Evening journal., 1908-06-16


In the last twelve months and Mr.. Car
ter emphasized the value OF the work
being done by the Experimental farm.
Mr. Derby gave a brief history OF the
agriculture department of the college
and urged that farmers give their sup
port 70 the work.
Problems Of The Farmer.
Mr.. Spillman, Of course. was the
principal speaker OF the day He was
heralded as one of the most able speak
ers of the Department Of Agriculture
at Washington and his appearance was
not a disappointment. His subject was
Farm Management" Mr. Spillman
alluded TO some OF the problems con-
fronting farmers and the urgent need
Of their solution. Chief Of these prob
lens were the lack Of labor on the
farm and the miscomprehension OF ag-
ricultural education. He also empha.
sized that farmers should understand
the function Of the experimental farm
TO view Il in the light OF a research
rather than as money making farm
ing.
THE experimental station has not
been established TO make money" he
said, but 20 find out that thing which
you do not know, and that sort OF
thing is expensive. The information
CLEANED from these plots may be worth
one hundred thousand times more TO
you some day than what you know OF
them now. II Is for this reason that
you should give such an institution
your financial as well as your moral
support"
Labor Drawn Away.
! Taking up his subject directly Mr.
Spillman said in part; Il only want TO
fcall your attention to few import
ant phases OF the theme OF farm man
agement The thing that fnpresses
me more than anything else In con-
nection with farm management is the
fact that the farmer cannot get labor
to do work on his farm. The reason
Is that the profits that the farmer
makes are not large enough 10 enable
him to pay high wages. on 10 other
hand the PROFITS and wages IN 9th :
Industries were never before so hieh
as they are az this time. That draws
labor away from the farm, for the tre-
lmendous development OF other indus
tries tends to the employment OF more
labor.
Now, why is the farmer not able
to make enough profit on his farm 10
pay larger wages and thus obtain his
labor. Let me tell you: This coun-
try Inherited its methods OF education
from England, which had adopted them
from ancient Greece and Rome. where
the education affected only the child
OF the leisure class. We here in this
country adopted the same manner OF
education and taught II IN the same
way AS consequence II had the same
erect IL educated our boys and girl.
away from the farm. We have appliee
10 them the theories OF education thai
were intended for gentlemen OF leisure
We have applied the same princlnl,
TO our colored people In the soutl
and TO the Indians In the West Prac
tcally every minute that our childro,
spend I'm the country school. therefore
has been spent In learning city life
In learning how 10 make living with.
out working for IT,
Education and Profit.
I believe that II they had been givaf
.ne proper education the majority o
farmers would now make enough pro.
III on their farms 10 pay larger wage.
and thus keep labor on the farm Nov
we nave agricultural high schools anc
Z colleges Of agriculture, but stin farm.
ers think that farming Is such moo,
! work that they don't want their bov,
to take a course IN farming. hone I,
, see the day when our country school.
= viii teach our farmers how 10 be farm.
ers There is only one way 10 do II
and that is 10 raise the farmer on IN.
farm and educate him I'm farming. s.
that our boys and girls will be able I,
do as well on the farm as they coul,
DO In the city. The only right wa,
: TO keep them on the farm is 10 MAX,
the opportunity on the farm equal I,
the opportunity in the city I bellev.
! that we can make farming a better
business. because on my visits 10 III,
farms OF great farmers I have been le,
to believe that farming is alwavs ,
good business when a man knows how
TO farm.
No More Free Farms.
Now there ero other problems fac
! ing the farmer. The time Of free FARM
mas gone by The poor man can M
longer go West and get a good farm
Tor nothing. In Europe we have IN,
landed gentry and the peasantry. Il
that what we want? Are we comm,
to that IN this country? I do not thinl
so. / don't want 10 see the ten thous
and acre farm. I want to see III,
. little farm Of 1s or 10 acres scattere,
throughout the country and I want I,
see on them high-minded and educate,
people. With this problem OF less Ian,
is the other one: That the farme
must now cultivate worn out farm
and this is the problem, too, that 4
to be met only with higher agricultu
raj education. an education that vii
make for the adoption OF some farm
lpractice TO build up the soil"
Mr.. Spillman was interrupted by
another heavy rain fall and was oblig
ed to end his address before he ha,
intended He was busted for the res
Of the afternoon, however, answerin.
questions on farm matters. Intermit
tent sunshine and rain drove man;
home after the speaking, but man,
others resumed their inspection Of tn,
farm.
Before the throng OF farmers an,
their families departed. vote OF thank
: was extended to Mr.. Splllman and Il
Professor Hayward for the entertain,
ment-to the latter for "the efiiciecnc,
with which the college had been man