Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-03-08
BETTER FARMING
IS GOLD Mining
MILLIONS EACH YEAR WASTED
BY IGNORANT METHODS.
PROBLEM A DIFFICULT ONE
Is Simple, But Hard TO Mnstcr--Far-
mer too Independent For His
Own Good

own GOOd,
That this country has an asset
which, IL developed, would pour untold
mlllions Of dollars annually into our
Industrial channels is a fact we'll
known to all who have given the sub
ject serious thought. The problem Of
its development Is difficult only be-
cause It is 50 simple There Is no other
problem on the American continent
In the same class with H. What Is this
problem and how big is IT, Lets see.
Suppose a town OF 5000 people Is
surrounded by a farming community;
suppose every farmer In the contribut-
Ing territory were induced to adopt
methods In harmony with latest ap
proved practical teaching for the pro-
duction Of crops. their protection from
Injurious insects, to drain the soil,
return to It the crop residues In the
form Of manure and other decaylng
organic matter; TO SOW only the best
seed; TO feed field products only to|
profitable stock. and to put the finish
ed product on the market In the best
form, It Is easily conceivable that ST.
900, 900 annually could be added TO the
production of the surrounding country
and II Is evident that such an addition
could not be made without touching
every banker, every manufacturer
every storekeeper every doctor. every
lawyer, every newspaper owner and
In fact every person in the town. This
then, is the problem-how can the
Indifferent farmers Of the country be
induced to adopt the improved meth
DDS? II this one thing could be accom-
plished all else involved I'm agricultural
Improvement would come easily as
natural sequence IT. all farmers
would properly drain their land the
problem Of good roads would be SOL
we'd. Increase the income of the indi-
vidual farmer and the means VIII be
at hand TO solve the rural school prob
lem; the Improvement Of rural schools
means the quickening of intelligence;
the beautifying Of rural homes the In
crease Of social advantages and moral
uplift
All this looks simple hence the an
flouty The farmer be me a good. /
bad, or Indifferent one, is independent
He can live. in a way II there are no
agricultural colleges. no experiment
stations and no farmers Institutes nj
the problem were more intricate, in
yolying the expenditure Of immense
sums OF money and the sacrifice Of.
human lives, we could expect the peo-
pie as a whole TO set themselves sooner
to It's solution
This simple problem Of stirring the
indifferent farmer 70 activity does not
o. yet appeal TO the people az It de-
serves, II Is easier 20 build dread !
taught than an agricultural college /.
We can arouse the interest of conti- /
pents IN solving the problem oC a real
navigation but it Is difficult 10 get the
people 90 support enthusiastically the
proposition Of spending money freely |
In teaching the Indifferent farmer how
10 drain his land, why he should use
only the best seeds why he should test
his dairy cows, why he should spray
his apple trees. and how, IN short, he
can increase his income by $1,000 a .
year
There are persons who have an in
spiration as TO the greatness and
value Of this work. and there are
some places where this problem Is be-
Ing worked out; but, on the whole. the
public are more or less Indifferent to
the importance Of the work. If the
development Of our agriculture means
the greatest wealth creation within
the nation and II stirring the In
different farmer to better things Is
the key TO the situation. why do not
our people-manufactu bankers.
professional men, business men, and
Intelligent farmers-rlse In A mass and
demand that this work be carried
through? one reason Is. there Is
too prevalent opinion that work done
among and for farmers Is a charitable
contribution TO a class that should be
able 20 take care Of itself What a
woeful misconception Of the move
ment! Helping the farmer to larger
production and to larger life Is iusti
fled on the ground that thereby we are
contributing 20 the prosperity and up.
lift of the whole community.
We should take this problem out
OF the country and bring It into the
town and city. We should In addition
to discussing It at farmers institutes
and farmers clubs put II up to the
boards OF trade, the bankers assocla-
lions. and even the country teachers
associations, II has been a local Ques-
tlon; we must make It a national ques-
ton. We must bring people 70 see that {
II Is not charity or local contribution,
but merely the Investment OF public
funds that will bring ample returns
70 tho whole people.
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