Newark post., 1915-08-11

College Farm:
There was one man who used
to live in Colorado, and another
chap who raised cotton in Texas,
and chap who fought the gumbo
land of Missouri, and chap who
found the rock soil of New York
State too much. They were part
of crowd Of more than thou
sand farmers who were looking
over the agricultural station to-
day. They are Delawreans now;
raising crops on the wonderful de-
posit of glacial silt which forms
the peninsula.
"They came to Newark, as did
their fellows, to learn more about
scientific farming; to see the
work being done by Delaware Col
lege and to interchange ideas.
These men who had tried the soils
of widely separated parts of the
nation differed on many points,
but they agreed on one-that hte
richest part of the nation, by and
large, was the state of Delaware
and eastern shore of Maryland.
The Colorado man had one kick,
and that was the difference in the
prices of farm products between
the east and the west.
"'But we are overcoming that
interrupted the Texas man, thru
selling agencies. Farming is a
science that must be commercial
lied and by forming associations,
with trained salesmen in charge,
we can get better prices
Now this speaker was a man
past sixty, but he had caught the
spirit of the day and saw that the
season of the old-fashioned farmer
had departed.
THE things that Delaware Col
lege is working out will mean
much for the tiny commonwealth
which, save at one small corner,
is primarily an agricultural state.
There is no school in the country
that is quite like it. For if the men
behind it have caught one vision
it is that of university which
will combine higher education
with a specializing only toward
industry and farming.
Teachers All Over State
IAN uncommon college for the
common people, is the way Presi-
dent Samuel c. Mitchell put it in
his address this afternoon. From
Delaware College is to radiate into
every hundred and hamlet a tech
nical training which will make
better farmers, better artisans,
better students and better citizens.
Already the state is being blocked
off into districts in each of which
is an agent who is part of the
college and who has agreed to
carry on the work of the college
anon ghis particular people.
ALREADY in the counties the wo-
men have been called together in
groups and scientifically directed
in the work of creating better
homes, raising better children and
cooking better meals.
"The gathering today on the ex-
pertinent farm, which drew quite
as many farmers in automobiles
as farmers in rigs, was merely a
sidelight upon the scope of the col
lege. AS Prof. c. A. McCue walk
ed over the lows hills of upon
which were several thousands of
fruit trees bending in the temper
ed breezes from bay and river, he
unconsciously told bit of history
in fruit. For McCue is the expert
who has taken upon his shoulders
the work of rehabilitating the
fruit industry of Delaware which
once had a national reputation.
"He pointed to one orchard of
600 trees past eight years old
mostly Elbertas. All the trees
were wonderfully pruned, were
we'll filled with fruit and every
twig spelled profit. Time was
when Delaware led the world ir
growing peaches. This was before
the day Of scientific farming anc
when the soil and climate alone
made fortunes.
"Then came the scale and Other
diseases and Delaware sort Of los
its grip. Now spraying has con
quered the scale and the yellow:
and the borer holds no terror, ant
cultivation and fertilizer product
big crops.
State to Standardize Crops
"And what is fully as import
ant, the legislature of Delawar,
has passed law which will guar
antee to the purchaser of the frui
of tho u lfh III Of 4 ic q