Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-12

milk and honey. 1t has been calculated
that an educated farmer Is worth $1o,-
OOJ more to the community than an ur-
educated one, from an economic stand
point. The great difficulty encountered
by those who would inaugurate sctentif-
ic farming methods in the whole country
has been to awaken the farmer to the
Importance of 1t all, so that he would
lend a hand in the effort 20 pull him
out of the rut of impracticable routine.
For years scientific farming education
has been obtained as easily as an educa-
ton for the law, the ministry, the count
ing house or the medical profession. Yet
the son who was to remain farmer was
not sent to a school for farmers as the
one who was to become lawyer was
sent to the school for lawyers.
Today the educators are carrying the
evangel of scientific agriculture direct
ly to the doors of the farmers. Where
bulletins and other advice issued by ex-
perir- mt stations and agriculture de-
partments seldom are acted upon, on the
theory that this might be true on some
other land, but 1t would not do the same
on mine" the ocular demonstrations
of the modern agricultural teachers
have awakened a live interest and have
convinced the farmer that it will do on
his land.
Some time ago the Wisconsin univer-
sity AGRICULTURAL department conceived
the idea Of taking a corps OF scientists
out into the rural districts and superin-
tending the spraying of apples against
the coddling moth. The farmers were TO
furnish the labor and the state would
furnish the spraying material Many
orchards were sprayed, and when the
harvest home meeting was held and the
sprayed crops were gathered, IL was
shown to the large number of farmers
who attended that all but six per cent
of the apples on the unsprayed trees fell
off, while nearly 10 per cent OF those
on the sprayed trees remained on. When
the next potato season came on the
same offer was made to potato grow
ers, and the result was $50 bushels or
fine potatoes to the acre where there
were 90 bushels to the acre on unsprayed
ground The result was that the mind
of every farmer who saw it became as
fertile and hospitable TO the new evan
gel as his land was to the new treat
ment.
When the farmer sees these things
with his own eyes he loses some OF his
contempt for what he used to denomi-
nate kid glove farming" and lowers his
estimate of his old farming with his
sleeves rolled up" He suddenly be-
comes a convert from his old ways, and
awakes to the Importance OF giving his
son a course at a school for farmers.
Thereafter ii is comparatively easy
Even he may decide himself to attend
some of the ten day courses that his
state university offers. and at least he
will attend every farmers institute
that comes his way.
The magic lantern has had a truly
magic effect on many farmer, for in
the lectures that are now being given
the stereopticon plays no insignificant
rart. On the screen he may see scientif-
icalIy treated and nOn-Scientifically
treated crops growing side by side. Eve
~ modern method known to enlist the
interest of those who are Indifferent is
patiently tried out, and in this way the
farmers are being awakened. The lit
tie red, sch DOL house, so long the symbol
of popular education in America. has
been partially responsible for the lack of
farming education in the rural schools