Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-31


ortion of men engaged in this kind
OF work is diminishing"
Secretary Wilson'S Address.
The subject Of the address OF Sec.
retary Wilson was Three Ihlnss VI
the Last Century" He said: /
1t has been said that the United
States did three unique things In the
last century. It built at Washington
the capitol, the Washington monument
and the congressional library. each
the finest OF its kind In the world. A
much grander work was the laying OF
the foundation of agricultural educa-
ton and research to prepare the farm
er for his life work, establish agrlcul-
tural literature. and lift the filler OF the
soil to higher level Of efficiency as
producer and a citizen. NO coun-
7 try on earth has such comprehensive
system to bring about these results.
The total number of land-grant col
leges is 65, and 63 of these give courses
in agriculture, which are attended by
10000 students. These colleges are
also largely engaged in giving instruc-
ton in agriculture to adult farmers III
the farmers Institutes which are an
nually attended by over 100000 farm
ers. These institutions have perna-
l+nent funds and equipment amounting
| to. $S4,000,000 and an annual revenue
of $14,5oo.0oo to which the federal
government contributes s3,000,000 and
the state governments $7,500,000.
The work is telling in many ways,
Young people go to these institutions
who would not go to any other. There
l t. Of q nd abroad
for young people educated along these
Zines. The brightest farm boys and
girls are being educated for the farm.
!, 1t is the most delightful and COM
prehensive study of material things
| to which the mind can be applied.
Federal and State Work.
There has been steady progress dur
ing the half century that marks the;
work Of the Michigan Agricultural
i College Congress had endowed educa-
! tionaI and research Institutions in the
states and territories. The federal
government has co-operated with the
states, and operated where the work
was interstate. The movement to ed
ucate the producer has reached the
problem OF primary and secondary ed
ucation, so that, the young farmer may
be turned toward the study Of the ele-
inants Of the sciences that are to have
his future attention. These combined
efforts will result In making household
words Of what is now taught in COL
/ lege. Discussions Of climates, soils.
i movements Of moisture, plants and
their Improvement, animals and their
antecedents, trees and their value,
sanitation and It's application, will all
become familiar to the educated farm
er's family.
Need Of Agricultural Colleges.
vited here to rejoice With the Michi-
triumph was asked to tell you why We
need agricultural colleges, basing his
reasons on his observations while on
| the way here / would say: The
water level is too near the surface in a
| large percentage of our best soils; tile
| is not being laid deep enough-most
plants send their roots down four or
five feet seeking nutrition, the rootlets
stop when they reach stagnant water,
and only that depth Of soil is at work
for the farmer that lies above the wa
ter level. see drains being laid
eighteen to thirty inches deep that
| should go down to forty-eight inches
at least, for reasons that every student
in the graduating class can give, but
are evidently not known to farmers
generally. AS the science of soils be-
comes better understood, much Of the
draining Of today and of the past will
be done over again.
Per Cent teof Farmers.
Including the population of our is
land possessions, half of the people un-
der our flag are producers from the
SOIL This half owe it to the other to
prepare themselves for discharging the.
duties Of citizenship with the highest
intelligence. They are financially able
to- educate, as 72 per cent of our ex-
ports--or nine hundred millions Of dol
abroad annually, after supplying the
home requirements They have leisure
and more facilities for reading and re-
1ectioh than the other half of the peo-
pie. Rural free delivery Of mails, the
Telephone, the daily and farm papers,
magazines and other sources Of infor-
nation, combine to form powerful adj
juncts in the education Of the farmer
and his family They are not organized
las class, and are not likely to be, but
they are the nations jury when ques-
fions Of public policy are to be set
Tiled.
Fine Machinery.
The returns from intelligent farm
ing are becoming more satisfa ctory as
the principles that govern productions,
are better understood. affording better
homes and home conveniences. Our
farmers are experts in managing fine
machinery, and the crops grown by one
mans efforts are astonishing. Com
merce, manufacturing, mining and
carrying call help from the farm, and
raise the price of labor. Production is
hardly keeping step with growth Of
population, which results In higher
prices for crops. Few Of the immigrants
coming to our country could do the
! work required on the farm. They fit
into other industries more readily. Our
agricultural colleges have broadened
| the minds and strengthened the arms
of our farmers, and increased their
! deficiency. They have helped them into
class by themselves among farmers
and Identified their calling.
Development Of Animals.
The development Of domestic animals
of all kinds for various uses on differ
ent soils, ,in varying climates has hard
1xv tn,