The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-08-29
Why Study Agriculture
BY Frank Montgomery

notwithstanding the wonderfui
manufacturing and commercial deNtl-
opments OF the last forty years, the
fact remains that agriculture Is inc
all important industry. Boys ana sirlS
have hurried eff to the cities to seek
their fortunes, not realizing the Tor
tunes they arc leaving behind On
the old farm. This is true to such en-
extent that far too few strong young
hands are left TO SOW and harvest
the crops and care for the livestock
The rural population is decreasing
oyer much of the eastern half OF the
United States while the cities are
growing rapidly. These city people
must have more and more to eat
every year. Where is it to come
| from?
Two things must be done. We must
learn how to make our farms produce
more; and more Of the boys AMI
| girls must be convinced that they are
better off to stay on the farm. The
study of agriculture is the chi"
means by which these ends may be
accomplished.
One of the first lessons to learn
is how to make and keep our land
fertile. Our fathers and grandfathers
| had so much land they could afford
/ to abandon an old worn out field,
| clear up some new land and farm
that. But these big farms have been
divided up among the children till
most of us only have a few fields,
and we must make them produce our
/ living, educate cur children, and
provide comfort for our declining
| years. This seems almost impossible,
/ hut thousands have learned the les
son, and the three or four old worn
out fields are now yielding more than
/ grandfather's big farm did.
The Old Indian Chief Squanto taught
q good lesson in enriching the SOL
when he buried the fish with his
/ seed corn and babe the pale face
watch 1t grow. The National Govern
ment, the State Experiment Sta
tons. and our colleges that teach
/ agriculture have spent much time
and money to discover how best %
make the soil more fertile, by rotat-
ing crops, saving the manure, deter
mining what fertilizers to buy and
what ones not to buy.
! The wise fathers and the wise boys
are the ones that plan and sacrifice
to get to the school where they can
/ learn not only about soil fertility,
but also how best to prepare the
ground for planting. what crops are
best adapted to certain soils, how
to cultivate and harvest the Crops
so as to get the largest yield with
the least labor. and then how TO
select and care for the next years
seed. When these lessons are learn
ed the boy should come back home
and apply them so that fifty bushels
of corn will grow on the acre that
now produces twenty-five, and a
ton of hay will grow where half n
ton now grows.
What has been said OF crops a.
equally important in regard TO live
stock. We must always bear in mind
that 1t costs no more TO keep
COW that will give twenty quarts Of
milk day than one that gives six:
and that 1t costs much less TO pro-
duce 1000 pound two year old steer
than a three year old that weighs
no more, and that 1t costs less TO
Produce a 200 pound hog in eight
months than one no larger in eigh-
teen months. II is a part OF the
study OF agriculture TO learn how 10
Improve our breeds OF stock SO they
VIII do these very things, and then
Row to feed and care for them so
as to get the largest returns for our
feed and labor. I
But the most important lesson Of
all taught In our agricultural course
IL that farming is just as honorable
as any other occupation or profession
In which a young man can engage.
We teach how by the use OF i'm
proved machinery. careful selection
OF seed, better breeds OF animals,
end the adoption Of as careful bust
ress methods as the merchant fol-
lows. the farmer may be prosperous
and yet have much time for social.
intellectual and religious enjoyment.