The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-06-06
AGRICULTURE AND APPLICATION


Agriculture is a broad term and
within its bounds we include every
manner of tiIling the soil, from that Of
rais.n sfseanpts to the intensely inter
estif, . remunerstive occupation Of
hortii xre. But all kinds Of agricul-
ture l Z remunerative and interesting,
il the man who is engaged in il is
really in earnest and makes the proper
application Of his efforts toward his
tasks. II is interesting to note the
trend Of American thought toward the
soil. The old time farmers son is
bound to leave the country. The son
Of the successful business man, whose
dad was a son Of a farmer in most
cases. sfer looking with precocious
wisdom over the fields for breadmaking
dreams of the pleasures Of a country
gentleman and decides to become the
owner Of a landed estate.
There are many ways Of farming
Some old timers will continue till the
crack Of Idoom to use theIbull tongue
plow and chew long green tobacco,
raised "by Heck" right on the place
They make a good living and are salts
fed. They are fairly well fed and
with good substantial appetites con
sumo large portions of homemade ham
and green potlieker, the latter a
favorite broth, when spring laziness
begins TO pervade the system. This
class Of farmers has so long had i'm
bued into them the habit Of rising
along in the early morning around the
hours Of four and five that that habit |
has become a sacred custom. Not long
ago on the cover page Of an issue of
the Saturday Evening Post, just over
the announcement more Than a Million
and Three Quarters Week." ap-
peared the representation of a scene
that does more to drive the sons of old
time farmers to the city than anything
else in the whole world. The picture
was that of husky young hayseed, his
mouth extended in yawn that made
its fringes look like an automobile
tire, rubbing his eyes and looking mur-
der at an alarm clock, the hour hand
Of which pointed to four o'clock. A
lantern beside the waterbury awaited
him, as did the cows and the pigs and
horses. But these customs are passing q
1ut. The hours before the dawn are 7
leld valuable, but it is no longer !
Iacred custom to be performed each /
lay. The farmer is beginning to use e
scientific discoveries and business i
Methods with his Drawn and muscle. :
Still, with the American farmer I
here prevails great lack of thrift. /
The country is big and broad and the 9
broad expanse of fields has resulted in
too much of a failure to pay attention I
to the little things. The American
farmer is prosperous, but he can't
tand prosperity. When the shekels J
oil in he ceases to too great a degree :
lis application. Although, in some '
places less fortunate than others he :
has to contend with adverse phenom- !
ma of the elements, if the farmer ap-
plies himself as diligently to his occu-
patton as most other business men do,
ne will reap a fair sized and gratifying
reward. Farmers boast of their indie
pendence and most of them take ad
vantage of it.
Agrieulturistis of foreign lands,
where intensive cultivation has become
a necessity, in order that the countries
may feed the population, have learned
to watch the little corners. Their plots
of ground besides furnishing products
for sale to make snug savings, raise
all the food for the family. The
American hasn't had to come to the
intensive culture yet, but in a few de-
eades he will find that the country de-
mands it and that it will be more to
his interest to do so. 1t will be found
that thrift and frugaity must be his
watchword.