Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1914-02-06
THE MlD-WlNTER FAIR.

'@ THE 0WlNTER FAIR. ..
The .mid-winter Fair which is be-
ing held in Devils Lake this week
is one of the greatest farm gather
ing in the northwest. It is not merely
q collection Of people assembled for
the purpose of seeing some exhibits,
listening to a few speeches, and hav-
Eng pleasant time. 1t is an educa-
zional gathering of the highest i'm
portance, for it's entire program is
devoted to the study OF things which
make for better business and better
living Gu the farm.
There has been wonderful awaE-
ening CT late years as to the POSSIBLE
ties OF science as applied to the work
of the farm, and there is now very
general appreciation Of the fact that
there is no business in the world in
which there may be applied to better
advantage a wider range Of knoWl-
edge.
1t is practically impossible for the
farmer living amid ordinary condi-
ticns to be specialist as that term
is understood when applied to special
ization in other lines of industry. His
work is and must be more general
than most others. 1t is true that he
can specialize in measure, and with
profit. He may devote himself chief
Iy. to dairying, or to raising beef, or
pork, or poultry. On any one of
score of things he may lay special
emphasis, and to this he may pay
special attention. To that extent, and
in that sense, he is specialist. But
he must be a general farmer, never
sheless.. If he goes in for dairying he
cannot ignore all other branches Of
farming Dairying and pork produc-
ton are so closely related that he will
be a hog raiser on quite a scale. In
the production of feed for his stock
he must be a grain and grass farmer.
The production of beef and mutton,
if not carried on largely, will be i'm
portant side lines. And so on. A
farmer cannot specialize in any one
branch of his business without need
ing to know something of all other
branches.
And the management of the mod.
ern farm calls for business ability and
mechanical ingenuity of high order
II the farmer is to make a success
he must have the business knowledge
Z which tells him he has reached the
zlimitasof. profit in this CT that line
when lie needs more OF one kind CT
stock. and less of another He needs
tc be well trained in the department
where so many men of all occupations
fail, that Of finance, for he must be
able to adjust his expenditure to his
income and avoid being caught in ;
tight place or required to bear heavy
interest burden.
The farmer needs to be a mechanic
and an architect needs to have, no
(. smattering of chemistry, or a smat
tering of anything else, but a thor
ough knowledge of the elementar.
and fundamental principles Of chemis
try which bears most directly on hi
own occupation. Above all things, HI
stantly searching for truth and glad
ly accepting and acting upon where
ever and whenever he finds it.
1t is not the purpose CT the Mid
Winter Fair to provide in the cours'
OF a week a liberal education. 1t il
the purpose If the management t.
provide during these days a course 0
instruction which, in itself, and TO
the sake CT the direct benefit to b.
derived from it, will constitute a val
liable addition to the farmers slor
CT knowledge. But there is the fuI
Their purpose Of making these meeting
lnspirational, and CT making them il
some sense the foundation CT a create
and broader work to be performed il
the future.
The attendance at the Fair thi
year will be beyond anything that w
have seen in the past, and it is t.
be hoped that there will be prope
representation from the city Itself
The men and womenn who come her
to attend the meetings are hearth
welcome, and we should make an e1
. tort to have them understand that W
are glad to have them with us an
T to do what we can to promote tina
=: part of the general welfare with whic
j. their activities are most closely as
~ ISOLATED.
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