The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-25


\ mer is Issachar. He knows
\ - ! that he has pleasant land, but
IL like strong ass he has been
Nj - crouching beneath two burdens
the lack of education, and
the tribute he pays to the
Northern farmer for things good agricultural
education would show him how to raise for him
self.
l can well remember when four of us with a
President opened the North Carolina A. & NJ. Col
lege in Raleigh. with one lone building standing
on barren hill covered with brckbats and rocks
where now the beautiful lawns and parade ground
are l remember, too, that at that time the farm
ers sent their sons there with the strict injunction
that they not to take the agricultural course
for there was nothing for them in farming. One
man who owned good farm, living in an
official position in town, and said to me that he
wanted to send his to the college and wanted
to know what course of study was best for them.
| suggested the agricultural course. mo, thank
you, they could get enough of that at home but
there is no money in farming"
Then we were watched by the other colleges
with rather jealous eye, and the farmers of the
State apparently had no sympathy for our work
But the college lived and grew The farm papers
and the farmers institutes educated the farmers
and infused ideas. and by degrees the intelli-
gent farmers came to that there was a need
for education of the men who are to build up the
waste places and redeem the lands Of the South
Now the Farmers Union is the first of the farm
ers organizations to really take active interest
in agricultural education. When a Farmers
Union, like the one in North Carolina last fall
puts up $50 to pay my expenses there to have an
institute it is evidence of the spirit that the
Union has infused into the members of the or
ganization Issachar is feeling his oats. and is
determined to stop paying tribute to the North
And what is the way to shift his burdens?
Education and efficient training in better methods
and compact social organization among farmers
lssachar is strong ass but there is no need
of his carrying needless burdens. Education will
enlighten his mind and organization will give him
power The burden Of poor farming is due to
lack of knowledge of better methods and the
poor farming is the cause of the burden of the
tribute to the Northern farmers Education will
clear him of the burdens. and organization will
not only help him in business matters but will
make more sociable man of him.
The farmers of the Southern States have gotten
new ideas in regard to the work of their colleges
or agriculture, and in most of them the students
in agriculture are outnumbering those in other
courses Issachar is gradually throwing off one
burden that will enable him to throw off the
other.
Any young man of energy and industry who
loves the farm can now work his way through the
North Carolina A. & NJ. College and probably any
OF the others. What is now most sorely needed
is to make the Farmers Union a force behind the
rural schools to compel the teaching of the ele-
ments OF agriculture so that those who cannot go
to college, but must go back to the farm from
school, will go back with some of the new ideas
The Farmers Union can be made the greatest
help in this educational work of any organization
in the South. This is time in the affairs of the
Southern farmer when the organization can do