The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-02
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

| North Dakota is blessed with fer
tile soil but somewhat cratic sea-
sons. Under these conditions, slip
shod farming is accompanied with
great uncertainty. Where the element
of chance is allowed to enter, the farm
| er's calculations, all state interests,
financial and otherwise, are in ieopar-
dy. 1t requires two good years to
overcome the evil effects of one bad
year. However, conditions can large
| ly be controlled. This is essentially
what we mean by agricultural educa-
| ton. There is not state in the I'M
ION where agricultural education can
do more toward reducing farming to
| q nearly exact science, that can prac-
| tically insure results than in North
Dakota The widest dreamer has not
| yet actually measured the tremendous
| ly productive possibilities of this state,
but it will require education--not the
education Of a few hundred out of
many Observation-Disclosures for the
! boys in school and for the men and
women on the farms; scientific and
practical training on the campus, and
| college extension work carried to the
farm home.
The sum Of $4,000 judiciously ex-
pended annually in the supervision of
farm management can easily be made
to net the farmers of the state $25, 000,-
coo every year. This is no dream. But
| information is not all that farmers
need.
| Thousands must be shown how
must be stimulated by the influence Of
| personal contact, advice and influence.
| If this side of the states interest is
given the attention it merits, there
will never be any question about North
Dakota's ability to make ample pro-
vision for all her domestic institu-
| tions, and in addition, diffuse general
prosperity amongst all her citizens.
The farmer is the Key to prosperity;
| hence the agricultural college and
experiment station should be related
| to every farmer in the state and to ev-
| cry farmers son and daughter, as the
lawyer is related to his client This
advisatory relationship should be COR
dial and continuous and lack of means
to sustain it should be the last con-
sideration.
! The agricultural college belongs to
| the state. 1t knows no section, no
party, no creed except the doctrine
| that stands for the largest possible de-
velopment OF our natural resources.
| Whatever in the way of education, in
vestigation, demonstration, lecture, all
vice, or any other influence that can he
| brought to bear favorably upon these
natural resources will prove a bless
| ing to every citizen of the state. is
there an objector or obstructionist?
Let him explain his attitude.
Note the past seven years. Prior to
the present year, drummers were in
evidence everywhere. They jollied each
ether on trains; they crowded around
| the stables of the country hotels; the
state literally swarmed with them;
they were doing business; they were
selling goods.
| Merchants were happy because they
were getting rich. Banks were organ
ICED in every village in the state.
Now comes a bad year. Bad-why ?
| Because farmers did not meet natures
demands. They were not educated 20
| co so. Result--drUmmers very scarce
| merchants selling but few goods. Bust
ness men hedging everywhere: ev-
| erybody waiting and praying for bet
ter times. What is the remedy? The
farmer must be prepared to meet the
whims Of Dame Nature, let them be
as erratic as they may.
What was the trouble in 1910? In
sufficient moisture. Why? Farmers
not know how. Such mistakes should
never occur Those that did know how
| had big crops.