The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-13

dignified place among ether vocations
until it assumes it's rightful preroga-
1--WE In governmental as we'll as in So
cial and economic affairs.
In short, life in the open country
must be made as satisfying as city
life; otherwise the rural population
will continue to drain cityward, un-
checked.
The Country Home.
Among the first things the extern
sion division should undertake to &C
complish-and one of the most i'm
portant things-is to modernize the
! country home. To accomplish this,
| old farm presidents may have to be
smashed and possibly the farmer him
self converted to a more humane at
titude toward his wife and children.
Even the department Of agriculture
might be persuaded to take as deep an
interest in the welfare of the farm
mother and her children as it takes
for the protection of cattle and swine.
However, the extension division can
| accomplish it's best work by suggest
ing such modern conveniences for the
rural home that when installed, its
chief occupant would never think Of
abandoning her country home for any
sort of city residence. Electric lights,
a hot water heating plant, running
water in the house, a complete sew
erage system by the installation of a
septic tank, n a lawn as large az a
city block, are possible on every farm
stead. Nor is the cost of these mod
ern conveniences such as to make
them p~rohibitive. A fourteen-foot
windmill or a small gasoline engine
| will furnish the power for an electric
lighting system and also for operating
the wash machine. the churn, bread
mixer, the cream separator, ETC., thus
lifting half the drudgcry from a coun-
try Woman's life as well as affording
things that are Of keen interest to
the children. The price Of a horse
will make these improvements that
depend upon the use Of motive power.
1t will cost more for q heating plant,
but the septic "a and h pressure
tank can be installed for the price of
a cow. In fact the cost Of a doctor
bill or a coffin would often be saved
il an equal sum Of money were ex-
pended for domestic, Aabor-saVing
machinery or for modern sanitary de-
vices. AS a matte: Of fac the live
stock on too many farms are given
more attention, in the way of modern
copYeniences, than is ::iven to the
queen of the household. -
The extension division will find
here worthy material with which to
work, with the prophecy also that il
1t fails here, it fails all along h line
OF extension e~ndeayor. For until the
country home is satisfactory n its
constant inmates are proud Of and
loyal to 1t, the country life problem
will not down. 1t is time that men,
whether farmers or middlemen, are
convinced that there are other COM
a~ra-nLs@nH- s. no. fHnr tina rrAnra TNnI-
ing Of money.
How Organize?
That life in the open country must
be made sufficiently desirable as well
as profitable, in order to insure re-
cruits in sufficient numbers to main
tain a fair equilibrium between agri-
culture and all other pursuits, no n
will seriously question.
How can this be accomplished?
From the college viewpoint but little
that is new in the way Of organization
need be undertaken. The college
should proceed rather by the fedora
ton of existing organizations.
The college being the common
source of information. should federate
and direct the existing forces now
more or less effectively engaged In
promoting the various lines of agri-s
cultural activity n rural social bet
terment, rather than undertake new
and original lines Of work. This for
the reason that forces working along
independent lines for the consumina-
tion of a given purpose will ccoRl-
Eplish less and result In greater con-.
fusion than where directed by a sim.
gle authoritative agency. The college
should provide this directing agency.
Private or corporation propaganda
need not be discouraged or %dfsc0ntiI-
ued, but should be correlated with the,
Joint state and federal forces organ