a more intensive system
OF cultivation for the old wasteful farm
management, and where there must be
2 better business organization among the
farmers themselves.
Good OF GrnnEe organizations.
Several factors must cooperate in the
Improvement OF the farmers condition.
He must nave the chance to he educated
IN the widest possible sense-in the sense
which keeps ever In view the intimate
relationship between the theory of edu-
cation and the facts Of life. In all
education we should widen our aims II
Is a good thing to produce a certain num-
Der Of trained scholars and students.
but the education superintended by the
state must seek rather TO produce a hun
dred good citizens than merely one
scholar, and II must be turned now and
then from the class book to the study
OF the great book of nature itself. This
is especially true Of the farmer. as has
been pointed out again and again by an
observers most competent to pass prac-
teal judgment on the problems OF orr
country life. All students now realize
mat education must seek to train the
executive power of young people ana 10
confer more real significance upon the
phrase dignity OF labor and to pre-
pare the pupils so that in addition to
each. developing in the highest degree
his Individual capacity for work. thev
may together help create a right public
opinion, and show In many ways social
and cooperative spirit. Organization mas
become necessary in the business world:
and II has accomplished much for good
In the world of labor. 1t is no less neces-
'eary for farmers Such a movement as
the grange movement is good in itself
and Is capable Of a well-nigh infinite fur
Their extension for good so long as n IL
kept to It's own legitimate business. The
benefits 70 be derived by the asaociation
of farmers for mutual advantage are
partly economic and partly sociological.
Moreover, while in the long run voIun-
tAry EFFORT will prove more ef1cacious
than government assistance, while the
farmers must primarily do most for
themselves, yet the government can also
do much. The department OF aRriculture
has broken new ground In many direc-
lions, and year by year II hnds how il
can improve its methods and devotion
fresh usefulness. Its constant effort is
TO give the governmental assistance In
the most effective way; that is, thru ae-
sociations OF farmers rather than TO or
thru individual farmers. II is also strlv-
ing to coordinate Its work with the agri-
cultural departments OF the several
states, and so far as its own work Is
educational, TO coordinate II with the
work Of other educational authorities
Agricultural education is necessarily
based upon general education, but our
agricultural educational institutions are
wisely specializing themselves. making
their course relate to the actual teaching
OF the agricultural and kindred licences
20 young country people or young citv
people who wish TO live IN the country.
Great progress has already been made
among farmers by the creation az
farmers institutes, of dairy associa-
lions, OF breeders associations, horti-
cultural associations. and the like.
striking example Of how the govern
ment and the farmers can cooperate IA
shown IN connection with the menace
offered 10 the cotton growers Of the
southern states by the advance OF The
boil weevil. The department is doing
all X can to organize the farmers in
the threatened districts, just as II has
been doing all II can 70 organize them
IN aid OF its work 10 eradicate the cat-
tie fever tick in the south. The depart-
ment can and Will cooperate with all
such associations, and II must have
their help If its own work is to be
done in the most efficient style.
Irrigation and Forest Preservation.
Much Is o being done for the