The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-28
Or. KNAPP MAKES
! A FINE ADDRESS
"
Special Agent OF Agricultural
g Department. Would Help
Southern Farmers.
SPEECH AT PINEHURsT, N. c.
Tells How Agricultural Coadi
: tons in South Can Be
Improved.

1.-THE address of Dr. Seaman A. Knapp
special agent of the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, before the re-
cent Educational Conference at Pine
hurt, n. c., was a very able one, and
has been most favorably commented
upon.
DR.. Knapp spoke on Better Condi-
lions for Southern Farmers His adj
dress was. i'll part, as follows:
In the centuries the American people
have been at work on the problems OF
rural reform. some progress has been
made and we are now prepared for the
complete accomplishment of what we
have SO earnestly sought. the placing
of rural life upon a plane of profit. OF
honor and power. We must commence
AT the bottom. and readjust the life of
common people.
list. BY increasing the earning ca
eacity OF the small farmers. More COM
Portable homes. better schools, I'm
proved highways, telephones. free de-
livery of mails and rural libraries
all require money. They cannot be In
stalled and and maintained without it;
hence the basis of the better rural
life is greater earning capacity of the
farmer. Farm renovation and maxi
mum crop production are now fully UNI
derstoodaand they can be explained and
Illustrated 7in.sucll' a simple and prnc-
teal way that 1t would be crime not
TO send the gospel of maximum pro-
duction to the rural toiler.
Z A Most Tractable People.
slIt Is said by some that the farmers
are a hard class to reach and impress.
That is not my experience. they are
the most tractable of people, If you
have anything substantial to offer
but they all want proof. They do not
take kindly to pure theories and no
class can more quickly discriminate
between the real farmer and the book
farmer than the men who TIL the soil.
The message to the farmers must he
practical. and OF easy application. WHO
shall take this message? Our expert
ence is in favor of farmers of fair edu-
cation and acknowledged success on
the farm They may make mistakes.
from a scientific standpoint in deliver
ing the message. but these are easily
corrected. The main thing is to induce
the farmer to act: and no one can do
that like fellow farmer. OF what
avail is It that the message be taken
by man of science, II the farmer
will not give heed? In general 1t is
not the man who knows the most, Who
is the most successful, but tho man
who imparts an implicit belief with
his message. The greatest failure as
a world force is the man who know
so much that he lives in universal
doubt, injecting modifying clause
into every assertion and ending the
problems of life with an Interrogation
point
The Second Step.
The second step in rural rogenera-
ton is the establishment of agricultu-
raj banks, through which reliable men
may be assisted to own the lands they
till. In the United States there are
over 100000 OF rented farms, more
than one-third of the total number.
The majority of these farmers would
become owners If properly encouraged
and aided In addition there are tens
of thousands of mechanics in the
towns and cities, who We're raised on
farms and would return 10 the country
and purchase lands for homes. II
Slightly assisted.
Agricultural banks should he estah-
lished to assist in carrying out the
plan of colonizing the country with
thrifty home-owners. Furthermore, II
is equitable. because millions produc-
ed by tha fysra!s of the nation have
by the process of banking been trans
rerrea TO commerce and no way has
been provided. under the law. bv which
the money of the people can be used
IN the peopla for time Investments
IN provid1ne for ownership OF rurnfSl
2 f1omes-the royal right OF American
aoyereign and more honorable than tho
order of the Garter or the Go1uen
fleece.
81 TIL. rr,,;..a
~ ~ ~ e'AN
The third advance in the great up
lift OF rural conditions consists II
teaching farmers wives and daughter
how to feed. clothc and doctor theii
Families. When the township aradct
School takes the place of the scatteret
4 district schools. it Will he plain how Il
accomplish this work by school demon
STATIONS.
{ If these three progressive steps b.
taken the rest will follow as u natura
evolution. 1t is not d matter of pur
deduction which assures me that tn
farmers will make their homes NOR
comfortable and-more beautiful, will
perfect the rural school system vii
construct good roads, telephones am
electric railways, when they nave III
Iaeans 10 do so. Where our Farmers
ftys. rpt- IT l,o