Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-26
PROF. SURFACE URGED
FOR SECRETARYSH|P
His Friends Place Name Before DR..
Brumbaugh; Has Broad
Platform


tary of Agriculture under the Brum-
| baugh administration. For some time
! it has been reported that in view of
! the expressed intention of his chief,
| Secretary \. b. Critchfield. to retire
/ at the close of his present term next
February. Prof Surfaces friends
would seek the appointment for him.
Recently newspapers in various parts
of the Commonwealth have suggested
Surface for Secretary of Agriculture,
in view of the magnificent work he
| has done for the fruit growers OF the
State. and Prof. Surface to-day admit
ted that he has decided to permit his
qualifications to be placed before DIR.
Brumbaugh for his consideration.
Prof. Surface rests his candidacy on
broad constructive policy. He has
given the agricultural problem of
Pennsylvania much thought, and as
secretary says he would extend edu-
cational and demonstrational branch
\ of the work along the same practical
lines as have made his administration
of the office of Economic Zoologist so
successful. When Surface was ap-
pointed by Governor Pennypacker to
the office he now holds. few persons
had ever known that the State en-
ployed an Economic Zoologist. Under
/ his direction fruit growing has received
| new impetus in Pennsylvania and
has become one of its leading farm in
| dustries. Insect pests have been
checked and the farmers have been
taught how TO plant and care for their
| orchards and small fruits.
Great Work Ahead
I'VE are on the eve of great posi-
| bilities in the office of Secretary of Ag-
| riculture," said Prof. Surface to-day.
'and 1 would like to be the man to
| undertake them. I believe the funda-
| mental duty of the Secretary of Agri-
culture to be the aid in the develop
ment of a better, happier and more
prosperous rural life. This must be
accomplished through cooperation of
| all agricultural forces. and must aim
| chiefly at the conservation and proper
use of soil fertility and agricultural
energy and the welfare of the agri-
cultural people.
Sociological forces. such as would
contribute to rural betterment; the de-
velopment of agriculture in the
! schools: the training of agricultural
teachers in the training schools; farm
| plots connected with school buildings
where agriculture is taught; better
roads; the Capitalization of schools
and the transportation of pupils to
| such schools; the teaching of domestic
economy; the utilization of school
buildings as social centers: the deVei-
opment of rural school athletics, liter
airy societies and agricultural societies,
and above all the fraternal and social
spirit of the rural people: resulting in
the development and improvement of
rural churches-these are some of the
things to which especial attention
should be directed and which must be
taught by practical Unconstitutional
methods.
Rural Councils
BY some means like the organiza-
ton of a rural council in each county
OF the State, the Secretary could learn
the conditions and needs of that coun-
ty better than in any other way.
Through the cooperation of such a
rural council, the county farm special
ist and the epartmental demonstra-
tors it would be possible to establish
and maintain definite regional demon
strations and experimental farms
There it would be possible to show the
results and economy in the use of
modern machinery. modern agricul-
turaraI methods, the prevention of
farm waste, the economic building up
of poor soil, the results of pulverized
limestone and the legumes, a proper
rotation of crops with specialization
according to the adaptation of the soil
On these farms, too, could be carried
on the testing OF seeds and the selec-
fruits for that particular region but
of the best breeds of livestock and
poultry as well. There also could be
demonstrated the latest features of
dairying, the work of cooperative COW
! testing associations. the handling of
dairy products in sanitary way; bet
ter transportation and selling facilities
of farm products: the diagnosis, rem
| edy and prevention of diseases of ami
! mails and poultry the suppression OF
| diseases of plants and injurious insects
and especially the best farm methods
| for the prevention of loss by pests,
| rather than waiting for the time when
the spray pump must be used. On
these experimental and demonstra-
| tional farm methods of crop produc-
! ton could bt, studied and shown such
as the thinning of fruits the depth,
methods and dates for plowing and
cultiyating, the growing of catch crops.
| increase of soil fertility by the growth
| of legumes of various kinds; the meth
| DDS and dates of harvesting crops; of
picking and packing fruit and of stor-
| ing and shipping farm produce. Here
also could be demonstrated and devel-
oped the advantages of cooperation in
! buying supplies and in selling crops;
and in general, the kind of co-opera-
ton that must exist in order to result
in the greatest good for our agricul-
| tural people.
New conditions may arise that must
be met. Details of problems must be
solved only after considerable thought,
| but 1t is certain that country life
should be made more attractive, and
| this cannot be without efforts that will
result in better financial returns and
less drudgery. although not necessarily
less work: a better sense of protection
for rural life and property; an ethical
development through the Improvement
of home surroundings, and the conser-
walton of rural life and health by i'm
proving sanitary conditions. Rural
prosperity must be obtained chiefly
through those agencies that will i'm
prove the quality and increase the
quantity of country produce. with a
reduction in cost of production, or at
least without a proportionate increase
in the cost of the same.
GPandest Art
when agriculture. as the grandest
art to which man can turn his atten-
tion, because fundamental to all 9TH
ers. is given its proper place by being
dignified as an art. based upon many
of the sciences. then IL will receive the
respectful attention 1t deserves, and
the rural youth will comprehend this
and their art will. in their estimation
properly be raised to the dignity of a
profession as important and as pro-
found, IL not more so, than any other.
There will be no problem then about
how to keep the boys and girls on the