The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-18

TEN FOR THE GRAIN GROWERS,
CONVENTION nv DEAN WOODS
or THE MINNESOTA u.
The paper, Agricultural Education,
written for the recent Tri-State Grain
GroWerR convention In this city by
Dean A. +. Woods of the agricultural
= forestry colleges OF the Univer-
sfty Of Minnesota. was read by Presi-
dent Worst yesterday in Dean Woods
absence. II attracted such widespread
comment that 1t Is published below:
II there is any one thing for which
the people OF America are noted, 1t lis
the ability which they possess Of
quickly adjusting themselves to chang
ing situations. The power OF adjust
n1ent is q trait usually found In people
living under frontier conditions and
is the result of the edueative influence
OF u difficult and changing environ
Hent, The power 10 think quickly, tie
judge accurately, and to act according
~ are the elements OF education often
missed in the schools or In the more
settled conditions of life.
On the farm. more than in any other
living environment, do We find these
educational forces at work. Isolation
has forced the farmer to depend upon
himself. He js his own weather pro-
phet. His success o. failure often de-
Ponds upon the correctness Of his
judgment. He has therefore a con-
slant stimulus to increasing skill. Like
the experienced mariner, he needs to
look at the barometer only to confirm
| his Judgment. He must contend with
untilnely frost and burning heat, with
flood and drouth, with wind and hail,
with insect pests and fungus hlights,
hobo labor and Tightening rod agents.
not to mention his experiences in town.
He knows corn and wheat and all the
grains and grasses fruits and yege-
tables, horses, cows. sheep, chickens,
and pigs, middle men, bankers, profess
sors. etc. Machinery OF every conceiy-
able kind is an open book TO him. The
engaging agent gets him to try them
ALL Some think there Is no monotony
in 1t but they have not tried it. OF all
men, the farmer Is closest to the cree
alive power. His calling demands the
closest touch with soil and sunshine
and with plant and animal life, trans
forming and creating them that the
naked may be clothed and the hungry
fed, What an education a boy or a
girl misses when not brought up on a
farm. No schooling or experience In
after life can make up for it. 1t has
furnished the men and women who
have cherished the ideals Of freedom,
Justice and brotherhood, and who have
led in every forward march Of civiliEa-
ton. Some are far from home in the
crowded markets of the world, cap
tains Of industry, leaders OF men, fin-
anciers. artists, preachers, scientists,
statesmen. But how deal to their
hearts are the scenes Of their child
hood when fond recollection recalls
them to view and anxious r they
now to preserve forever those farm
homes as an everlasting fountain OF
youth for our natural life. They fur
nish us our men and women. they fur
nish uH our food and the raw materials
for so per cent OF cur manufactures.
Their products are the life OF trade,
Industry and transportation. They
are III principal source OF wealth and
prosperity. Every day OF the year
they produce over 25,000,0 600 Of new
wealth, more in four years than Sill the
gold dug out of all the mines la all the
world In four centuries. Still 1t is not
enough. Hunger and want r found
in all the nations. More food must be
cheaper. Waste and ineflciency
wherever found must be eliminated.
Science and skill must be added to ex-
perience II we are to increase and
| cheaper production, preserve fertility,
and at the same time secure a reason
able profit for the farmer.
The farmers foresaw this half a
century ago and commanded congress
to establish the agricultural colleges
to prepare the way for the new order.
Twenty-Five years later the expert
/ ment stations were established to seek
out the laws Of plant and animal
development, the maintenance OF soil
fertility, the control OF insects and
fungous pests. These agencies have
worked faithfully and have gathered
a great body OF knowledge and are
every day perfecting 1t and gathering
more. The time is now at hand when
demand it and their demands must be
met. The rising generation OF farmers
must have 1t and we must give IL to
them through the schools. There is
no time to waste. They must have il
now.
How are we meeting the situation I?
First, through the press, the most
powerful educator in all the world.
We have not half utilized this
method. The material must be pre-
sented ~consecutively and in different
ways adapted to the needs and tastes
OF different people. Books. magazines,
| pamphlets, journals, weekly and daily
| papers, must all be utilized far more
| efficiently than at present.
Second, through local institutes.
| farmers clubs and meetings. when
farmers gather and when new
methods ma be discussed and per-
sonal assistance given.
Third. through advisory agents
| going from farm to farm, tgnding out
what the farmers want or need and
assisting them to get 1t. This Is the
latest so-called county agent system.
These agents keep the farmers In
close touch with each other and with
their laboratories at the college and
experiment station and national de-
partment or Agriculture. The men
who can perform this service however,
are not numerous and the demand for
them is great. It takes years to
train them. The methods OF training
| must be made more efficient. Much
practical experience must be conn
bined with the work in the class room
and laboratory. This can be and is
being done IN some places more, in
some places less. II is the duty OF
the agricultural colleges to meet this
demand efIiciently and IT. is the duty
OF the states and the nation 20 see
that they dc IL and that they rave the
money, the men, and the equipment
to do It with. 1t Is the duty 5of the
college also to train agricultural
teachers for the normal schools add
high schools. These teachers should
I have the thnnrnficRf and nFaetieAf