The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-11

whom presented. They need to do this
4 in their conversation in their business,
4 ballots, and in their thinking. This IS
the daily duty of each and when ina
is accomplished. our problems will pc
lsa,ved."
Best Farmer Must Be Resourcefui.
THE Conservation of Soil Moisture
was the subject discussed by J. q.
Mosier, professor of soil physics OF the
Illinois College of Agriculture. He
said in part:
There are six essentials in crop
production, CD seed. CD soil as the
home of the plant. (3) food or the fer
! tility of the soil, ca moisture, (5)
heat and Co light.
Good seed is necessary for good
crop, but large yields do not always
follow the planting of good seed. Any
one of the factors named may be the
limiting one. Heat and light are prob
| ably less frequently the limiting fac
tors than soil, food or moisture. If
any one of the factors is of more inn
portance than the others, 1t is the soil,
| the home of the plant, for all other
factors are Influenced by this, espe-
cially those of moisture, food and heat.
"All soils are not naturally good
homes for plants, especially for our
domestic ones. Suppose we should at
tempt to grow a crop of corn or
wheat without preparing the seed bed.
Failure would certainly result. Nature
has given US our soils, but man must
crops he intends to grow. For some
plants. such as wheat, oats, barley, rye,
clover and alfalfa it is only necessary
to thoroughly prepare the ground be-
fore the seed is planted. The good
condition produced is not destroyed by
the time the plant natures or perhaps
before it becomes large enough to
Withstand somewhat adverse condi
tons. Other plants. however, such as
cotton, corn, ETC., require that the best
possible home be maintained during
almost the entire growth of the plant.
The Improvement of the home of the
plant increases it's food and moisture
supply. In this comparatively new
state, the plant food is probably not
yet one of the limiting factors in crop
production, but the question of mois-
ture Is one that pushes to the front
every year and in some years and in
problem. 1t is the treatment of the soil
with special reference to the moisture
supply that interests every farmer.
THE successful farmer must be a
man of resources and good judgment.
He must be able to change his meth
DDS, to adapt them to the varying con-
ditions of the different seasons and to
the crops. He must be a man who has
some scientific knowledge because
there is a science of agriculture as well
as an art. and the man who applies
the necessary scientific principles as
well as practices the art will be the
SuCCeSS1 I'll IdTL1GT
Agricultural Topics Should Be Taught.
At the afternoon session Thursday c.
w. Burkett, director of the Kansas ex-
pertinent station, called attention to the
need of a change in the text books of
the rural school SO that they should
embrace things calculated to inspire
pride and loyalty to rural life rather
than to use matter in regard to the
cities and city life that causes unrest
and discomfort at the simple rural life.
DR.. Burkett discussed the subject of
What More May the Farmer Do?"
DR.. Burkett urges the Importance of
teaching agricultural subjects in the
schools all over the state, especially so
in schools that turn out the teachers
who find employment in the rural dis
tricts.
Our arfthmeties are models of city
problems, fine exbmpfes of city bust
ness detailsAof Etdeks and bonds, of
banks and the city world, said Mr..
Burkett, but you find no feeding ra-
lions to compound, no problems in feed
ing plants, no problems of soil culture;
not one problem having to do with
single practical agricultural condition.
ITO educate children that they make
a success in their environment is the
true education. To this end, then, we
must demand that agriculture shall be
taught in every public school in the
state, in the rural school,. the township
high school, the county high school, in
every norman school OIL the state, III 0V-
cry institution from whence teachers
may come. I know that agriculture can
we'll be included in the courses of ed
ucation today There is no experiment
about it. In a number of states agri-
culture is being taught as a state re-
quirement. made so by the legislatures;
and we can do nothing of a better ma
ture than to ask our legislature, now in
session to enact a law that shall make
agriculture a required subject in every
school in the state.'
Mrs Hoffman Condemns Football
A system of manual training in
schools rather than modern football was
advocated by Mrs. Catherine A. Hoff-
man of Enterprise at the meeting last
night in Representative hall in her adj
dress containing "A Message from a
Kansas Club Woman"
Mrs Hoffman deplores prize fights
and bull fights, etc. She declares the
farm is the place to bring up Young
America.
A County Experiment Station.
E. Harrington announced his inten-
ton of trying to establish a county ag-
ricuItural experiment station the
r. lbs. Cane Gran. NJ