Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-09-28

II HkAhIn 70 hCuVUih AOK 4NtHsSAA va $50
theory that will not Justify the gov
eminent in spending money for AM
kind Of education the country over
but the welfare OF the people Is 30 De
pendent on improved agricultural con
ditions that It seems wise to use tn
welfare clause OF the constitution q
authorize the expenditure Of money
for the Improvement in agriculture
education, and leave to the states ant
to private enterprise general ant
other vocational education. The att
tude of the government In all thii
matter must be merely advisory. \
owns no land OF sufficient importance
to Justify It's maintenance OF so large
| a department or OF Its sending into al
states, agents to carry the news o.
recent discoveries In the science o.
agriculture. The $50,000,0O0 which
| has been spent In the department
however, has come back many fold
| to the people Of the United States
and all parties unite in the necessity
| for maintaining those appropriations
and increasing them as the demand
shall increase,
1T Is now proposed to organize Q
| force Of 5000 men, one to every coun.
ty in the United States, who shall
conduct experiments within the coun'
ty for the edification and education
OF the present farmers and OF the
Young farmers who are being edu-
Gated, It is proposed that these men
shall be paid partly by the county,
partly by the state, and partly by the
federal government, and II is hoped
that the actual demonstration on farms
In the county, not at agricultural sta
tions or schools somewhere in the
state-but In the county itself, shall
bring home to the farmers what 1t is
possible to do with the very soil that
they themselves are engaged upon.
| understand this to be the object OF
an association organized for the i'm
provement of agriculture In this coun-
try, and do not think we could have
a more practical suggestion than this.
"The fact Is that farmers are like
other men and influenced by the same
considerations. They are not going
to the trouble of improving their
methods of agriculture just for the
fun Of 1t, or in order to crafty those
who make speeches at agricultural
conventions, or the agricultural stat
isticians of the various states. They
are going to change their methods
p hen they can see it is profitable TO
them to do so, and they want to be
shown. 1t is one thing to read about
a method and of increasing product
profitably, and II 10 another thing to
have an ocular demonstration of the
possibility and practicability Of the
course recommended. That Is the
peculiar advantage Of the plea now
proposed by which an agriculturist
shall take his place in each county,
and selecting various farms snail
make demonstrations to the farmers
and shall bring before thir very eyes
the value Of the methods that he sees
and the crops that he can produce.
1t Is ordinarily not wise to unite adj
ministEation between the county and
state and federal governments, but
this subject is one SO all compelling,
1t is one In which all people are SO
much interested, that cooperation
seems easy and the expenditure OF
money to good purpose so free from
difficulty, that we may properly well
come the plan and try 1t. On the
whole, therefore, | think our agricul-
tural future is hopeful. do not share
the pessimistic views Of many gentle
men whose statistics differ somewhat
from mine, and who look forward to q
strong probability OF failure Of self
support In food within the lives OF
persons now living. 1t Is true that
we shall have to continue the improve
ment in agriculture so as to make our
addition to the product per acre one
per cent OF the crop each year, or ten
per cent each decade; but consider
ing what Is done in Europe, this Is
not either impossible or improbable
The addition to the acreage In drain
age and in irrigable lands will 60 on
must go on. The profit to the state
or to the enterprise which drains
these lands will become sufficient to
make 1t not only probable but neces-
sary, and we may look forward to
the middle Of this century when 2OO,s
100000 Of people shall swear fealty
to the starry flag as time when
America still continues to feed her
millions and feed them well out Of her
own soil.'