The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-08-23
NOT MORE FARMERS BUT
BETTER FARMING NEEDED
Mistake II it Tries to Take City
Failures Country, Says Assistant Secretary of Agri-
Country Must Double Farm Output

through the greatly increased crop yields
which must necessarily result from the
application OF correct methods.
NO better demonstration of the great
and immediate improvement arising
from practical demonstration work need
be looked for than the growth OF the
beet sugar industry i'll recent years from
nothing to point where it now supplies
more than half the sugar grown in the
United States. Every one OF the seventy
one beet sugar factories distributed
Throughout seventeen states owes its
successful existence to the fact that ii
is virtually a center for instruction III
the best agricultural practices. Sugar
beet growing cannot be made profitable
otherwise than upon scientific lines. The
crop requires more than ordinary care
and skill, but because of its profitable
ness farmers have been keen to take
advantage OF the instruction afforded
them BY the expert agriculturiStS eri-'
ployed BY the beet sugar factories TO
show them how to get the best results
from their crops.
Nor is this instruction confined to"
methods of raising the beetS since the
best results for both the factory and the
farmer are achieved by growing them III
a fOur-vear rotation with other crops
The indirect benefits OF sugar beet grow
ing, through the comprehensive instruct"
ion in all around scientific farming which,
is an economic necessity of this industry,
have led both Secretary Wilson and DR..
Wiley to champion the sugar beet IN
dustry of the country and TO oppose
vigorously its threatened destruction by
the removal of the tariff duty on sugar
The farmer in the beet sugar territory.
who sees his neighborS profits increase
on every kind of crop through the appli-
cation of correct farming taught by the
factory experts is not slow to follow SUIT
The lesson has been Brought directly TO
his door and the same would be true in
the case OF the establishment OF an
adequate number OF vocational schools.
But in order to make the best use
Of the knowledge which has been ac-
qured there must be also proper DIS
tributon OF the population upon tho
farms and in the cities and even moro
important is the character of the worSs
ers to be distributed II is in this CON
nection that eugenlcs bear a close and
vital relation to the science OF agricut-
ture The best blood of the race has
alwavs been contributed by the country
to the city and must always be. Con
sideration Of that fact reveals the tauacy
OF the so-caled back -the-farm move
ment in so far as it means the return
TO the farm from the cities of those who
have proven failures Charity is mis-
guided which seeks to send the derelicts
Of the city to rural communities Since It
is but weakening the future vigor and
efficiency of the race at its source. No
survey of the future having FOR its pur-
pose increased efficiency OF the race i:,'
complete without full recognition OF the
intimate relation OF eugenics to agricui-
tu-e in a practical sense. BY making
farm life as attractive as possible through
such dissemination Of knowledge as wiz
bring to rural communities the greatest
possible financial reward and through
the expenditure of such public funds as
rrav be necessary. more of the most
y;rilc element will be kept in the enyiron-
,rer, which will enable it naturally to
fal-l its function of increasing the pre-
lcrance OF the best blood. Every
.A,rr-e which would have a natural
.-.-. icy to encourage a result such as
q ;- 'e-orveS energetic encouragement
.t.. .Jt.on-"