The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-11-09
SECRETARY WILSON AT CON-
GRESS.

The delegates to the Farmers Con-
gress il Raleigh were glad to welcome
Secretary James Wilson, of Washing
ton, and sorry that public duties called
him to Washington. He came on the
day Of the Durham-Greensboro ex-
custom and took it with the delegates.
He was warmly greeted, for the far
mers appreciate the fact hat he has
done more to advance agriculture than
any of his predecessors. He mas beer
progressive along practical lines and
in every section of the country good
results have followed the work of his
carefully selected agents and asso-
ciates. Here is a pen picture Of Mr..
Wilson and his speech written by our
Durham correspondent:
Secretary Wilson.
The surprise Of the occasion was
the visit Of Secretary Wilson, of the
Department Of Agriculture. Nobody
was looking for him and it is small
justice to him to say that he made the
hit of the trip here.
Mr.. Wilson doesn't look like a
holder Of a portfolio, he looks and
talks like a North Carolina farmer
and he talks sense. ust when peo-
pie of this State are beginning to
the name of his State, he comes along
and says "I-owe-her," like "a North
Carolina natives and we shall con-
tinue to call Iowa, "I-owe-her,'' our
own way, not "Our-way,'' which is
their way.
The secretary had no more notes
than he used to have in "I-owe-her"
when he sowed wheat-and mayhap
wild oats and argued points of ethics
with a contumacious mule. But he
had the goods with him all the same.
w hav been educating our people
away from the farm" he said, land
I have no fault with our educational
machinery, but I think we ought to
educate them to it. I confess that /
have a sympathy for the man who
wants an agricultural school in every
county This doesn't mean a house
or an institution, necessarily, but
there ought to be some way whereby
the farmers could gather and talk ag-
every once in awhile.
The effect Of this education has
been to reduce the United States al
most to an import nation rather than
an expOrt one. Teach our farmers
that a bushel Of wheat means always
a dollar everywhere, and you will have
more wheat than you can shake a
stick at.
"Of course the lure of the city and
the slogan go west have had much
to do with taking our educated men
from the farms of our own country,
but the place for farmers now is in
the South. Here you ought to grow
a bale of cotton to every acre and
almost every product finds a: friendly
soil in your beautiful country. We
must teach our young men to stay on
the farm, for upon them depends the
feeding Of the world.
"Our education should be along the
lines how best to obtain the best pos |
slble results. I am happy that our
are able to send their chill
dren to school and college, and it
means that the generations to come
will be educated. When I entered
Congress / was the only farmer there. |
Don't o think we might have had |
at least two?
w are not here to discuss notifies.
but how to farm. There are 1000 |
men er my employment in the de- |
partment of agriculture. but I dc not
know the politics of eleven. We are |
not concerned about that phase of it. !
we are trying to keep our men on thu |
farms. Why, IN New York State. sixty I
miles from Albany and 20 from Utica. |
third house is untenanted and |
Tn e1arms are being deserted"