The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-02-02

tention to the advancement of agricul-
ture and the people, who are producing
the largest share of the raw materials,
both for food and for manufactures,
than they are doing at the present day.
The farmer, the most important factor
in the nation s wealth, has gained
| competency whereby he is enabled to
not only produce the highest quality
| and more of the superior goods but
also improve and beautify his home
surroundings. He, among all produc-
ers, is the most self-sufficing; he de-
| ponds less than anybody else upon out
side help, and satisfies more of his
wants by directly producing what he
needs. But, although he enjoys in
peculiar sense this mastery of his sur
roundings, he should not overlook the
truth that he is really quite dependent
both upon his surroundings and upon
| his neighbors. And, again, the fruit
fulness of his own acres does not bring
him independence, but the general pro-
ductlveness of the whole country.
From the report of the Secretary of
Agriculture we note that the farm
value OF all farm products of 1908
reaches the most extraordinary total
| in the nation $ history-$7,77S ,0o0. 900.
This IS about four times the value of
the products of the mines, including
mineral oils and precious metals. The
raw material used in those manufactur-
| ing industries which depend largely
| upon agricultural materials amounted
to 81 per cent. The report for 1908.
when compared with 1907, shows a gain
| in value of farm products to the amount
of $290,000,000.
To account for~this increase we must
| without doubt give the credit to the
men who have given a strict adherence
| to the application of the principles of
agriculture, many of which have but
recently Abeen worked out by the great
army of experiment station workers
and college men throughout the coun-
try.
But why is so much interest conferred
upon agriculture? Is it not because
the nation is giving more attention to
| the fundamental truth that wealth is
| created IN the first place chiefly by the
| growers and the producers of the ne
| cesslties of life and civilizations For
many years this country gave more at
tention to forcing manufactures, for
elgn commerce and other activities that
center in cities at the expense of the
or nf al lie G
were decreasing so that the rural pop-
ulatlon was drifting to the over-crowd-
ed cities. Instead of preserving and
adding to the fertility of the soil,
farmers were following a course which
demonstrated that they were soil rob
bers, Everywhere this was shown and
particularly in the older sections of the
country. For instance, wheat fields
which ten years ago gave a yield of
2l.2 bushels per acre, this last year
gave but 17.3. But on the other hand
where approved practices of agricul-
ture have been followed, crops have
increased from 10 to 80 per cent. in
their yields.
The questions relating to the fertil-
ity of soils are of national import
ance. To meet some of these questions
our national government has been do
| ing much to assist her people at the
| old homestead and in making possible
| new homes where the storage of watel
| is necessary for the production OF
crops. As a result, the farmer occu
! pies today more advanced position il
y the recognition of the proper methods
by which the interests of agriculture
; are to be advarced than the members
of any other class have shown in re
gard to their own interests.
Today agriculture is not what it ha
] been considered in the past-simply
| place to drag out a life with drudger,
and endless monotony. 1t gives
I home to an independent, country-lov
ing people, from which comes the ma
ton s most loyal and stalwart citi
I zens.
] Agriculture is a very comprehensiv
! term in the minds of scientists an
I scientific workers. 1t has very broa
] field. It includes for the student
some study of the physiology of cult
! waited plants; soils, with their physica
I and biological agencies in their rela
tions to crop production; breeds O
] animals, the influence of heredity an
environment upon both plants and an
! mails. the principles o. feeding, tn
! care and handling of milk and il
| products; diseases and insect pest
! and how to combat them; farm ms
I chinery, farm records, and other lik
] topics.
Il To assist young men who hav
chosen to pursue some branch of til
] new agriculture with all the newly-a
I CURED literature, national aid encou
! ages the farmer to build up college
J and equip them with well trained me-
: who will be given adequate pay an
equipment to carry on their work.
Now that Hawaii is to benefit b
I the national appropriation, by co
I lege TO educate her youth, the farme
! should be fully informed SO that the
| can ask their legislators to appropria
! funds for the purchase of lands al
! the erection of adequate buildings.
Since the interests of the Islam
! are given to varied lines of produ
ton, the equipment of the college W
! necessarily be large. The older indu
| tries are calling for men, but MAJ
new ones are arising, and viii cor