The Southern farm gazette., 1908-07-18

statement. but any one who will carefnuu
read the history of farming in the nineteenth 60
tury can only come to the conclusion that n ~.
been mining instead Of farming. soil rohho-
rather than intelligent agriculture.
Speaking broadly, we have not even begun -
really farm. There Is a farmer here and th.-
who is growing twice the average crop; for aY
ample sixty-ave bushels of corn In Iowa ins,s.a
OF thirty-two. thirty bushels OF winter wheat In
stead OF ffteen. sixty bushels OF oats instead a.
thirty: and Ia doing this right along year afta,
year. and all the while maintaining and gradual.
ly increasing the fertility OF his land This shov,
that II L. possible. Farmers who do this have M
occasion to move West or South North or Eas.
what is accomplished actually by few is possi-
BILE for all. The average quarter section In Iowa
or any of the adjoining States will pay we'll for
twice the labor actually employed. provided that
labor 10 employed iutelligentiy.
When We reach the point where every farmer
does his best intellectually as we'll as physically
when no farms according TO the teachings Of the
best agricultural papers and colleges and Expert
ment Stations, there will be no temptation to nnd
better country than these corn and grass States
of the Middle West Hence the remedy Ii the
only remedy for a great many things In this
world. and that 10 a broader intelligence. higher
skill. and better work.
inspiring Results Of study and intelligence Al.
ready Visible.
We are. however. gradually improving our
methods. More men now pay dollar year for
ass1cuhurai papers In advance than ever before
Ono not expect very much improvement In
farming long the farmer Is willing to accept
an agricultural paper as present. and thus has
his reading In his own iinc OF business provided
for him by some man In some other line OF bust
ncas ~ho IN looking after his own interests and
not that OF tho reader. And this improvement
wIll continue. Tho percentage OF men who are
paying for their papers In advance Ia increasing
every year. and will continue to increase.
Moro men have bought manure sprcaders IN
tho las, avc years than over before and the num-
b-s will increase until 10 bc without a manure
sprcadcr ia To write yourself down poor farmer.
More men viii put up sllos In tho next year than
ever before More are testing their cows
this year TO ascertain which arc worth keeping
than ever before More grain drills have been
soId the last year than before. We do not
know ,ha, more land In going down TO clover this
year than before: but II not. /, Ia because OF
tho impossib.li,y OF securing seed. More men
arc taking OF their seed corn tho last two or
shfec ycara than ever before.
All this Indicates that there II a good time
comm. for tho farmers OF tho corn and Erass
States. but II viii come not In tho tine OF more
drndgcry. moro hard work. but moro intclitgence.
moro reading. moro studying. more experiments
ton. When this has gonc few years longer.
and men have n clearer perception of tho ad-
vantaEoa of tho corn and grass States and Of
farm life. the rural population will increase In
stead OF decreasing. a. II has been In all tho older
acctions for the last thirty years.