The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-09-13
THE PRESS AND THE

farming in North Carolina has beeh
helped by the pathetic interest OF
| the press of the State. Farming IS
the biggest interest in North Carollna
and the press owes to that interest It's
earnest cooperation and assistance.
| est of the North Carolina papers
have rendered this help enthusiastlcal-
ly and cheerfully, and the editors were
astonished last week at the speech OF
Mr.. A. l.. French, of Rockingham
county, before the Farmers Congress-
in which he criticized the local press
for the treatment they gave the farm-
ers. h local editors were all the
more astonished when the Farmers
Congress, in their resolutions, crlt1-
cized them for not doing more for the
fam and the farmers.
This unexpected and unjust criticism
Of the local press has been the sub
ject of discussion this week by most
of the weeklies in the State, and most
of them have easily shown that they
have led even the farmers in trying
TO d to the success and progress OF
agricultural development. Talking
about his criticism Of the press and
the answering criticism Of the editors,
the columns Of this paper We're open
ed to Mr.. French to make a state
ment. He accepted the invitation and
writes as follows:
Mr.. FHrencn's Statement
To the Editor: Referring to your
editorial of August 31st, concern''S
''1Hha Press and the Farmers u IN
to present to you readers more co-a-
pletely my views upon this important
subject to which you have called at
tention, which views have been quite
generally excepted to by the local
press of the state as being, in the
opinion of the editors, IN unjust crit
cism of their attitude.
] wish first to say that it is not
the attitude of the press toward the
farming business to which ! take ex-
ccption in the service Of calling at
tention to large crops made by in
dividual for the loca papers
are. as a class, I believe, giving enougn
il not too much space TO this matter
Of small areas Of over-groWn crops
produced by use of excessive amounts
of commercial fertilizers.
1t is gener& conceded, I believe,
by thinking meH that while the bust
ness of agriculture is today the States
greatest industry, yet we are far behind
other businesses and professions in
the march of twentieth century prog
ress. And because of the pressing
needs of all of our State
and Nation there must be q radical
change in the handling of our soils
and farming business generally.
| wish to state it as an incontrOvert-
ible fact that real farming requires
in its handling as high a degree Of
intelligence, as thorough training of the
mind and aS keen jlGVrnpYt as 2nNI
profession under the sun.
The sad failures made on the farm
by men who have been more than
usually successful in other lines Of
endeavor and who later have taken up
the business of farming; also the ter
rihle condition of farming lands all
over our State Cnillions of acres al
most ruined in seventy-five years.,
brought about through using un-
scientific methods by the rank and
file Of my feliow-farmers should be
proof conclusive of the above state
mcnt.
The problem Of today and of the
future is that of building soils and
securing at the same time greater
crops than were obtained by the crude
mining process Of our fathers day.
SO the greatest need Of our State to-
Of the highest native ability who have
received the best training along
agricultural lines. But to induce such
young men to take up agriculture
rs their life work, they must be
assured that when they have done the
best that there is in them they will
receive the same social recognition
as will men Using a like degree of
brain and business force who are fol-
lowing other professions.
The young E1lan must be assured
that should he f}te tempted to induce
a bright. cultured girl to share the
life with him on the farm that she
viii be able, because OF the high re-
gard in which her husbands business
is held. to take her place alongside
the woman of equal culture who is
the wife of the banker, lawyer, doc
tor, manufacturer, etc.
The local press we recognize as one
of the great forces, if not the great
est. that is al work in our rural COM