The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-05-28

Variety is the spice of life" Roman
me me fall Of the empire about 476 A. D.
from that time agriculture deteriora ted
VERY rapidly in that country.
scidrs ii seems ms to casual observer that the
ISclehce or agriculture surely must have
been lost sight of during the bloody
reign of the hordes of Ibarbarians i'm
mPediateIE following the downfall of the
koman Empire. And so it was, by the
mass of the people. While most of the
people entirely forgot the science of agri-
aIuen ,dIiture T. the saraeens, although them
ISelVes barbarians were very Jealous franz
lers. They preserved a great deal of Ro-
man man agriculture. Another factor in the
man Catholic church. This Institution
owned large tracts of land. which they
armed in "A very scientific manner for
The first agriculture England ever had
| was that brought over by the Romans
IN 50 b. c. when they invaded England
| Within very short while after the Ro-
| man occupation of the island the English
| We're exporting large quantities of grain
| , Ihe English We're slow to advance new
| thseories in agriculture and used mostly
old methods. But to an Englshman we
are oDllged to acknowledge the working
Iout or the more modern system OF crop
rotation; During the eighteenth century
Lord Townsend introduced the Norfolk
| system, which has been successful since
| the beginning.
| The development of agriculture in
America has been gradual perfection
Iot the knowledge transmitted to us from
| the mother countries. While all the
| learning that these older countries OBJ
tanned, about agriculture. was cleaned
| rom bitter experience, we stepped into
| me at the time when we We're new
country and had all their experiences to
resources of a virgin land
| Probably the most interesting phase
lmachinery and implements. For instance
take that best known of Implements and
most hated by all boys. the hoe.
The first pretenses at hoe were
end, or a stick with a sharp stone tied
on the end of it. These were all short
operator to work on his knees all Of the
time. But there remains this strange
fact, while in almost all other lines. sub
stitutes have been found for the old
methods, there has never been anything
discovered up to this time that will oper-
ate the long end of hoe handle as well
as "elbow grease and back-ache."
But in the methods of cutting and
threshing grain there has been the great
est advancement and changes. The ,anci-
ent method of harvesting was to pull the
grain and either beat out the grain with
a club or have horses and cattle tramp it
out. Then, the little curved hand sickle
first reapers where it took the time of
several men to tie the bundles. Finally
at this age we have the great combines
which turn in at one end of a field of
waving grain and go out of the other,
leaving in their wake stream of we'll
filled and sewed sacks of grain all ready
to go to the warehouses; Again let us
look at the methods employed for hand
ling and transporting farm produce. The
first method of transportation was in
basket carried on the head of the peas
ants. Then we find the hand drawn cart
Then comes the high wheeled ox-cart
the wheel. Jumping a little farther down
the list we have the wagons drawn by
horses which are used very extensively
at the present time. But the motor
trucks, provided with self-loading and
dumping eapnliances are the most modern
devices for handling produce. Probably
to take n critter to market, he will jump
into his aeroplane. drop a net around
mister steer, and away they will go, over
the same route that is now taken by the
crow. But that remains to be seen. The
fact remains that the rate of develop
ment has been very swift, and has been
essity. Taking into consideration the
progress of civilization, and the increas-
ing demands of society, agriculture has
conditions demanded.
Furthermore agriculture has not reach
ed, the, stage of perfection, but as the
demand increases the methods will be
changed until the method used today will
seem very crude and inefficient This
means that there are many inventions to
be perfected opening up a vast channel
for work and science. The day when
anybody can be a farmer is rapidly pas
sing, and in the future the farmers will
have to be the best trained workmen in
the world. But the end is worth the
means. Agriculture is beginning to be
recognized as the greatest industry the
world has ever known, and rightly too,
for agriculture furnishes, both the bread
of existence, and the cloth of luxury to
the entire human family.
Rev. G. H. Severance delivered
most forceful, scholarly and elevating
address to the graduates, replete with
kindly and wise admonition and ad-
vice, which, if taken to heart and fol-
lowed, can only result in the better
nent and uplift of those to whom the
remarks were directed.
In a few well chosen words Mr..
Parsons, on behalf of the board of di-
rectors, presented each of the grad
yates with a diploma.
This closed one of the most pleasant
evenings exercises that has ever TAX
en- place in the high school auditor
ium. The crowd fingered for a time
congratulating the graduates and the
teachers at the close of a very sue
cessful school year.