New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-11
FARMERS AND SCHOOLS

Commissioner Draper in his address TO tho
STATE Grange at Geneva touched the vital point
In the problems both OF rural educa ton and i'm.
proved agriculture. He said that if the New
York farmers could make more money they
would have better schools. and that they ought
to have just as good schools as the people
in the cities He also said that the state expert
ment station was anxious to serve the farm
ers and the only uncertainty was about the
anxiety of the farmers to make use of it.
Everybody realizes the Importance of agri-
culture 10 the whole country and the necessity
or making the calling attractive and prosper
Gus. An impoverished and degenerate rural
population would be one of the greatest of
national misfOrtunes. For years we have been
supporting agricultural colleges with the idea of
making educated, scientific farmers. Doubtless
they have done much good, but too often in
stead Of making farm life attractive 10 boys
and girls, they succeed merely in training them
for other work. and help to drain away from
the country its best blood. This is inevitable so
long as the rural conditions themselves are
unchanged The better educated the boy is the
narrower the old fashioned farm life of his
parents seems. In spite of sentiment or NOR
alizing. men will seek employment where they
can get the largest money return for the least
physical labor. When farm methods are i'm
proved and farm work is made profitable and
the educated young man or woman is able TO
secure the best of the young genera ton will he
drawn to the farms. Until then the tendency
will be TO leave the farms TO the least enter
prising, and neither good schools nor agricultII-
raj colleges Will change it. The chance must
be wrought on the present farmers They must
learn the new methods. increase their incomes
by intensive culture and show the boys and
girls that II is worth while for them to stay
at home. Good schools given TO or wrung from
poor and unprogressive rural community do
little TO Improve that community itself how
ever much they may promote emigra ton to
the towns. The process must be reversed. A
rich farming community which attracts pro-
gressive men and women will naturally have
Its good schools and other institutions BETTING
a high and prosperous civilization. Thus by
the same steps not only agriculture but edu-
cation is promoted.
The thing 10 do then. is 10 get at the pres
ent farmers. Our culture here is far behind the
times. AS Commissioner Draper says. the ex-
pertinent station is anxious to help, but il does
not seem 10 be able to exercise the influence
needed for radical agricultural reform Farm
ing in Canada has made much greater progress
and some of Its Institutions have been able TO
do remarkable work In getting hold of pro-
ducers and Transforming their methods More
remarkable yet has been the work of DR.
Knapp, OF the Department OF Agriculture in
turning the boil weevil into a blessing TO plant
ers in the Mississippi Valley. The pest gave
him an excuse TO go among them with sug
gestions. He asked men 10 try experiments for
him. 10 use his seed, cultivate as he advised
plant diverse crops-all methods of killing
the weevil-and in the emergency even the hide
bound were ready 10 cooperate. AS a result
| whole districts have been regenerated. With
much reduced cotton acreage. larger crops are
raised In those districts than before the weeviI
appeared, the surplus land Is used for other
crops cultivated on something like Intensive
methods and the export traffic of little railroad
stations has increased many fold.
similar work should be done in Newly
! Ii our land were cultivated IKE that Of Hol