The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-30

greatest respect for IT, Agriculture
is an art, n business, and an indus
4 try
without agriculture the earth Is
as nothing. All other industries are
dependent upon agriculture for
! their success II Is only the ignor-
ant man OF today who says that
agriculture Is simple II Is anything
I but simple. Who has sufficient
knowledge to select proper seed, to
prepare the seed bed, how much
70 plant? No one man can tell all
these things accurately.
III can keep one young man
from leaving the farm by what
say this afternoon, shall be salts
| fed.
Il remember a picture which hung
on our kitchen wall at home.-a
picture showing various industries
and the words on II were THE
Farmer Pays for ALL" That picture
has always stayed with me. Do you
farmers ever think about what sort
Of pictures you have on your walls,
and what influence they have on
your children?
IF any OF you are teachers, let
me tel you that II you have done
your duty by those boys, they will
be glad to introduce you to people in
after years. met a very well edu-
Gated college physics instructor a
few years ago and in our converse
ton I told him that after he got
through teaching boys physics, we
teach them to farm. He said that
no discouraged his successful stu.
dents from farming and ! told him
that IL was only the successful men
who we're capable Of farming. That
man later told me that was the
first time he ever knew that there
was any practical. value resulting
from his teachings.
Education a Preparation.
Young man, always remember
that education Is simply a prepare.
ticn for life's work.
The only thing that is lacking
In Minnesota farming is not good
enough farming. and not high
enough price for farm land. We
blame the season for failure TO pro-
duce good crops, but we never think
OF putting the responsibility on our
selves"
NJ. Willis declared that farmers
are too apt to pay more attention
to their hogs and cattle than to their
children. How often do you parents
visit the schools to see what your
children are being taught. and how
they are being taught? The teacher
has much influence over the boys
and girls. g.
IF boys and girls want to leave
the farm, father and mother are TO
blame. The long hours OF the farm
are responsible for the young people
leaving the farm. In South Dakota
have seen farms where there isn't
q tree, and where there wasn't a
bit of fruit raised. Homes are made
and cannot be bought, and the
young people will stay in a home.
But IL you find that you are not
cut out for farming for goodness
sake get out But IL you believe
that you are cut out for farming,
be the best one in your community.
Tend TO your business. The earn.
ing capacity OF a man is, according
TO whether he uses his brain or not.
Five years ago l had to talk TO
farmers about treating oats for
smut. Today II isn't necessary.
They all test their seed corn now.
Most farmers are willing TO be con-
ylnesd OF the benefit OF scientific
farming.
why Is 1t that man and wom-
man living until their old age
en- a farm, move to. town when
they retire? Usually Il Is little
town and they SIT around and vote
against every improvement. Then
they mail periodical letters to the
mail order houses. They are Just out
of sympathy with everything In town.
Why don't they build modern
house on the farm and retire there
In comfort?
Land must be taken care Of In
order to keep II productive. Farmers
must learn that land must be fed.
You can't take constantly from its
soil without eventually killing II.
We should be sure that our farm
Is Just as good when We get through
with II as when we took charge
Of it."
Address Ely e. Dana Durand.
Among the speakers before the
triple convention last night was r.
Dana Durand. former superintend-
ent of the national census bureau.
He spoke as follows:
The mcst important fact brought
out by the last census was the fail.
ure Of agricultural production to
keep pace with population. Between
1900 and 1910, the population grew
II per cent, while the ACREAGE in
farms increased only 5 per cent.
the acreage planted to crops only
10 per cent. Moreover. there was
no increase whatever In the aver.
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