The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-14
FARMING FRUITFUL
OF HIGH IDEALS
President Dougan Delivers an
Address to Members of
Horticultural Society.
SCIENCE AIDS THE FARMER
WELL DIGESTED THEORIES FROM
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES
FOUND TO BE. OF sGREAT
Benefit.

!; In entering upon the duties of tn,
presidency of the Wayne Count.
Agricultural and Horticultural so
ciety Mr.. Isaac G. Dougan, Saturda!
afternoon delivered amost interesting
address before the members of The
organization, it being the first monthly
meeting of the year. The address wa:
as follows:
Ladies and GentIemen-By YOU
votes | am again elected president o.
this old, useful, and | may add, honora
BILE society. l thank you each and al
for the honor conferred upon me, and
ask your continued and earnest CO
operation in quickening the interest
in, and charging the usefulness of the
society.
| | shall not attempt in what l may
say to you on this occasion, to do
more than utter a few plain truths
| in regard to agriculture, and the sur
| roundings of farm life as they ought
| to be.
In the first place it is through our
calling, that a kind providence ans
wers the prayer of humanity, Give
| us this day our daily bread" Other
callings in life may call a halt, but
not SO with ours. It's suspension for
single season in any considerable
section of our country for one year,
will cause a famine in it. We must
fee dthe hungry millions. The ever
recurring question of what we shall
eat, and what we shall drink and
wherewithall shall we be clothed,
must be answered by the agricultur-
lists of the nation. Our fair land stands
call.
To meet the ever increasing demand
we must be awake and alive to every
means of multiplying our resources.
In this connection permit me to say,
that the question of fertilizers, is one
of the most important which confronts
us. We cannot continually take from
the soil, the elements which make
corn, wheat, vegetables and fruits
and make no return, or our heritage
will soon be impoverished acres. Ma
ture is exacting and exact in her ac-
counts. We cannot cheat dear old
mother Nature, and as loyal sons and
daughters we ought not to try to.
Deal honestly and generously with
her and she will with us. At the very
lease-line of successful farming lies
the question of the proper fertiliza-
ton of our farms. If crops in their
entirety could be returned to the acres
which produce them, those acres
would not lost their vitality. If the
entire product of farms is fed upon
the farm, even then there will be
drain upon them. The elements which
enter into the bone and blood of fat
tened stock, is driven with it to mar
ket and does not return. We must
look well to supplying the losses
which land suffers.
Science has come to the aid of the
farmer Agriculture colleges are be-
coming more and more appreciated
for the good they do in applying well
digested theories, and publishing
their results to the world. They are
no small aid to the farmer, in realiz-
ing from his farm the most it is cap
able, under intelligent management,
of producing The farmer who reads
up the agricultural literature of this
day need no more be cheated by
worthless, so-called fertilizers, if he
keeps his eyes and ears open to the
truth. The old idea that any one with
brawny arm, giant strength, can by
main strength and awkwardness,
make a successful farmer, is gone
forever, We hope.
1t was a great day for farm life
when the government of the United
States, began to take an active inter- |
est in its development. Scant popula- |
ton and unused acres for long |
time, deprived the farmer of the honor |
which belongs to the calling. With |
the rapid growing demands made up |
on him, the farmer and his farm be- |
came, more and more central figures |
Of interest. Now that the Government /
itself so thoroughly realizes the fact, |
the production must be increased to
meet home and foreign demands, and
the other fact that to raise crops |
each must be produced
upon soil adapted to their growth and
DeIISCliOIl. III d TEN pei dtuiC SCliioi "
heir production, farming is rapidly
rising TO the dignity of most honora-
Die and useful profession. The farmer
BOY of today, who stands any chance
If complete success, must compre-
lend the theory of successful culture.
Intelligence Joined to higher pur-
,ose always wins. The Year Books
ssued by the United States depart
nent of agriculture are mines of wis
lom. They deal with means and ends,
With experiments and results care
I'll persual of them is worth our
While. No calling is more fruitful of
Ugh ideals and glowing aspirations
han the farm life of today A stu
lid dolt is so much out of place among
hrifty, intelligent farmers, as in any !,
'ther calling. Farmers of Wayne
glory in your work. The ben
'ficent government of your fathers is |
lot wanting in paternal interest in
our efforts.
Some idea of what the government
S doing / gather from a late magazine