The Washington herald., 1912-11-10

ficient for me. Here 10 q pstiys Of the
soil. I thought, and . person Of inbred
and personal experience. I did not real
he that his worthy grandfather had
Of the SOIL that his venefated father
had mined out the other half and that
the man applied to me for work BE-
cause his farm couldn't support him.
Live stock II not . complicated prob
lem, and I made satisfActory headway
with horses and cattle. The Guernsey
gave plenty Of milk. the Hackneys were
high steppers. and the English sheep
made rather Q pretty picture on the hin
side. Books about agriculture were
studied faithfully. but I became con-
scious before long that I was not max
ing two blades OF grass Grow whers
there had been only one.
Made His Hired Men Smile.
Something was wrong. that was plain.
Nor could stir the men in my employ
to show any enthusiasm in their work.
Here is a person from the city, they
seemed to think. who IL trying outland-
ish things. No harm IL done % long
as he IL spending his own cash. It was
like making a stump speech to an audi
ence Of deaf men.
"one day 1 sat down and wrote to
Isaac p. Roberts. lecturer on agriculture
oG SoIuch SulsCfSiIy. "nAI
had done, what I wanted to do. and
how I had failed to get results when I
tried to make q practical application Of
the Information I had gained In text
books. He wrote me a cheerful and
helpful letter. and I worked on. Up to
this particular period In my experiences,
had only the making of . country
home in view. I still wanted the home,
but I had been q practical man and I
perceived that I had not been practical
in providing amusement for myself.
THE next year I wrote to the head
men in ten Of our foremost schools Of
agriculture. inviting them to visit me at
Waddington Farm. The letters happened
to overtake them while they were hold
ing a national convention here in the
East. While they were talking one
evening. Liberty H. Bailey. director Of
the Cornell College Of Agriculture, spoke
Of me. saying I was seemingly An ear
nest man. living among the hungry
knobs of the Appalachian region and
asking some Of the others to stop and
see me on their way home. Prof. Hill.
Of the University OF Illinois. and Prof.
Otis, Of the University Of Wisconsin,
day and q half. though they wanted to
get away on the next train.
You have as fine an experiment sta
ton as there is in the country they
said in the evening. as we sat on the
porch.
THAT may be so.' answered. but
1t is not q farm and that's what I am
ager. herdsman. q chicken expert. an
Orchardist, and an agriculturist. Where
can I find them?' I asked.
Competent Farm Managers Scarce.
II was told there were such men, but
that they were teaching at colleges-that
they were educated they be-
culturists. Such. I may add, In the sit
uation to-day. Plenty of rich men would
like to own farms. but it is impossible
for them to find competent managers
and SO they buy a few acres Of land
and plant fruit trees and vegetables in
stead Of crops. II they could buy farms
and get and show the real and visible
results Of scientific agriculture. other
farmers would see what could be done
and would copy their methods. Little
by little. community by community. the
industry would gradually be lifted up.
1t seemed to me then. as 1t seems to
me now. that our agricultural schools
are more theoretical than practical
Still the visit Of the two professors was
of considerable value. They gave me a
new insight into conditions as they exist.
More books were obtained and I con-
tinued my explorations into the history
of farming. ! found that the rise and
fall of nations could be traced directly
to the ebb and flow Of agriculture. The
broader and philosophical aspects of the
question increased my interest. Some
arts have been lost and never recovered:
others were lost and found again. We
ously engaging our attention, imagine
that We are rather scientific, original
and progressive. Before the dawn OF
the Christian era, however. the Persians
were taught to plant trees. destroy nox-
ious animals and take water to the dry
land. He who sows the ground they saiA.
with care and diligence acquires q great
er stock Of religious merit than he could
gain by the repetition Of ten thousand
prayers At the spring festival each
year, the farmers sat down to dinner
with the King In his palace.
But West Virginia IL Of more con-
cern to me than is Persia planted
10000 trees and shrubs- Flowers bloom
ed in the garden and along the walks.
There was beauty on every hand. The
farm now contained loo acres. What
good will the land do to others! I ask
ed. What will become Of It? VIII It
grow up in weeds and brush as 1t did
for Smith, the ale brewer, after he died
or moved away?'
A Long Trail Of Death.
II got figures and learned that Amer
lea, new country. II producing less
per acre than are countries ten CEN
turtles old. I saw pioneers leaving New
England for New York and Pennsyl-
vania. and then pushing on into Ohio.
Indiana. and Illinois. I beheld their sons
and grandsons moving to Iowa and the
Dakotas and presently to the Canadian
mining the wealth out Of the
land. putting nothing back. and leaving
behind them q trail Of sterility and
death. I began to see and partly to
understand the greatest question Of the
century.
Then visited Europe purposely to in
quire into agricultural methods and con-
ditions, taking the Mediterranean route.
The wretchedness Of the Holy Land is
the result Of the neglect Of Agriculture
Then I went to Spain. once the most
powerful empire on earth. now In ruins.
though it is q beautiful country with q
growing climate. The Moors. the best Of
farmers. were driven out and agricul-
conscious Of new atmosphere the mo-
ment our automobile passed the frontier
and entered France. The peasants were
singing In the fields. They looked like
strong men. Well-fed, well-clothed, and
well-housed people are always the health
lest and strongest They can't bo made
DO by manufacturing; they only can be
made 90 on the land.
I'VE hear about the equal distribution
Of property. Each man. % the preach