The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-09-08

in population is to continue we must
look to the soil and conserve mois-
ture which is the transportation sys-
tenn of the plant. Without adding
water beyond what falls from the
clouds it is practical to greatly in
crease crop fields by better soil
management and adding fertilizing
material that we permit to go to for
eign countries. We furnish nitro
genous mill feeds to thrifty foreign
ers who know their value to feed
their cattle to make meats and dairy
products and keep up the fertility of
their soils. These should be fed ON
the farms that grow the grain from
which they are made. New lands are
not to be had for the asking in the
thirty inch rainfall districts of the
country. If we are to prosper as a
people we must give close attention
to our soils and conserve their fertil-
ity by all means in our power"
If Vermont farmers only will learn
this lesson the products of our farms
will increase in a remarkable man
ner and many man who is barely
able to make a precarious living Will
increase his output of crops and his
income of cash very materially.
In view of the fact that State SUI
perintendent Stone and other pro-
pressive Vermont leaders have been
preaching a broader agricultural ed
ucation the following discussion of
the subject by Secretary Wilson will
be found interesting:
THE most important farm conser-
walton is undoubtedly the prepare
ton of farm youth for better farm
management. We have inherited our
system of education that looked to
the farm for the best material to re-
inforce the professions and the in
dustries. Education has, therefore
prepared young people for every
thing but farm life. The American
Congress saw this half a century age
and provided for agricultural col
leges in all the States; these colleges
have grown. and are preparing teach
ers, hopeful task, in the nature OF
things. 1t is difficult to change oil
materially modify the education of q
! DtODlt,
their industries, their literature
their traditions and religion. 1t Is
being done, however, in our country
Research is accommodating facts along
the life lines of our people. The PEG
pie read the publication treating field
and forest, the soil and its crops, the
animal and it's we'll being.
irrigation and dry land farming
new bread and fodder plants, thu
growing of sugar beets last year t.
make our 100000 tons of sugar, thu
prospect of using the carbon dioXyd'
Iof our atmosphere to make all ou
Isweetening, the development of ric
on the Gulf coast to equal our con
sumption, the study of tobaccos o
home growth to save the Nation
money, the exploration of the OIL
World for plants to increase tn
food of the people and add to its var
iety; these and a thousand othe
activities that affect agriculture tn
people read about and approve.
Twenty million pieces of litera
}ture relating to the farm were sen
out from the Department af Agricul
ture during the last fiscal year. Tn
State agricultural colleges all con
tribute to the volume of printed mat
ter relating to the farm
During the past summer PROBES
sor in a New England college cam
into a Vermont town and establishe
a summer home on farm wher
only meagre and stunted crops ha
been raised for many years. He sen
a specimen of the soil to an agricul
tural experiment station for analyst
and received a recommendation as I
the kind of fertilizer needed, just as
physician would diagnose case G
sickness and prescribe a remedy Th
fertilizer was applied and popcor
was planted, the growth being S
heavy and the yield so abundant tina
it seemed almost miraculous to thos
who had known the farm for man
years. Education along these line
is what Vermont needs and when W
get it the census returns will tell
better story than they have been abb
TO do for many decade.