The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-11-03
EDUCATING FARMERS.

IL Is a 1dIi w bt htBiOit'' |
nevertheless a fact that surprising
w large percentage of sailors, men
who live the greater part of their
fine upon the seas. cannot swim, but
while we are sstonished to be told
this.-it Is merely to prepare the way
for saying that a very large number |
of men who own and operate farms |
do not know how to farm. While, OF
course, the element Of life risk Is not
so manifest with the tiller of the SOIL
as II is with the men who go down
Flo tho sea in ships, there is mani
fest loss to the farmer, not because
of any lack of effort, but because an
essential to the full measure OF sue
| cess Is missing, and the price Tor the
omission is curtailed earning capacl-
Itv. Not all farmers who are lacking
! In needed knowledge are willingly In
| this condition, and those who are
must expect to bring up the rear oil
the procession as do the willfully lg-
norant in every walk of life.
Texas being a strictly agricultural
state. is decidedly Interested IN the
welfare of the men whose living de-
lpends upon the soil plus their efforts
land for the work of the state agri-
cultural department in its endeaVor
to supply the deficiencies of the TAR
inner as touching technical matters or
value TO him there can be nothing
but commendaton offered. 1t VIII De
IA good many years before the ieaFen
Eof the A & NJ. college will be appre-
ciably felt. and until that time there
4 will be plenty of work for demonstra-
tors, lecturers and instructors 10
show the average farmer the better
wav of reaching a desired result. AS
lsuch a large portion of Texas farmers
are German natives, men who nave
!, come to Texas to lend their aid in
building up a great empire, 1t is emf
inentlv proper that instructions be
! given them in the tongue they unaer-
stand hest; no one can find cause for
tobiecting to this latest move OF the
agricultural department in sending a
German lecturer to those sections or
tthe state where people of that ma
-Itionality largely predominate-ln
.. fact. il would be still better if the
g iproper person could be secured to
send TO the Bohemian and Italian
:, settlements as we'll, men who could
tell them in their own language the
r better methods of American farming,
Anything that increases the capa-
city of our soil Increases the wealth
= of the entire state, and every Texan
is participation in the sum it adds tc
: our assets; that Texas does not pro
tduce more than it does from th'
: number of acres under cultivation i
-, ,.s---a-,.- "'.a ,s---.-..-.,-s ---''',+
: where flaw in our ystem. II is the
business of the state agricultural de
e pertinent TO discover the weak pla-
a ces, and so far as is possible remedy
them In this labor it is believed the
proper lead is being followed and
f the instruction being given the far
4 mer by printed matter and oral in
= struction is a step in the right direc-
ton There possibly exists a larger
field for teaching outside the walls
1 of the agricultural colleges than in
. side, and while 10 such thorough in
t struction can be impaired through
, the medium OF pamphlet and lecture
as is done by class work, yet a very
large amount OF valuable aid can be
extended the man who probably
stands most in need of 1.-THE work
ing farmer who has been denied the
privilege of technical school instruc-
: Cal Trib