The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-04
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COUNTRY LIFE MOVEMENT
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Continued From Page One.
state institutions in which better agri-
culture should be the chief subject
taught. The problems of better agri-
culture, however. had not been we'll
worked out and the business of teach
ing the subject came up against seri-
Gus obstacles.
The Hatch Act.
AS a, result, in 1887 there followed a
national measure, known as the Hatch
act, to provide means to aid in the es-
Enlistment and maintenance Of eX-
pertinent stations which should work
out the %unsolved problems of the vari-
Gus states, SO hat wholly authorita-
tive instruction might be given, as
new and improved practices were de-
vised.
Agricultural Education.
Still the growth of agricultural edu-
cation was slow. AS late as 1897, at
the beginning of the administration Of
James Wilson in the department of
agriculture at Washington, there were
only sixty-one agricultural colleges
and nine agricultural high schools in
the United States.
AS recently as five years ago the
agricultural education service of the
office of experiment stations in the de-
partment of agriculture listed less
than $50 institutions teaching agri-
culture.
Three. years ago less than 900 were
on record.
Today the number is approaching
5000.
In 1887 there were just seventeen eX-
pertinent stations in the United States.
Today there is not a state or territory
without at least one such station, and
many states have several. Even
Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico and Guam
have their stations.
In 1911'three stations employed not
less than !, 500 men, most of them
carefully trained in experiment work,
and received from federal and state
governments by way Of support mill
lions of dollars.
AS the effectiveness of such educa-
ton became more and more apparent,
sentiment in its favor spread among
all classes, the p~rejudices against So
called book-farming fell away, and
states generally became more liberal
In their appropriations for the work.
Furthermore, each college or school
became a breeder of still more senti-
ment in support Of the movement.
Commission on Country Life.
Then came the appointment of a
national commission on country life.
This, by means of it's Investigations
from end to end of the land, and sub
sequently through it's report, drew the
attention Of all to the needs of Am
erican country life. Many deficiencies
were pointed out, the most striking
being these:
Lack of knowledge on the part Of
farmers of the exact agricultural con-
ditions and possibilities of their re-
gions.
Lack Of good training for country
life in the schools.
Certain disadvantages of the farmer
as against the established business
systems.
Lack of good highways.
Widespread depletion of the soil.
The need Of new and active leader
ship.
Lack Of an adequate system of agri-
cultural credit.
Shortage of labor.
Absence of institutions and incen-
tives to the soil laboring. man to the
soil.
The narrow life of farm women.
Absence Of adequate supervision Of
public health. - .'
The pointing out Of each Of these
needs was a call to active discussion,
and out of this came the doing of
things-new things or old things in
new and more effective ways.
Growth of Extension Work.
The most significant development,
aside from the MULTIPLICATION of farm