Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-12-24
..r.,her Did IL This way"

"Father Did 1t This Way"
Wallace's Farmer: We have a great
deal of respect for the young farmer
who adopts the methods Of his father,
and when asked why he does things
In a certain way replies: "That's the
way my father did IT," or, as an Irish
farmer once replied when we asked
him what was the ease for the uni
versal practice in Ireland OF growing
potatoes In ridges, ~ suppose as our
fathers did so do we." Whether con-
sciously or not, there Is an assump'
tion that there was a good reason fol
the father or the fathers doing it this
way, whether we know the reason OF
not.
We also have great respect for the
conservatism Of the farmer. He has
good reason for being conservative,
for the method of farming after all is
that Of "cut and dry" from genera
ton to generation. We interrogate
nature by doing things a certain way
II she responds favorably we do 1t
that way again. If she responds un'
favorably continuously, we drop that
method. Farming at the beginning
is empirical, that is, found out by
trial or experience, rather than scien'
tiHc. The scientist comes In after.
wards and tells US the reason why ma
ture has responded in this way OF
that, to this method or that, and
thus gives us a guide for our expert,
ments in the future.
No man should be satisfied with do
Ing things as his father did them
without knowing the reason why he
did them and getting a firm grasp OH
the underlying principles. The rea-
son why the Irish farmer ridges his
potatoes while the farmer 10 the Mis-
sissippi valley gives them level cul-
lure is quite obvious ON close study.
The former Is farming In a country OF
frequent light showers and cool sum-
mers; hence he ridges his potatoes to
prevent them from being waterlogged
and to secure the requisite heat, and
can do 50 with impunity because there
is no danger of their being dried out
by . prolonged period Of drouth. The
American farmer gives his potatoes
level culture In order to prevent
them from drying out in periods Of
dry weather. He does not fear their
being drowned out. So in this case
both farmers act on scientific princi-
Piles, whether they know these prin-
ciples or not. In other words II we
know the underlying principles we
can follow directly the contrary
method under one set Of circum-
stances that we would under the
other, and do 1t with perfect safety.
Vast amounts Of money have been
thrown away by farmers who moved
from the eastern forests to the west
ern prairieA by doing things the way
their fathers did them without know
Ing the reasons that governed their
fathers, and not taking into account
the changed conditions. 1t was the
custom In the eastern states to give
q very deep blowing at the last
cultivation, often tearing up the sod
that had been plowed under In the
This could be done with COM
parative safety, because there was
not much danger from drouth and
hence not nearly as much danger
from root pruning as In the west.
The man who would follow that
method under Nebraska or Kansas
conditions wouh most certainly ruin
his corn crop both by root pruning
where moisture Is delcient-and by
facilitating tue drying out of the
land.
No man IS really an up-to-date
farmer who follows the practice of
his father without knowing why his
father did 1t, or without knowing the
scientific reason-which Is the COM
mon sense reason for the adoption Of
the method, even II his father could
not tell him his reason for following
It. We must not be satisfied with
doing things a U neighbors do
them. or as farmers in the east do
them, or farmers In foreign countries;
but must know why it is-must know
the law that governs, SO that we may
vary our methods as circumstances
require.
We threw away = good many dollars
worth OF clover seed In our early
experience ia Iowa by doing a. father
did and - agricultural books and
papers advised. We did not know
that clover under western conditions
and on western soils required 4 much
deeper covering than under eastern
and ON eastern soil. We
had not yet caught hold Of the essen
tial principle In clover growing that
must have neat, moisture, air,
al three; that the depth which It
should DO covered Is thst which will
give L. moisture without excluding