Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-06-05

lens or farm lie alike rom the sOclai
and the economic standpoints: and
the federal and state departments Of
agriculture should cooperate at every
point. The farm grows the raw ma
terial for the food and clothing OF all
our citizens: il supports directly al.
most half Of them: and nearly half
the children of the United States are
born and brought up on a farm. How
can the life OF the farm family be
made less solitary, fuller OF oppor-
tunity, freer from drudgery, more
comfortable, happier and more attrac-
tive? Such a result is most earnest
ly TO be desired. How can life on
the farm be kept on the highest level.
be so improved. dignified and bright
ened as to awaken and keep alive the
| pride and loyalty of the farmers boys
and girls. of the farmers wife. and
OF the farmer himself? How can a
compelling desire TO live on the farm
be aroused in the children that are
born on the farm? All these ques-
tions are OF vital Importance not only
TO the farmer, but 10 the whole ma
ton; and the department OF agricul-
tuYe must do its share in answering
them.
Drawn by City's Glare.
"The drift thward the city is large
Iy determinecSoy the superior social
opportunities to be enjoyed there, by
the greater vividness and movement
OF city life. Considered from the
point OF view of national efficiency,
the problem OF the farm is as much
a problem OF attractiveness as it is
problem OF prosperity. II has ceas-
ed to lie merely a problem of growing
wheat and corn and cattle. The prob
| lem OF production has not ceased TO
be fundamental. but IL is no longer
final; just as learning TO read and
write and cipher are fundamental.
but are no longer the final ends OF
education. We hope ultimately to
double the average yield OF wheat and
corn per acre; IL will be great
achievement: but 1t is even more i'm
portant to double the desirablity, com
fort and standing of the farmers life.
I'VE must consider. then, not mere
ly how TO produce, but also how pro-
duction effects the producer. In the
past we have given but scant atten-
ton TO the social side OF farm life
We should study much more closely
than has yet been done the social
organization of the country, and in
quire whether its institutions are now
really as useful to the farmer as they
should be, or whether they should not
be given a new direction and a new
impulse. for no farmers life should
lie merely within the boundary of his
farm. This study must be of the
east and the west. the north and the
south; for the needs vary from place
to place. First in importance OF
course. comes the effort to secure the
mastery of production. Great strides
toward this end have already been
taken over the larger part OF the Uni
ted States: much remains TO be done.
but much has been done: and the
debt OF the nation TO the various
agencies OF agricultural Improvement
for so great an advance is not to be
overstated But we can not halt here.
The benefits OF high social organize
tion include such advantages as ease
Of communication, better educational
facilities. increased comfort Of living.
and those opportunities for social and
intellectual life and intercourse of
special value to the young people and
10 the women, which are as yet
chiefly to be had in centers OF popula-
ton. All this must be brought with.
in the reach OF the farmers who live
on the farms, Of the men whose labor
feeds and clothes the towns and
cities. Farmers must learn the vital
need OF cooperation with one another
Next to this comes cooperation with
the government. and the government
can best give its aid through associa-
tons OF farmers rather than through
the individual farmer; for there is no
greater agricultural problem than that
OF delivering TO the farmer the larg
body of agricultural knowledge which
has been accumulated by the nation1i
and state governments and by the
agricultural schools and colleges No.
whore has the government worked Ia
better advantage than in the south
where the work done by the depart.
ment OF agriculture in connection with
the cotton growers of the southwest
ern states has been phenomenal in
It's value he farmers in the region
affected by the boil weevil. in the
course Of the efforts 70 nght Il have
succeeded ir developing q most scien.
tific husbandry, so that IN many places
the boil weovil became a blessing Ia
disguise. Not only did the industry
of farming become Of very much
greater economic value in its direct
results, but Il became immensely
more interesting TO thousands of fam
lilies. The meetings at which the
new subjects of interest were discuss
ed grew 20 have a distinct social val
ue while with the farmer were Joined
the merchants and bankers Of the
neighborhood Il is needless TO say
that every such successful effort q
organize the farmer gives a great
stimulus to the admirable educationa
work which Is being done in the
southern states. as elsewhere, to pre-
pare young people for an agricultural
life. IL is greatly 10 be wished thai
the communities from whence these
students are drawn and TO which they
either return or should return cOuiC
be comparatively organized: that is
that associations OF farmers could b'
organized. primarily for business pur
poses, but also with social ends IL
view. This would mean that. the re
turned students from the institutions
Of technical learning would find thei
environment prepared TO profit to tn
utmost by the improvements in tech
nfca1 methods which they had learned