The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-03-06
CITY AND COUNTRY
COOPERATION
Was Theme of President K. L.
Butterfield of Massachusetts,
Monday Night.

Our citizens had an opportunity on
Monday night to hear man distin-
guished in his calling talk on a sub
ject with which he is familiar.
President Kenyon L. Butterfeld of
the Massachusetts State Agricultural
College at Amherst, who has been
spending few weeks at Interlachen,
was invited by the board of trade to
speak. He kindly consented and se-
tween City and Country" A compa-
ny of men and women greatly in ex-
cess Of the number who gathered in
the upper room Of a building in Je-
rusalem centuries ago and started a
movement which resulted in time in
the Christian religion, assembled to
hear him. The meeting was held in
the spacious parlor of the Putnam
House, kindly loaned for the. occa-
sion by the Messrs. Ledbetter.
President Butterfield was mem
Der Of the Roosevelt Country Life
Commission that five years ago spent
considerable time in studying rural
life in this country, and last summer
he was vice chairman and in charge
of the commission of one hundred
Americans from 35 States who visited
Europe to get ideas concerning rural
life over there. For ten years he has
been president of one of the leading
agricultural colleges in this country.
Those who were fortunate enough
to be present at the meeting Monday
night, heard some very practical
thoughts on a very practical subject.
Like every real man of experience he
attempted no display of supreme
knowledge, passes no panegyric on
Florida climate or oranges, but in
stead dilated in a matter of fact way
on some of the essentials of success
in life, whether in the mill or store
or on the farm. Cooperation in all
of it's parts is necessary to the OPP
Grafton of a locomotive, a bank, or
garden-if proper results are accom-
plished. The plant cannot live and
reach perfection unless conditions
are right. Haphazard and guess
work in the conduct of any business
must result in failure, whether on
the farm or in the mill. Agriculture
is the greatest calling in the world,
more people are engaged in it than
any other; without it there would be
no other callinp; there would be no
railroads, no cities, no industries, and
vet there is no business carried on
with such lack of cooperation. EX-
cept that nature is kind and res
ponds so freely man would have long
ago perished from the earth.
There should be no difference Of
opinion between the man of the town
and the man of the farm, one is nec-
essary to the other. The farmer
needs to know his soil, the plants best
adapted to it, how and when to plant,
to cultivate, to harvest, and last but
not least, to market. All of this re
quires intelligent cooperation. The
country needs good schools, churches,
roads and social advantages. Farm
ing is not the mere raising of crops
with money value. There is So
cial value to the farm, without which
there can be no continued prosperity.
With all his love for money, no man
of family cares to live in poor
7eighborhood, devoid Of the ordinary
requirements of life. Every dollar
spent in better schools, churches and
roads adds value to the farm Nor
ey in machinery or in fertilizers may
uav in dollars, but money spent fer
the bctterment of character pays all
Through life. 1t is not possible for
man to live alone. He must deal
with his neighbors, must boy and sell
ara exchange ideas, ana the kind OF
neighbors he has determines the value
Of lis farm. The town with an in
lte,hcently conducted facming country
al,und it is the one worth living in.
The mine runs out, the factory fails,
but the land when properly titled is
a never ending source of income and
comfort The farmer is too often
suspicious of the city man, and not
without reason, but there are on the
other hand many weIl-meant efforts
made to help him and which can on
Ily be used when the farmers conf
dence has been secured. Many of
these movement are under direction
Of the government and along the line
of cooperation, and wherever they
have been accepted in the spirit in
which they are offered wonderful good
has been accomplished.
The News wishes every farmer and
business man in Putnam county could
have heard DR.. Butterield's address.