Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-11-26
farmer must be taught to farm.

The average man in the city be-
lieves that the way to teach farm
err to farm is TO send him to an agr1-
cultural college. From what Mr.. Hill
said, it seemed as if he believed that
would be about the worst possible
way to teach farmer how to farm.
He says a state might just as well
build schoolhouse in the center of
its domain and expect all OF the chill
dren in the state to go to 1t. II
all of the farmers could 60 to agri-
cultural colleges, Mr.. Hill doubts If
the instruction they would receive
would do them much good. He says
agricultural colleges are best fitted
| to train teachers to teach farmers.
He says agricultural colleges shoot
over the heads of farmers. # they
want to describe mullen stalk, agr1-
cultural college professors use a
string of Latin words that make the
farmers brain reel. In short, they
begin their instruction somewhat be-
yond the point where farmer ends
his experience of lifetime.
Teaching the Farmer.
Mr.. Hill was asked how he believed
farmers should be taught He said
he did not know that he was prepar-
ed to announce formulated plan.
He did know, however, in general
way, how farmers might be effective
~ instructed.
There are about sixty-five agricul-
tural colleges in this country" he
said. Suppose that each of these
colleges should put three good.
bright graduates into each county rs
teachers. Suppose that the teachers
sent out by each college should be
put under the supervision of high
! class scientific OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES a
| mere time-server, but man who
would be interested in his work.
Then let these teachers go right out
into the country to teach the farm
ers, instead of requiring the farmers
to go to the colleges to be taught.
"Let a teacher ride up to a farm
and say to the farmer: I have the
| best seed wheat that is known. If
you will prepare and cultivate the
ground as tell you to do, I wiz sup
ply you with enough Of this wheat
to SOW not less than two acres nor
more than four. Will you do it?'
Agricultural Diplomacy.
Suppose the farmer says he does
mt want to. All right let the teach
er say, I will see if your neighbor
does not want to- He will rot have
to look far before he will find sumo
one who is willing to try the expert
ment Then he can teach ',e farmer
who is willing to try, how to prepare
his ground. It must be fortified. Il
there isn't any fertilizer or tie farl.
it must be bought Fertilizers can
not be neglected. 1t is because 1t is
neglected, and because crops are not
rotated as they should be, that the
production of our farm lands has
fallen so low.
"Well, after thrashins time next
year, the farmer who wouldn't try
will run across the far:ne" who did
try and say John: h ~ did you come
out with the wheat that thai college
fellow showed yoI how TO sow?'
And John will perhaps Say to him,
oh, it went thirty bushels to the
acre."
"That will sett!7 she doubling
farmer. A man who is raising only
thirteen or fourteen bushels to the
acre will hold back no longer when
he sees that it is just as easy to more
to double his crop without doubling
his labor.
I'm this way one tea : 1cr i'll sin
gle fall could superintend the sowing
of a good many ca erimental fields
of wheat Suppose that each teacher
superintended the sowing of thirty
fields. With .hrcr teachers in a
county, that wo Id mean jnn farms
in a state containing Coo counties.
Direct personal, practical ius;ru"-
ton of this sors Iod.d soon produce
results. The farmer is no fool. He
needs only to be shown once. But
there is no use Of throwing Latin
names at him. He :.annnt ne Taught
that way. The best way TO teach
him is to send :. man tn hiM to show
him how to do things md the in
struction need no" en1 with an IL
Illustration Of The best wa. Id grow
wheat. 1t $iiourd ca.ur everything
that the farmer needs 20 know
Then Mr.. Hill went IN to eiutidate
another part Of his tiiao"y with re-
gard to the Cause a,f the high lost
of living. lie said the Am, ric;,n pee
pie were to- extravagant. He vas
asked if he saa sy ,-::he American
people" the farmers and city W ,rk-