Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-08-27

One of the biggest national prob
lens which is receiving attention to-
day is the conservation of our natur
al resources. No one doubts the i'm.
portance or timeliness of this great
question. But still larger problem
for us to consider is the saving of hui
man energy, for there is much waste
OF human lives in weary, Improbable
toll. To many a dairyman this con-
servation means that he could in
crease his profits tenfold, as others
have done, without running down the
land or robbing some other farm, by
simply putting intelligence into his
business, and thus win for himself
and family the opportunity for great
er comfort, development, and useful
service to humanity.
The following modified qrotation is
in point, says the Spokesman-Review.
"Strangely enough, farming, the
first of all industries, has been the
last to break away from dull plod-
ding and blind drudgery, and to share
in the benefits of intelligent under
standing. Until the present genera
ton, the farmer has never known
what he was doing, nor why he did it.
How bitter has been the tragedy of
this long cropping in the dark by the
man who has not only eaten his own
bread, but fed the world by the sweat
of his over-burdened body. To the
unthinking, life is but endless toll
and drudgery, while pleasure and in
spiration come to the man who I'M
derstands his work"
What picture is the following,
taken from a recent letter written by
well-known resident of northern IL
linois: "Within radius of 10 miles
from my door there are at least 3O0,-
100000 pounds of milk produced each
year IAN average of 10 eight-gallon
cans per day for every quarter section
of land), yet I have lived with this
people for 30 years, and as a matter
of fact, easily verified, no other de-
partment of life of which I am cogni-
Zant can measure with it in its deplor-
able Ignorance. Here they are great
colony Of people with no literature
with which to inform themselves, and
still producing food for human he
ings to live upon.
"Another feature is, not one dairy
man in 10 has anything like a true
conception of the production of his
individual cows. think now of no
one who is making tests to know if
each COW is profitable, or the reverse.
Again, where great ignorance such as
this prevails, also great filth goes
hand in hand" Think of that from
one of the best dairy regions of the
state. Do not these conditions show
a waste of energy that calls for a
campaign of education?
Money does not make the man, and
yet it has been found impossible to
to the better man until his
physical environment is comfortable
and respectable. The highest success
coISAs to the man from intelligent,
effort. Strict laws gov
ern our achievement. If man can
double his earnings by simply devel-
oping and using his brain power, and
his energy so that he can
live respectfully and bring up his
children to their highest usefulness, I
this is a conservation of natural re-
sources of even greater consequences {
than preserving our forests and our
mines.
Why is the average annual produc- $
ton of the cows in the United States '
l5O pounds of butter fat, causing
oss of 81. 40 to the owner, instead of
}25 pounds of butter fat, making
profit of $4040 annually-the point |
% which some dairymen in Illinois {
nave increased their grade herds by {
simply putting intelligence into the ,
business, and this is by no means the !