The Mena weekly star., 1910-03-24
BY MEN WHO KNOW.
Agricultural School Commissioners Tell of the Work to Be Done and
 of Its Importance.

of the talks made by mem mbers ot state agricultural school commis- sion in the Elks club last Thurs day night:
 w. F. Tate of Camden, was first introduced by C. A. Smith, presiding. Mir. Tate stated that up 10 the time that Secretary Wilson became the head of the Department os Agriculture, the government of the United Stales had looked after the fostering ol every other branch of industry and human eudeavor, but had al- lowed the most important of all, that upon which all the rest were dependent for existence, to drift on as 1t might, unheeded and unaided. Secretary Wilson put the vast machinery of the govern meut to work to change this, to encourage and to nourish the greatest of all industries, farm ing, and uow almost every county in Arkansas, and all over the Union, was receiving aid from the general government, and this aid can be had by every man in the nation.
 The speaker described the pro- posed state agricultural school as fitting in between the common school and the university. It's purpose was not to teach how to go out and take up other walks in life, but to teach the young men and young women to make our farms what they ought to be.
 The motto is to be: Learn how to do by doing''
 He said that soil is never dead. That the worst worn-out land could be made to rise up aud yieldsto proper treatment as quick ly as would an old dog, whipped to the ground, rise to pat add a kind word from his master. He spoke of the branch of domestic science, where the girls are to re- ceive a fair chance at learning bow to make homes, how to cook a dish of rice so every grain would stand out fiaky and alone, how to cook potatoes better than mother ever knew, how to trim hats, cut clothing by measure, and the thousands of things that would make them suitable wives for the young men sent out with a knowledge of how to farm, all working to make farm life at tractiye, as 1t should be.
 Prof. s. NJ. Sampson, who fol- lowed, said that tho only solution of the high cost of living and the economic problems of the nation must be found through improved farming. He said that congress could legislate, and committees investigate, but he believed he could take committee with him in lumber wagon with d good span of mules and drive them over the country about six days aud give them the best idea of the cause of the trouble.
 He said that he believed, all things considered, we lived in the finest agricultural state in the Union. He said he came, 20 years ago, from Iowa, rated as the richest state in the Missls- sippi valley, but we have many advantages over those people.
 With proper handling of the soils, we can raise at least sixty bushels to the acre on our poorest land. One young man down near Warren raised over one hundred bushels of corn to the acre, and another youug man up near Con- way carried prize, raising l0l H bushels to the acre. This farm up near Conway illustrates the point we want to make. We want to make this ground more produc- tive. That is one of the great things we expect to accomplish from the establishment of these schools, the increase of the soil, and we wilt do that--aud in order to do that, we must bring into work higher order of intelh- gence. We need farmers on the farm who read and study. In my boyhood days, 1 remember hear ing the old folks express this idea: John is very bright boy and wants to go 10 school-so they send him away to school and make lawyer out ot him. Bill is also a pretty bright boy, so they send him away to college and make doctor out of him; but Henry seems so dull, we will just make a farmer out of him.
 That seems to have been tue prevailing Idea heretofore, and am so glad to see that the people are awakening to the fact that 1t requires more brains to run farm than anything else we have. l do no. believe that any body that uu. derstands the business of farming can dispute that fact. What vel want to do is to get the brains cultivated and m q To fh aee cf-t.Nele