The Prescott daily news., 1910-08-24

SSl 7 s~~~~-~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~SO~N~~~~S " demicians and philosophers will effect Tn ten centuries" It Is absurd to think that any man who has studied the subject on lv theoretically Is fit to direct those who practically work at the matter. But friends wish to insist to you hereto you practical men, who own and work your farros-that 1t is an equally pernf- cious absurdty for the practical man to refuse to benefit by the work of the stu dN. The English farmer I have quoted VI was a practical farmer, but he was elso sdfent,nc farmer One reason why rhe great business men of today the great industrial leaders-have gone ahead while the farmer has tended to sag behind others, is that they are far more willing. and indeed eager, to profit by expert ma technical knowledge-the knowledge that can only come as a re- suit of the highest education. From railways to factories no great industrial concern can nowadays be carried on save by the aid of a swarm of men who have received a high technical educa- ton in chemistry. in engineering, in cleo tricity, in one ar more of scores of spe- cial subjects The big business man the big railway man does not ask college trained experts to tell him how to run his business but he does ask numbers of them each to give him expert advice and aid on some one point indispensable to his business. He finds this man usually Tn some graduate of a technical school or college In which he has been trained for his life work.
 Farmer Needs Technical Advice.
 In just the same way the farmers should benefit by the advice of the tech n.cal men who have been trained in phases of the very work the farmer does am not now speaking of the man who mas had an ordinary general training, whether in school or college. While there should undoubtedly be such training as a foundation the extent differing accord ing to the kind of work each boy intends to do as man. 1t Is nevertheless true ihat our educational system should more and more be turned in the direction of educating men towards, and not away from. the farm and the shop. During the last haf-century we have begun to develop a system of agricultural educa- ton at once practical and scientific. and we must go on developing It. But. after developing it, 1t must be used. The rich man who spends a fortune upon . fancy farm, with entire, indifference to cost does not do much good to farming; but. on the other hand just little is done by the working farmer who stolidly re- fuses to profit by the knowledge of the day; who treats any effort at improve ment absurd on its face refuses to countenance what he regards as new fansled ideas and contrivanoes. and jeers at all book farming" wish I could take representatives of this type of farm CT down to Long Island. where l live. to have them sec what has been done. not as philanthropy but as a plain business proposition. by men connected with the Long Island railroad, who believe 1t pays 10 encourage the development of farms along the line of that railway. They have put practical men in charge of expert mental farms, cultivatng them intensive ly and using the best modern methods. not only In raising crops. but in securing the best market for the crops when raised The growth has been astounding, and land only fifty miles from New York. which during our entire National lifetime has been treated as worthless. has within the last three or four years been proved to possess a really high value.
 The farmer. however. must not only make his land pay. but he must make country life interesting for himself and Tor his wife and his sons and daughters
 Farmers should learn how to combine effectively AS has been done in industry am particularly glad to speak to the Grange. for l heartily believe in farmers organizations; and ws shpvld all welcome every step taken towards an increasing co-opeTduon among farmers. The impor- tanoe of such movements cannot be over estimated; and through such intelligent joint action it will be possible to improve the market just much as the farm
 Country life should be as attractive as city life, and the country people should Insist upon having their full representation when it comes to deal ing with all great public questions Tn other words. couaSty folks should de- mand that they work on equal terms with city folks in all such matters. They should have their share in tha memberships of commissions and ooun- cils: in short. of all tho ory anixed bod les for laying plans for great enter prises affecting all the people. I an glad to see on such bodies the nam>s that represent financial interest buS those interests should not have thu right-of-way. and fin all enterprises and movements in whioh the sociat condition of the country is involved tho agricultural couAtry-the open country-should be as we'll represented as ths city. The man of the open country ts apt to have pertain qualities which the city man has lost These qualities o0set those which the city ntAR has and hs himself has not Tho tive shoviA be yxt on equal terms, and the eevntev talent be given tAs sAme cppsrtunftx q the sity tsDsnt ts sx- pr4ss itseH and to eontrf0vts ts the wdfarS of me world h which we livA