The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-09-06
HILLS ADVICE
FOR FARMERS
Simple Lessons All That Are
Necessary.
SOIL RENEWAL Chief NEED.

Examination, Fertilization, Seed Sc
lection, Rotation Of Crops and Thor
oueh and Repeated Cultivation Are
the Essentials,
james ]. Hill, the railroad builder,
has contributed one of the most sensi-
BILE talks on the need of farmers recent
ly appearing In the public prints. In
recent letter TO the New York Times
the empire builder" and former presi-
dent Of the Great Northern says:
"The importance OF instruction for
the work of the farm Is now universal
ly recognized. The number OF institu-
tions teaching agriculture in the United
States increased from 545 in October,
1908, to S75 in May, 1910, a gain OF
more than co per cent in nineteen
months. Agricultural colleges receiv-
ing federal funds are in operation to-
day in every state Of the Union. There
were 10 per cent more students in agri.
culture in these institutions in 1910
than III 1909 and more than eight times
as many students taking the teachers
course in agriculture. Since then the
work has grown rapidly. Extension
work, short courses, farm Institutes
and the running of instruction trains
by the railroads at their own expense
are now familiar and popular features.
The movement to educate has acquired
much headway.
Our experiment stations, schools
and colleges are doing good work, but
1t falls short of our immediate needs.
They are mainly engaged in educating
teachers. Meantime the farm itself
languishes. Only a small percentage
of the children Of farmers become stu
dents in these institutions Only a
small percentage of those go back to
the farm. The soil Is titled, the crops
are raised, for the most part, by men
who cannot attend college, high school
or extension course. In a generation
or two the educational process going
on may leaven the whole lump. But
the country cannot afford to wait for
that.
Soil Renewal.
"The condition of the farm and the
statistics of production cry out for In
body of farmers. Soils that once pro-
duced from twenty-five to forty bushels
OF wheat to the acre now give from
ten to twenty. England and Germany,
once as reckless of impoverished soil
as we, have raised their average yield
to more than twice ours under far less
favorable circumstances. We can do
the same with greater ease.
"What are the steps? I am refer
ring now only to what the uneducated
man can do. If man is sick he must
have doctor TO diagnose the disease
and prescribe the right remedy. So
with the soil. The evidence Of its
sickness Is inadequate yield. 1t needs
medical treatment. Send a sample of
1t to the nearest experiment station
for analysis. The analyst can deter
mine what elements have been eJ-
hausted by careless cultivation; what
particular form Of fertilization will re-
store that soil TO high productivity.
This will give the farmer the exact
practical Information for the first step.
1t is almost the only purely technical
question that he has to face.
How to Test Seeds.
"The next step Is seed selection.
This is strictly farm work. Every
farmer should plant his seed for ger
minatiOn before planting. This he can
do quickly in a small wooden box with
few inches Of earth in it, covered
with a white cloth marked out in
squares. Place 80 or 100 seeds In each
square, mOisten the earth, keep 1t in a
moderately even temperature and
count the number of seeds that sprout.
An expert can do no more.
"Soil examination, fertilization, seed
selection, rotation of crops and thor.
ough and repeated cultivation-these
are the essentials. The last mentioned
means deep plowing, frequent harrow
ing, bringing and keeping the soil IN
condition to favor growth.
"There is nothing here requiring tech,
nical education. Put the best qualified
y specialist in the country on 160 acres
4 Of land and he could do no more, and
every industrious farmer can do this
on his own land, and he will get us
/ good results. By nothing more com
/ plex than the general adoption Of these
methods SS,OOO,OOO,OOO or $9,OOO,OOO,OOO
might be added yearly to the national
wealth and the farmers Of the coun-
try be elevated to comparative aflu,
ence
agricultural education for today
then, resolves itself into the extremely
/ practical question Of how to get not
students, but the man actually on the
farm, to do these few simple things
that transform farming from Il labori
Gus occupation Of many hazards into
safe and profitable industry"
Passing of the Silk Hat.
Any one who is familiar with pic
lures Of English school life, whether