Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-10-02
The Question Of Farming.
/. The Open Mind.

- ANS OPsH I1tU0s
1t is no new experience for the
farmer to see himself in the news.
paper says the Youths Compan.
ion. He knows only too well the
caricature of the cheap humorist,
claptrap of the equally cheap poll.
tician, and the gush of the senti
mentalist. But today newspapers,
reviews and legislators are taking
new and very serious account Of
him. That is not merely to gain
his subscription or bis vote, OF
solely because he makes interest.
ing ''copy," but because exper-
ience has brought us to the point
where we appreciate the import
ance of agriculture as never be-
fore.
This new interest in farming is
economic and scientific; which
means that it is likely to shatter
many agricultural traditions, to
teach lessons drawn from the ex-
perience of other nations, end to
ask some pretty searching ques.
tions as to our agricultural offic-
ency. Unfortunately, although
naturally enough. many farmers
appear to resent this scientific ap-
proach to their problems more
keenly than they resented the old
cheapening of their great calling.
Editors who have given serious
and friendly treatment to such
questions as rural credit and bet
ter methods Of productions and
distribution, testify that the farm
ers who have written to them in
reply seem to be at once hurt and
suspicious. They are hurt, be-
cause they think themselves taken
to task for not doing better under
conditions that are sometimes very
hard. They are suspicious, be-
cause the criticisms and sugges-
tions often come, as they think,
from an office in the city, instead
Of from the farm itself, and are
the work of a theorist instead of
practical farmer.
1t is in view of this situation
that we make a frank plea for the
open mind and an attitude of
scientific sympathy toward all that
honest men bring TO sslis discus.
sion. There are. no infallible
guides. Wheat is found to be
mixed with chaff in editorial rooms
and in agricultural colleges pre-
xcidely as it is upon the farm. But
the editor who gathers the exper-
fence of other nations, the chemist
|who studies soils, and the econom-
(ist who devises and expounds
(soundi business methods, are all
helping materially toward better
farming. One secret of the great
|strides that Europe has made in
agriculture of late years has been
her willingness to study it's pro.
blems in scientific spirit. That
includes facing the facts, whether
Pthey are flattering or not. 1t
means examining the entire agri-
Acultural situation, economic and
Social as we'll as industrial, recog.
snizing frankly the need of good
:t@ory as well as diligent practice,
and welcoming the wise mans con.
tribution to the discussion, wheth-
Fer it issue from the study, the
Laboratory, or the field.
J We in America must learn in
Dthe same school. True farming in
Ecludes chemistry and business
methods as well as hard physical
etoil. Our American farmers have
|never grudged the toll. They have
|been quick to see the use of new
tools and deft in applying them.
We believe that they will welcome
5he scientific treatment of their
problems of production, distribu-
tion. and credit. Wherever truth
dwells we must search for it; and
first condition of success is the
pen mind.
In that spirit, we hope our read
FRS will take the brief series of arti-
= cles on agriculture that this plea
Degins--n necessarily as infalli-
Die, but as friendly and worth
thinking over.