Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-03
fayette, Yamhill, Mccoy, Perrydale,
Amity, Whitson, Carlton and others.
GENERAL FARMER GETS HIS DUE
Special Attention Given Him in AgrO-
nOmy Work for D. A. c. Course.

Oregon Agricultural College, Cor
wallis, Ore, Jan. 1.-The needs of the
general farmer will be given empha-
sis in the short course instruction Of
fered by the department of agronomy
this year." said Prof H. d. Scudder,
in discussing plans for the work
which will begin January 6, at the Or
egon Agricultural College.
when we speak of the farmers of
Oregon, the farms of Oregon, or the
farm products Of Oregon he contin-
ued, "the most of us think at once of
the dairyman or fruit grower. Very
few people seem to realize that the
success or failure Of Oregon agricul-
ture depends not upon these special
lists entirely, but almost wholly upon
the man who is raising the field crops
Of the state, together with some live
stock.
"The value of live stock products
products of Oregon for 1912 has been
estimated at $126,764, 900. OF this great
sum, 46 per cent or $7S,OOOOOO is the
value of the field crops, hay, grain,
etc, representing largely the cash
sales made by the tiller of the soil,
who Is called the general farmer, and
whose name seldom appears in print
"The valeu of live stock products
and the dairy products, taken together,
aggregate approximately 40 per cent
Of the value Of the total products in
1912. 1t is TO be remembered. howev-
er, that live stock and dairy products
are merely the field crops converted
into animal forms for the market. It
is safe to say, then, that at least Is per
cent Of the total agricultural pro-
ducts Of the state is the result of the
labor Of the grower OF field crops, the
ordinary, everyday tiller of the soil,
whom we call the general farmer.
"Yet, 1t is the farmer who, so far in
the states history, of all classes, has
made the least use of the modern sci
ence Of agriculture, Of organizing and
marketing products, and Of the facili-
ties for agricultural education that
are now available. 1t is this great
class of farmers, whose interests are
seldom advertised or promoted, who
have the greatest need Of educational
assistance It is this class Of farmers
whose net earnings range from 81 to
$40 per acre, where, with modern sci
entlflc methods, they should range
from $15 to $50 per acre.
ut can readily be seen that little
education Of this, the most important
farming class, will do more to increase
the agricultural products in the state
than a great deal Of education given
to that class Of special farmers whose
numbers and products are so much
smaller. An increase Of per cent in
the efficiency Of the products Of the
general farmer, the field crop grower,
would mean an increase to the state
of Oregon for its agriculture Of ST.
100000 annually
j "This class whose education means
the most to the state has heretofore
been the slowest to seek and apply the
lessons that the modern science of az
riculture has to teach. Yet It is the
very class whose efficiency may be
most quickly and easily increased by
this means. Educated, organized
multiplied and developed, It is the gen.
eral farmer rather than the specia
farmer, who will most quickly and per.
manently increase the wealth of the
state.
Education and legislation must be
more directly aimed to increase thell