The Washington herald., 1914-06-08
EDUCATING THE FARMER.
DrudRery IL Giviss wsy to scien-
tfAc Achievement.

The wonderful work that 10 being done
along educational lines by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture of the Federal gov
ernment, as well as by subsidiary de-
partments conducted by State govern
ments and railroad corporations. is rap
idly changing the point of view Of the
farmer. Within the memory Of men yet
young the tiller of the soil had su-
preme contempt for what he termed the
book farmer. hen the government sent
/ out an expert to instruct the people in
the ways Of improved agricultural meth
DDS. the younger farmers went out to
hear him. merely because he afforded
| them novelty that broke into the mo-
| notony Of their lives; but the older
farmer remained at home and paid little
attention to what they looked upon as
passing fad. The experts and the ex-
pertinent stations Lave changed all this.
The young farmer has shown his for
bear that there is still something to be
learned, and that by adopting new and
improved methods production can be in
| creased and much labor saved. The
oldest farmer, even the most conserva-
tive. has Joined the younger, md Is as
hungry for Information and instruction
MOST dIuDitlOuS yOutn DUN young
and old have lost their former dread of
technical terms They are no longer mys-
tilted by words outside of the vernacular.
They talk about the chemistry of the soil
as freely and with as muchN confidence
as they used to talk about bull grass and
the tobacco worm. They have learned
TO tell just what chemicals are wanting
In a given soil, and the best way OF sup
plying them.
One great lesson they have mastered. and
that Is TO avoid the necessity of grind
ing up rocks and other fertilizers and
applying these to the soil at great ex-
pense They find that by turning under
a crop OF clover. peas. soy beans or other
leguminous planting il will give to the
soil just what II needs. and that. once
enriched, II may be continued so by a
proper rotation In crops. They have
learned the use and value of silos, and
how to provide their live stock with
fresh and nourishing pasturage at small
expense during the winter months. They
have learned that a good animal costs no
more to raise than a poor one, and that
1t is worth many times more.
The old idea that the breed of hogs
should be selected for speed. so that
they might escape from the thieves. has
given away to the more-modern idea that
the meat carried on the animals bones
is the prime consideration. They have
become educated farmers, and young men
and young women have been given en-
ployment for their imaginations as well
as for in the hands. converting farm
life from one OF mere drudgery to one
of scientific achievement. and as a result
the farm has become more and more
congenial to young people within the last
few years, and the false allurements of
the city are less bewildering and mag
netic. Farming is such a very old trade
that people for many centuries were OF
the opinion that nothing more could be
learned about II: but they are finding
out that the gates of knowledge have
been merely thrown ajar so that peo-
pie may peer in, and IN time they will
enter and possess themselves of the vast
stores Of information to be found by
Observation-Disclosures News Scimitar.