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

rev QccddcS ago, the cpcldf OF com
mundty life OF country people in the
east compares less well than II form
srly did with that OF the dwellers in
| cities. Many country communities
have lost their social conference, their
sense of community interest In such
communities the country church, for
instance, has gone backward both as
social and a religious factor. Now.
we can not too strongly insist unon
the fact that il is quite as unfortunate
TO have any social as any economic
falling OFF. IL would be a calamity TO
have our farms occupied by lower
type OF people than the handwriting
self-respecting, Independent, and es-
sentially manly and womanly men
and women who have hitherto consti-
tuted the most typically American,
and on the whole the most valuable
element in our entire nation. Amblt-
ious native-born young men and wO-
men who now tend away from the
farm must be brought back 10 II, and
therefore they must have social as
well as economic opportunities. Ev
erything should be done to encourage
the growth in the open farming coun-
try of such institutional and social
movements as will meet the demand
OF the best type OF farmers. There
should be libraries, assembly halls
social organizations OF all kinds. The
school building should, throughout
the country districts, be Of the very
highest type, able to fit the boys and
girls not merely to live in, but thor
oughly to enjoy and to make the
most OF the country. The country
church must be revived. All kinds
OF agencies, from rural free delivery 20
the bicycle and the telephone, should
be utilized to the utmost; good roads
should be favored; everything should
be done to make il easier for the
farmer to lead the most active and
effective intellectual, political and
economic life.
There are regions OF large extent
where all this, or most OF this. has
already been realized; and while this
is perhaps especially true OF great
tracts OF farming country west OF the
Mississippi. with some OF which have
fairly intimate personal knowledge.
n n no Tess true OF other great tracts
OF country east OF the Mississippi. In
these regions the church and the
school flourish as never before; there
is a more successful and more varied
farming industry: the social advan-
tages and opportunities are greater
than ever before; life is fuller. hap
pier. more useful: and though the
work is more effective than ever. and
in a way quite as hard, il is carried
on so as 10 give more scope for we'll
used leisure My plea is that we shall
all try to make more nearly universal
the conditions that now obtain in the
most-favored localities.
Nothing in the way of scientific
work can ever take the place OF bust
ness management on a farm. We
ought all of us to teach ourselves as
much as possible; but we can also all
OF us learn from others: and the
farmer can best learn how TO manage
his farm even better than he now does
by practice under intelligent super
vision, on his own soil in such was
the kind OF teaching which has been
carried on in Texas. Louisiana and
Arkansas by Dr. Knapp. of the ma
tional department OF agriculture But
much has been accomplished by the
growth of what is broadly designated
as agricultural science. This has been
developed with remarkable rapidity
during the lax quarter OF a century.
and the benefit to agriculture has
been great. AS was inevitable. there
was much error and much repetition
OF work in the early application Of
money to the needs of agricultural
colleges and experiment stations alike
by the nation and the several states.
Much has been accomplished; but
much more can be accomplished in
the future. The prime need must al
ways be for real research. resulting in
scientific conclusions OF proved sound.
ness. Both the farmer and the legis.
lature must beware of invariably de-
handing immediate returns from in.
vestments in research efforts. II is
probably one OF our faults as a ia
ton that we are too impatient b
wait sufficient length OF time to ac
complish the best results; and in as
riculture effective research often. al
though not always, involves slow sns
long-continued effort If the results are
to be trustworthy. While applied
science in agriculture as elsewhere
must be Judged largely from the stand
point OF its actual return in dollars
yet the farmers, no more than any
one else. can afford 10 ignore the
large results that can be enjoyed be
cause OF broader knowledge The
farmer must prepare for using the
. knowledge that can be obtained
through agricultural colleges by in
! sisting upon a constantly more prac
.ical curriculum in the schools II
, which his children are taught n,
must not lose his independence hi.
initiative. his rugged selfsuficiency
} and yet ne must learn 10 work In The
heartiest cooperation with his fellows
! The oorner-stones OF our unex
. ampled prosperity are. on the on'
hand. the production OF raw material
and its manufacture and distribution
on the other. These two great group.
p OF subjects are represented in the ma
p tional government principally by thu
, departments OF agriculture and @
! commerce and labor. The production
+ OF raw material from the surface o
T. the earth is the sphere in which th'
q department OF agriculture has hithel
: to achieved such notable results. O
n all the executive departments there !
+. no other, not even the postofiice, whici
come into more direct and benefcien
n contact with the daily life of the pee
o. ple than the department of agricu|