The Greeley tribune., 1910-11-17
FARMING IN THE WEST
REQUIRES SOME BRAINS

aAA'aE' NpNiiA 1bltAlNS D
Union City, Ga, Nov. 14.-~Farm-
ing Is a serious business, recurring
training and experience like any
other vocation, and is not the calling
for faddist or the chronic failure"
declares Charles S. Barnett, national
president in q communication which
he addressed today to the officers
and members Of the Farmers union
throughout the country. The letter
is as follows:
ITO the Officers and Members of the
Farmer5 Union:
IF the constitution and the creed
of the Farmers union, as well as
your leaders, have seemed to Law IN
due stress upon the value Of agricuI-
tural education and of special train
ing 1t is for the simple reason that
they ar back Of success of life on
the farm.
Il do not unqualidedly approve OIL
the average agricultural college in
this country for the reason that it
teaches too much from the text book
and MOI enough from the turrow
But gradually we are IMPROVING the
grade OF the agricultural college, and
hope, with your cooperation. even
tually TO rouse the American people
to the Importance OF the undertake
ing.
II dc not disparage or ridicule the
ecstatic assertions of the beauties OF
farm HE, or the economic and f.
nancial Independence of life on the
farm. such as is shot at us every
day in the magazines and the news
papers.
But ! insist that, in the main,
such rhapsodies are written by re-
volving chair theorists, who need to
have q few ideas blasted out of theii
heads and few others blasted in, be
fore their preachments can be o
real value.
ITO be a good farmer requires a!
much brains, as much application, a:
much mixture of gray matter ant
muscle as 1t does to be good sales
Lldur 6Oou dtNtpi' spSN Ia w N'
or GOOD clerk.
Livery man is not born to be &
good salesman. a good doctor, law
yer or clerk. That fact is generally
recognixed and acted upon.
"But l know OF mighty few mer
who are not positive they would be
good farmers, and who think that all
that is necessary is to stick a hoe in
the ground. pray for rain and har-
vest he crop.
III you will analyze the great
drift from the farm to the city with
a view to checking IL in your local
ity, YOU will find that great per
centage Of 1t is composed of the
farm failures.
These young men and middle
aged men had the common delusion.
They thought farming was easy
They find it isn't easy. And they go
to the city either to deteriorate into
idlers, or to work several times as
hard than If they had cultivated their
brains instead of their dissatistac-
tion md remained on the farm.
"l'o the man who really wants TO
farm IN America, and who is willing
to give to it the concentration, the
faith. the self sacrifice and the
energy he would give preaching or
to mining "A trolley car or a dry
goods business land will return
a fair dividend, and such freedom as
makes him able to smile at panics
and The whims of an eNacting ana
employer.
Il ask, therefore, that all mem
hers OF the Farmers union apply the
ward stick to themselves.
III you are tempted to leave the
farm for a city, just remember that
in order to make n decent living, TO
feed and clothe and educate your
children. you've got to work twice
MS hard as is needed to do all TINS
and more. in the country.
You needn't take my word Tor IL
Drop a line to some OF your cousins
who have abandoned the farm Tor
tbe own. If they aren't trying to
throw bluff. they'll return sueh an
answer as will point your own de-
risipn "CHARLES $. BARRETT.