Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-01
AGRICULTURAL
VOC. gSz9eSGduCatiOn
~ And SUCCESSFUL EARRING
Ss-::=ssSz Sf ANDREWN SoULE
The Future of Georg5o's Agriculture

This is a timely and pertinent sub
iect for discussion Just at the present
time when we are passing through 4
transitOry stage OF farm practice. hav-
ins not fully made up our mind as yet
10 cast OF the old, and being uncertain
as tc Just what lines OF enOrt should
be most emphasized i'm the immediate
future. one thing is certain and that
Is the necessity for a change This
IS nicely illustrated by the story OF
the Sunday school teacher who was
discussing tire fate of some OF the
worlds oldest and most famous cities
She asked the class what happened
10 Babylon" ana was Informed that at
Teu" What became OF Nineyah2" 1t
was destroyed" What happened TO
Tyreg~ The class were unanimous that
at was puncIured.' Most OF the old
theories and practices relating TO as
riculture have either fallen. been oe-
stroyed or punctured. and now We face
the problem OF building up our farm
practice on safe and sane methods
which will call for a correct interpreta-
zion OF nature and her processes. In other
words. science or the system Of definite
" established facts must take the place
OF conjecture, theory and superstition
Therefore. the future OF the agriculture
OF Georgia depends on education
IL has been customary TO make tun
OF agricultural education, but a wise
man and a philosopher once said: De-
ride not nature: she hath done her part;
do thou but thine" This homely text
contains real and essential shvice just
ar the present moment. for nature as a
willing horse but can only be ridden to
a certain point when she refuses IN re-
spond further unless treated in an ii-
teIligent and cOnsiderate manner. De-
riding nature Is like tempting PIoyi-
dence or putting your hand on not
stove TO see If it will burn IL brings
injury, loss and confusion in its wake
which accounts now for the disOrgaEi-
zatiOn OF our agriculture and our UNI
certainty as 10 what the future holds
in store for US Batting nature by
those who have tried TO study and an
terpTet her correctly may have been
a profitable amusement for those who
possessed virgin soils. limitless forests
and untouched natural resources Of eV-
cry description, but that geneIatiOn has
passed or is passing of the stage, ana
hence he would succeed in the eulti-
walton OF the soil and in the accumula-
ton of wealth therefrom and in stabil-
king the industries of the nature must
mix brains with the soil and must Cur
serve and reconstruct where others nave
destroyed and wasted.
In other words. we have reached The
AHtN OF 0SNcA0pn1enN BN guess Wofh we
can no longer battle anthracnOse OF
cotton OF the wilt disease or increase
the length. yield or quality of the sta
pie BY simply concluding that we think
we will plant such a variety of seed
or use such a fertilizer or take into
consideration the phases OF the moon.
Disease we now know is caused Dy
SPECIFIC organism of a very low type
but which multiplies with wonderful
III .zfva Is 1kN~aN-
ting their destructive influence is TO
understand their life history and by
discovering the weak link in their ar
NOR destroy them through the develop
ment Of strains of seed resistant to
their attack. The farmer who proposes
10 farm by guess work in the future IS
lost II he owns land he will lose It;
IL ne Is a tenant he win not prosper,
and III he is a common laboring man
his chances TO rise is eliminated by
the cloud Of ignorance in which he
lives
What we need now and must have is
definite farm policy. Theory. guess
work, superstition. and conjecture must
all be abandoned Good practice is
ine thing; experience is invaluable. All
these factors should therefore be consid-
cred az their face value. Good practice,
however. is generally based on the cor
rect Interpretation OF nature. and means
that scientific principles. whether APP
preciated or not. are being utilized. Ex-
perience, Of course. is education. 1t
may be expensive and may not be COM
plete- II may be unsatisfactory in the
results attained because of failure TO
appreciate all the factors involved at
their face value. but IL is nevertheless. a
SLOW. expensive and laboriOus form of ed
ucation. We can lessen the labor of
practice and attain the same results and
improve upon them by more definite
knowledge of the principles involved
through experimentation We can clari-
IL the vision of the man of experience
We can add greatly to his efficiency and
improve his knowledge and understand
ing OF many things which he has seen
as through q fog but dimly I'm the past
In order TO formulate definite policy
Of agricultural practice for Georgia
farmers. therefore, we must train leaders
oy taking all the knowledge which the
world can furnish US and so cOTrelate il
as 10 place in the hands OF experts es-
sential information in a plain. simple
and practical form. In order to keep
abreast OF the times we pust encourage
research, which means TO add TO the
store Of knowledge we already possess.
and this is the most difficult and thank
less of all the tasks that beset the path
Of agricultural leaders. for people are
impatient TO know the truth before II
has been discovered; yes. even before
they have spent any money TO ascertain
il. Therefore. research with its painful
~ slow processes must be speeded up.
or else practice viii overtake precept.
and progress will be stalled because OF
the paucity of our information about es-
sentiaI things After We have properly
trained leaders and established research,
we must then organize the community
50 that all may be working in harmony
and all. may be acquainted with the fun
damental facts on which correct knowl-
edge of the soil rests. and the interpre-
- nnV(r VC NOT